Support As A Service For Your Company: Full Guidance And Useful Tips

Published on: 16 April 2021 Last Updated on: 12 September 2024

Customer support is a powerful thing that can help your business to grow. Customers pay attention to how quickly and effectively you respond to their requests and what information you provide.

For example, according to McKinsey, 70% of customers measure their experience based on customer service level.

If the company is not ready to provide good customer service, it’s better to find other solutions than to lose customers. And one of these solutions is called support as a service.

Support as a service: what is it

Briefly, it means outsourcing customer support functions. Let’s imagine that you are managing a middle-sized company and are going to organize customer support. What options do you have?

At least two. First, you may build a customer support department inside the company. Second, you may hire an outsourced customer service responsible for clients’ communications and requests.

What choice is better? You may pick up any of these options considering available financial, human, physical, and other resources. Let’s compare the main pros and cons of both decisions.

An in-house customer support department-

Pros:

The customer support team is fully involved in all processes.
You hire every team member.
You may manage everything on your own.
The success of your external communications with the customers is in your own hands.

Cons:

It’s pretty expensive (needed equipment and installation may cost thousands of dollars).
You pay customer agents for the whole working day and not for the number of calls.
You are not flexible and can’t change the whole customer department in case something doesn’t work.

An outsourced customer support team-

Pros:

You may choose from a variety of different providers unless you find an appropriate one.
You may influence all processes that take place inside an outsourced team.
You should not think about any technical aspects of customer support.
You pay only for the delivered service.
You free up a lot of resources inside the company and use them for more critical tasks.
Your customer service team may speak different languages.

Cons:

It’s possible to get poor service because not all providers guarantee good quality.
Sometimes you may experience issues, misunderstandings, and mistakes.
Your customers may not be satisfied.

Related Reads: Making Sure You’re SOX Compliant

Support as a service: who uses it

During the last five years, support as a service became widespread among different businesses. This model has a lot in common with another approach called SaaS (software as a service) or providing cloud software solutions on demand. Support as a service is popular in:

E-commerce:

People like shopping online (especially now, during pandemic times). They also want to choose goods on the weekend or late in the evening after work. So, customer support has to be ready to provide customers with the required information at any time. In these circumstances, an outsourced customer support team is the best option for businesses.

Tech and finance business:

Hiring a customer support agent with the relevant tech or software experience may last for several months. It’s a lot, taking into account that the company loses money during this time. Professional support as a service provider knows how to find required team members fast and effectively.

Season businesses:

Before Christmas or summer months, some companies experience an increasing number of customers’ requests. As a result, their internal customer support departments cannot handle all questions and answer them quickly. An outsourced customer support team on demand may solve this issue and take over part of requests only for a limited time.

Available services-

Another essential question is what exact services an outsourced customer support team may provide. In general, all normal functions of customer support.

Calls:

According to Zendesk, more than 50% of customers prefer to use phones for communication with the brands. That means that voice customer support plays a significant role in building a positive customer experience.

Emails:

Letters are an excellent alternative to calls. They allow sharing more detailed information with customers. But for better results and effectiveness, you should establish special rules on how soon customer agents have to answer letters, tone of voice to use, etc.

Live Chats:

If your company works with millennials and young generations, think of using modern communication tools like live chat or messengers. According to Statista, live chat has growing popularity in almost all industries.

Support as a service: how to start

Here is a checklist of everything you need to do to start collaborating with an outsourced customer support company.

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The Importance Of Accurate CRM Estimating For Your Business

