Dec 2011Providing First-Line Customer Support to Enterprise VoIP customers: What to Consider
To date, no service provider has discovered how to fully automate interaction with the Enterprise VoIP customer – though some have tried. Whether it is because of user preference (“I want to hear a human voice”), the required immediacy of response or the complexity of the questions, there are always situations where service providers need to manage the first line of interaction with their customers. Many companies, and specifically telephone companies, have been built on one central idea: great customer interaction differentiates the service provider as a leader among peers. What, though, is great customer interaction in the Enterprise VoIP space?
Developments in software-based automation of the past 20 years have made customers more inclined (and willing) to find online assistance and, therefore, Communications/VoIP service providers more interested in providing online assistance and automation in lieu of direct human interaction when possible. In the brief words below, I will offer you my thoughts on what comprises a good package of first-line customer support. The opinions are based on my experience watching numerous Enterprise VoIP operators deploy and conduct business. For an insider’s perspective, please read Jim Kaiser’s article in our Voice from the Industry section of this newsletter. Jim is President of J-Curve Technologies and brings the perspective of someone at the forefront of the communications service provider first-line customer support market.
A service provider needs great systems, great processes and a conscientious in-house department or outsourced group of support professionals. As usual, there is a lot more to be said about these items than space permits, but I’ve tried to address the most important considerations. For more detailed information, see our forthcoming white paper on Enterprise VoIP Customer Support to be released in 2012.
Great Systems. As you plan how support will be performed, it is crucial to understand what information will be required to assist customers immediately. Customers are growing accustomed to certain self-service tools like bandwidth continuity testing, bandwidth speed testing, phone registration data, account upgrade/downgrade capabilities, etc. If a conversation/IM session is required with a live CSRs (Customer Service Representative), that person will require access to call detail records and current network technical information in order to field question intelligently. The CSR also needs the ability to adjust complex technical settings, the ability to kick off multi-step RMA procedures and beyond. In aggregate, it takes considerable effort, and potentially, considerable cost to standup the OSS/BSS that can deliver the information that is expected in a professional communications offering. To efficiently use capital, it is best to understand the support levels required and prioritize the systems in order of necessity. Further, as the service offering gains traction and you want to maintain momentum, it is good to allocate incremental budget to maintenance and improvement of your support systems.
Great Processes. If you are going to run a customer support organization, it is time to break out your flow-charting software. A well-organized support organization translates into customer satisfaction. Processes are important for two reasons: first, to maintain quality control (essentially replicate the customer experience irrespective of who answers the phone/IM/email; and Second, to document information in an accepted format and location so that there is continuity to rectify any issue that is not immediately resolved. This process should start with an initial email you send to your new customers and that includes all communications and interactions in the customer lifecycle. It is imperative to document how interactions should proceed, when hand-offs between first line support and more experienced technical or managerial organizations should occur, and how specific diagnostics should be performed to isolate the issue. Suffice it to say, a well-functioning customer support organization should have 90-95% of all potential issues documented, scripted and understood before any live interaction occurs. There will always be outliers; that is why the last category is the most important.
Great People. Customer support requires smart, dedicated, empathetic people. These CSRs range from being friendly and constructive in phone and written communications to those CSRs that understand the technology well enough to make minor technical changes or to diagnose underlying problems. If you read customer feedback comments for a retail product or service, you will see that customers respond very positively to intelligent assistance with a smile, professional presentation and intuitive interfaces (5 stars) and very negatively to incompetence, disorganization or a non-intuitive approach to resolving business issues (1 star). While great systems and great processes are important, these are largely invisible to the customer. When all is said and done, though, a customer with a support issue forms an impression based on the person or people with whom they interact. It’s all about the people. Your goal is to hire the right person and train them to be great.
First-line customer support is an opportunity to impress your customer, which then creates strong word-of-mouth and growth. Do a consistent great job and referrals roll in. Do a poor job, and you miss opportunities for growth, and you end up with a high churn rate. Of course, success in the this arena is dynamic as you craft or re-craft your support organization to meet the increasing expectations of customers and the increasing support ‘table stakes’ available from competition. Assuming the other parts of your business are working, an investment in support systems, planning and people is an investment in the future success of your Enterprise VoIP service business.
--Micah
micah@voiplogic.com
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