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

Published on: 16 April 2021 Last Updated on: 30 December 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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Top User Tips For Getting Started With Salesforce

Salesforce is one of the leading tools for custom retention by streamlining how your organization conducts its business. It allows you access to centralized customer data and enables personalized communications. You can also use it for tracking customer interactions and reviving inactive clients. To effectively use the various functionalities, salesforce employs multiple tools within the software. It can take you some time to master and deploy all these functions effectively. That would mean a waste of resources and losing revenue for the business. 4 User Tips To Getting Started With SalesForce For every organization and the company to apply the sales force, they are going to need some special skills as the goal is different along with the products. But the fundamental strategy of salesforce is remaining the same. In 2021 many new Ai-based techniques will be invented, and if you want to match up with your target, you have to use the following four tips. Here are four of the tips to get you started with salesforce; 1. Plan Ahead Every organization has unique data needs, and the salesforce can be customized to meet these needs. Before you can find the ideal tools for your business, you first have to understand your specific needs. Look into the type of products you deal in and the nature of clients. For example, if you run a contact center, you need to include various aspects like the average talk time, issues for calling, and resolutions. For an eCommerce site, you might need information on abandoned carts and purchased items. Slow down the pace and take the tools slowly as you determine the impact on business processes. You can only expect results if you feed the right data on the system. 2. Invest In Resources To Get The Most Out Of The Salesforce While the salesforce is robust software with multiple functionalities, it is not a standalone tool. You still need other resources like human resources or other software to make it work perfectly. For example, the customization data from the salesforce is not important if you cannot use it when addressing the clients. You still need software like TinyLetter to help you place the specific names on emails and landing pages for personalization. Train the staff on how to get the most out of the salesforce. Let them interact with the platform as they master the multiple resources it comes with. 3. Look For A Consultant The other way to make salesforce work for you is by looking for a consultant or an external contractor. The consultant has the expertise on how best to use the platform depending on your business needs. They have interacted with various businesses and have since mastered what works best for every entity. A consultant also helps you with an external view when setting up the system. Using only the internal can be biased and lead to defective data. You are also better off working with a consultant from the area where the prospective clients come from. For example, look for salesforce consulting companies in Pennsylvania if you are targeting clients around the locality. They have the demographics, and specific customer needs you can use on the platform when generating data. 4. Optimize Your Implementation Once you have set everything up, you need to get the best out of the salesforce by optimizing the implementation. Look for ways to automate key business processes(because you are already acquainted with its importance), win more deals, and improve lead conversion by ensuring consistent speed-to-lead formula. The more you use the platform, the better you get at understanding its limits and how best you can gain from it. Automatic implementations and chatbot customer care both are pretty effective for the salesforce. However, more often, the customers are starting to lose their interest in the products as the companies are taking too much time to answer the product queries. But automatic systems and chatbots do not let you lose your single customer due to late responses. Conclusion: The automatic business process to the new generation's smart business planning, everything belongs in the strategy to match up your sales goals and salesforce. These four tips successfully build a good sales force for your organization. All you have to do is just plan out your strategy and incorporate the salesforce-related business planning. Within a few months, you will start to see the differences. Read Also: Why an Automated Sales CRM Platform is What Your Business Needs Avoiding Sales And Operations Planning Mistakes