Customer relationship management (CRM) is an essential aspect of any successful business. It involves managing interactions with customers, storing their information, and analyzing their behavior to improve customer experience and increase revenue. However, accurately estimating the cost of a CRM system is often overlooked, leading to unexpected expenses and potential financial losses. In today's highly competitive business environment, it's critical to have a solid understanding of the costs associated with implementing and maintaining a CRM system. In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of accurate CRM estimating for your business, including the potential risks of inaccurate estimates, the benefits of accurate estimates, and strategies for ensuring your CRM estimates are as accurate as possible. By the end of this post, you'll have a better understanding of how accurate CRM estimating can help your business thrive. What Is CRM? CRM is an approach to managing customer interactions which seeks to improve satisfaction, devotion and overall company success. By leveraging CRM software, marketing and advertising agencies can streamline their workflow, enhance communication among team members, and make data-driven decisions. a. Definition Of CRM At its core, CRM refers to the strategies, technologies, and practices used by businesses for acquiring new clients while retaining current ones. It encompasses various aspects such as sales management, contact management, customer support services, as well as marketing automation tools that help in building strong relationships with clients over time. b. Benefits Of Using CRM Better client relations: A well-implemented CRM system allows you to understand your clients' needs better by providing insights into their preferences and behavior patterns. Informed decision-making: With accurate data at your fingertips through a centralized database within the CRM platform, it becomes easier for teams across different departments like sales or marketing to collaborate effectively on campaigns or projects. Increase efficiency: Automating routine tasks using a robust CRM solution saves valuable time for employees who can focus more on critical activities that drive revenue growth instead of mundane administrative workloads. Sales forecasting: Accurate sales projections are crucial in planning budgets or allocating resources accordingly; hence having access to real-time analytics provided by modern-day CRMs helps companies stay ahead of competitors when strategizing future plans based on past trends observed within their industry niche markets worldwide. The Importance Of Accurate CRM Estimating For Your Business In today's competitive business landscape, marketing and advertising agencies need to have a clear understanding of their clients' needs and the resources required to meet those needs effectively. This is where accurate customer relationship management (CRM) estimating comes into play. Accurate estimating is critical to ensure that marketing and advertising agencies are able to understand their clients' needs, determine the resources required, and ultimately meet those needs effectively. Why Accurate Estimating Matters Accurate CRM estimation plays a crucial role in determining the success of your agency's projects by helping you: Allocate resources efficiently: With precise estimates, you can better allocate your team members' time and skills to various tasks within a project. Maintain profitability: Underestimating or overestimating costs can lead to budget overruns or wasted resources - both detrimental factors that affect an agency's bottom line. Achieve client satisfaction: When you accurately estimate project requirements from the start, it becomes easier to set realistic expectations with clients and deliver results on time. How To Ensure Accuracy In Your Estimates To improve the accuracy of your CRM estimates, consider implementing these strategies: Break down projects into smaller tasks, making it easier for team members to understand specific responsibilities and deadlines associated with each task. Gather input from all relevant stakeholders involved in a project; this helps create more comprehensive estimations based on collective knowledge rather than relying on a single person's perspective. Utilize historical data from past projects to identify trends and patterns that can inform your current estimates. Gathering multiple perspectives on a project and utilizing historical data can help you make wiser decisions regarding resources, timelines, and financials. The Impact Of Poor Estimating On Your Business Inaccurate CRM estimating can have several negative consequences for your agency: Loss of revenue: Underestimating project costs or overestimating potential profits may lead to financial losses in the long run. Damaged reputation: Consistently failing to meet client expectations due to poor estimation practices could harm your agency's credibility and deter future clients from working with you. Burnout among team members: Overworked employees who are constantly trying to compensate for inaccurate estimations might experience burnout, leading to decreased productivity and higher turnover rates. To avoid these pitfalls, it is essential for marketing and advertising agencies like yours to prioritize accurate CRM estimating as part of their overall business strategy. By doing so, you'll be better equipped to deliver successful results consistently while maintaining strong relationships with both clients and team members alike. Accurate CRM estimating is essential for businesses to ensure their success and profitability. By improving the process, companies can maximize efficiency while reducing costs associated with poor estimates. Let's investigate strategies to refine our CRM estimating process in order to gain optimal outcomes. What Can A CRM Do For An Organization? A CRM system improves organizational efficiency by centralizing customer information in one place. This allows for better communication, collaboration, and decision-making across teams. Agency CRM by Function Point can automate tasks like data entry or follow-ups, saving time and resources. Additionally, a CRM system helps in identifying sales opportunities by tracking leads and nurturing existing clients to drive revenue growth. Conclusion In conclusion, accurate CRM estimating is an essential element for any business that wants to achieve success. It allows businesses to make informed decisions that result in better customer experiences, improved sales, and greater profits. By investing in the right CRM tools and adopting best practices for estimating, businesses can increase their efficiency and productivity while minimizing costly errors. Moreover, accurate estimating enables businesses to stay ahead of the competition by identifying opportunities for growth and expansion. As a result, businesses that prioritize accurate CRM estimating are better positioned to achieve long-term success in today's highly competitive business landscape. Read Also: CRMDialer: A Zoho Alternative 6 Top CRM For Small Businesses In 2019 Cold Calling Script For Successful Sales Persons

How to Register Your Company in China Fast

Setting up a company in China, possibly a WFOE is one of the best ways of entering a rapidly growing market, which is driven by rapid manufacturing, world-class infrastructure, stable government, and global market reach. To take advantage of this high-potential investment hub, you need to make the first and most important step of registering a company in China. So, how do you go about it? Why China? Why Open a Company in China? As an entrepreneur, the primary goal of starting a business is to see it grow and become a big multinational, but that is only possible with the right platform. This is what makes China stand out from its peers. Everything in China is geared towards making your business succeed. Here are other benefits of expanding your business to China. A large market for your products: One of the factors that you need to get right when determining the place to locate your offshore business is the market size. With a population of more than one billion, investors can rest assured of the great demand for their products. China is the gateway to the Far East and globally too: In addition to the huge local market, China is also strategically positioned, and you can easily access the neighboring Asia markets, including Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Japan. Many areas that you can invest in: There is nowhere else where investment opportunities are as diverse as in China. Although most entrepreneurs are going into manufacturing, you can also invest in agriculture, hospitality, and telecoms, among other areas. Well-developed infrastructure: Whether you are in industrial processing or services sectors, you want an investment hub with well-developed infrastructure that can easily move raw materials, finished products, and labor. In China, both rail and road networks are world-class, allowing you to cut production costs and enhance the efficiency of your enterprise. How to Register a Company in China Now that you know the special benefits of registering a business in China, it is important to appreciate that a business can take several forms, including branch office, joint venture, or a wholly-foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE). However, it is the WFOEs that are more popular because they provide you with full control over your enterprise. To register a WFOE, here are the main steps to follow: Select the business scope. Identify the preferred location. Pick the right business formation. Create a business plan. Submit the company name for pre-registration. Acquire a Letter of Approval from the Ministry of Commerce. Sort all the documents, including a pre-registered Chinese brand, the company’s legal address, articles of association, registered capital, and feasibility study. Register your businesses with the Public Safety Bureau. Open your company bank account and register with the tax bureau. Every year, China is emerging as the business hub of choice for investors, and you should not be left behind in taking advantage of this high potential jurisdiction. Remember to follow the process of registration carefully, ensuring to get all the required approvals and documentation. When it comes to business, you cannot go wrong with China. Read Also: How To Effectively Promote Your Company 6 Benefits of Working with a Managed IT Support Company

