It’s essential that you find a way to provide your customers the one thing they expect above all else—an outstanding experience. Today, customers expect your business to be there when needed, whether that’s to answer a question, listen to a complaint, provide a solution to a problem or something else entirely.
The right after-hours support service can be the ideal way to take your customers’ experience to the next level, provide the level of service they demand when they demand it, and help differentiate your business from competitors in the industry. The wrong after-hours solution is going to cost you time, money, and your reputation. Choosing the after-hours support service is the difference between peace of mind and consistent frustration. There are a number of important considerations to keep in mind when engaging an after-hours service provider – here are three common mistakes to avoid:
Failing to Achieve Internal Consensus
Many of the service provider relationships we see are characterized by a lack of internal consensus. If you don’t get the whole team (and especially senior executives) to buy into agreed goals and outcomes, you can be setting yourself up for failure. Without clear goals that everyone agrees on, any outsourcing program will be hitting the ground before it can even take off. Making sure everyone is on the same page can be one of the most challenging parts of the outsourcing process, and 3rdshiftdesk is ready to help you drive definition and consensus.
Going with the really cheap option
“Answering Services” are the traditional method for cheap after-hours support solutions. Often, they rely on an automated systems, where the client can leave a voice mail with the promise of a call back. Answering Service Phone Messaging systems often include such extra features as information on the dialed party’s other availability or at least a brief reference to the opening hours of the given entity.
However, the whole point here is to create a positive experience for your customer. Asking them to deal with automated solutions or work with people that have minimal context for the basis of the conversation completely misses the point and requirements of today’s consumer driven world.
Today, it is possible to find after-hours support solutions that feature high quality service with “pay for what you need” pricing, ie> affordability for low volume, after-hours shifts. It is no longer necessary to compromise here. Due to technology and process/knowledge management advancements, companies can now easily afford quality after-hours customer support that delivers the right experience for both your customers and your brand.
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