Beginners Guide: Capping Explained

Several industries that produce liquid products, such as pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, agriculture, etc., rely on bottle capping machines to complete their production processes. Most bottle cappers in the market are designed to be as versatile as possible, allowing companies to reuse these machines for a wide range of compatible capping operations. Bottle capping machines can be grouped into either of the three categories: manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic. Beyond this classification is another distinction, based mainly on the mode of operation and design. Under the second classification, we have three types of cappers: inline cappers, chuck cappers, and rotary cappers. Most bottle cappers in the market are either semi-automatic or fully automatic. The latter is more efficient, plus they come with more equipment parts. They are also more flexible and easy to work with, hence, suitable for medium to large scale production. The semi-automatic models require some human input and are best suited for small to medium-scale production. The Bottle Capping Process Capping is the process of sealing or covering a bottle/container with a lid. Different capping machines use other mechanisms to place and tighten the caps on containers. This often depends on the production speed, the type of containers/bottles being used, and the nature of the product. Inline bottle cappers, for instance, can handle up to over 300 caps per minute and are best used for small to medium businesses that require medium production speeds, such as milk, soda, and beer. That said, a fully automatic bottle capping machine will have several components to ensure accurate sorting of the caps, placing, and tightening. To understand how the capping process works, we will use an inline bottle capper for illustration. The latter is designed to work in line with the other production processes; hence they should be reliable and accurate. Here are the common parts of a bottle capping machine and their role throughout the capping process. * Loading Hopper A loading hopper holds many caps and directs them to the cap sorter. The design of the loading hopper depends on the caps' size and the type of the capping machine. * Cap sorter As the name suggests, this equipment's work is to choose the right cap for the right bottle and allow only one cap to exit the sorting platform at a time. Different cap sorters have varying mechanisms of operation. One popular technique is using a mechanical rotating disk that accurately selects one cap for a specific bottle/container. * Cap Chute and Chute End The cap chute guides the cap from the sorting platform to the part where it's placed on top of the bottle. Inline cappers have cap chutes specially designed to enhance this sorting operation. Similarly, chuck and rotary cappers are designed to sort and pick the right caps for placement. On the other hand, the chute end allows only one cap to be released and placed on top of the container. Some of the best bottle capping machines provide a quick changeover of the chute ends to allow for flexible operations with different bottle sizes and cap designs. * Quill or Chuck A chuck or quill is responsible for applying some force on the cap such that it turns and tightens the bottle. There are various designs of chucks depending on the size and design of the cap and bottle. * Gripper A gripper works by holding the bottle in place as the cap is applied. The gripper's material, design, and working principle vary depending on the container's size, design, and fragility. Choosing a Bottle Capper When choosing a bottle capper, there are a couple of factors to consider. First, you want to pay attention to your cap & container design, material, and applications. Similarly, you should consider the current and future production needs before picking either a semi-automatic or fully-automatic capper. The other aspects to pay attention to are largely the design features of the capping machine. For instance, you want to choose a heavy-duty material that's reliable and durable. Versatility is another vital feature that allows you to swap bottles and caps without changing the major machine parts. This feature also comes in when choosing the production speed of the machine. Ideally, it's recommended to pick a bottle capping machine that uses a servo motor instead of the traditional and less-flexible belt box. This is because you can conveniently adjust the torque and speed controls for different applications with servo motors. In specific industries such as pharma and food & beverage, clean-in-place (CIP) technology is a critical feature that minimizes the chances of contamination. That said, always refer to specific industry compliance specifications before choosing a bottle capper. Last but not least, you should choose a bottle capper with a simple design. For instance, the moving parts must be easily accessible and, where possible, visible. This makes it easy to spot defects or potential issues that lead to serious downtimes. Get Started Today A bottle capping machine is a great addition to your overall production process. Understanding the various components of this machine allows you to choose the right product that will meet your unique production needs. For the best results, choose to work with a reputed manufacturer with a proven track record in the industry. Read Also: 7 Top Gear Manufacturing Companies in the USA Things to Consider When Sourcing Employees for Manufacturing Plants 5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Footwear Manufacturing Company Emmiol Review 2022: Fake Or Real Store? Everything Is Answered Here!!!

Support As A Service For Your Company: Full Guidance And Useful Tips