Why You Should Choose To Have An Asset Protection For Your Business

Business owners focus so much on accumulating wealth but spend very little time protecting their assets. But the sad truth is that we live in a lawsuit-frenzy society and as a business owner you are ever vulnerable to many risks that can put your assets – home, savings, and business – at stake. Why asset protection is vital? Nowadays, having a solid asset protection plan is not an option but a necessity. And this is true not just for business owners but to anyone who may be perceived to own substantial assets. If you are a potential target of creditors, lawsuits, or any other legal threat, planning asset protection should be a priority. Basically, asset protection strategies help safeguard your assets and wealth from potential attacks in the future. Contrary to what many people think, it is not only your savings and properties that may be at risk in case of an unfair adjudication. Everything that is of value, including business interests, real estate, investment properties, commercial properties, intellectual property, and other properties such as cars, art, boats, art, and jewelry, can be targeted by creditors. The good news is that there are specific asset protection strategies that can help secure a different type of assets. When you implement the right measures, you can rest assured that your assets are safe even in the face of lawsuits and liabilities. Who needs asset protection? A common misconception people have regarding asset protection is that an individual first needs to have significant wealth to start devising a plan. But the reality is that lawsuits can be filed not just against businesspeople but to anyone, regardless of backgrounds and levels of affluence. As long as people think that you own substantial assets, you can be targeted with frivolous lawsuits. Some individuals who may need asset protection include: Young entrepreneurs who wish to secure their assets before entering into a risky venture; Retirees preserving their assets for their beneficiaries; Individuals protecting their properties from growing medical bills; Individuals engaged in a profession with a high degree of liability (medical professionals, real estate investors/developers, lawyers, financial advisors, accountants); Debtors and/or guarantors; Business owners running a business with the poor financial state; Individuals from the affluent class with assets from around the world; Married couples with a souring marriage that is heading to divorce; Individuals facing a possible tax or other government liability; Business owners whose business may be affected by new laws or create new liabilities not covered by any insurance; People about to receive or have gained a substantial amount of wealth through inheritance, vesting event, corporate success, business acquisition, etc.; and People expecting a lawsuit or at high risk of being sued. Basically, everyone who has accumulated any asset will eventually need asset protection. How to protect assets? As mentioned above, different strategies can be used to protect your assets. They can be classified either as domestic or offshore. Domestic asset protection strategies involve the use of domestic laws and business structure. The simplest is choosing the appropriate business entity, such as corporations, limited partnerships, and trusts. As stated by an asset protection consultant at CS&P, by registering a business entity, you can benefit from having a corporate veil that completely segregates business and personal assets. This protects your assets in case of lawsuits and other liabilities. Other asset protection measures that leverage domestic laws include the proper use of contracts and agreements, purchasing appropriate insurance policies as well as umbrella insurance, segregating assets and assigning them to a spouse, and using homestead exemption. A comprehensive estate and trust planning can also provide a solid form of asset protection. It is recommended to do trust planning before you establish a new company. Offshore or international asset protection strategies are among the most successful methods to preserve your wealth. These are very confidential and secure ways of shielding your assets. This involves the establishment and transfer of assets to a corporation or trust based in a foreign territory. However, the process can be quite daunting, especially for those unfamiliar with its intricacies. It requires the help of experienced asset protection specialist to ensure that the process complies with the laws of both the origin and destination territory. Read Also: Substantial Tips On How To Invest Your Money Responsibly Small Business Guide To Private Health Insurance Exchanges

What are the benefits associated with crowdfunding for businesses?

In present times, the influence of business is undeniable in everyday life. There are different aspects of the economy that is solely dependent on how well the various startups of the country prosper. Marketing the business along with the funding can together ensure how well it would thrive in the long run. There are different ways in which any type of business can be funded, and if you implement the right method, you can see a significant profit in the minimum possible time. To make sure your business is thriving, you should take calculated risks as well judiciously. If the company fails which is a factor you cannot completely rule out, you will suffer losses, and that would lead to a debt crisis which at its extreme can lead to bankruptcy. One such method of funding which is comparatively less risky is crowdfunding. What is crowdfunding? There are different methods of funding a business like self-funding, crowdfunding, angel financer, bank loans, business schemes, and so on. Among these, crowdfunding is considered among the safest choice when you have a beautiful business plan and need a lot of money that you cannot get from one single source. In the case of crowdfunding, one can appeal with a proper business plan at a funding forum. And those who are interested in being the shareholders or clients for this kind of business can invest in it by getting in touch with you. There are several different benefits associated with crowdfunding and when you have a proper understanding of how it operates you can quickly make the most of this kind of funding. Easy access to capital : It is not easy to get the necessary funds for any business. However, when you have a secure network of people who have the capacity and are willing to invest in your project, you can quickly come across the necessary funds for the business. You can connect with other entrepreneurs as well who may be interested in investing in your business plan in particular. There are various reward-based crowdfunding platforms which help entrepreneurs to raise funds from a community that has a common interest in the kind of business proposal that you have. You can even give tangible gifts or rewards for funding the business like free samples of your products which can get them even more interested in supporting the company that you are trying to establish. This way, you can gather the necessary fund from scratch over a reasonable period. Reduces the risks : Starting a company is a very challenging task, and there is often a very high-risk factor associated with the venture. But with crowdfunding, you can avoid the risk to a large extent since you would be able to learn a lot about the market value of your business and whether this is a feasible and profitable idea at all. You would be able to understand the possible reception that your product is likely to get through a crowdfunding campaign. Only those people who are passionate about such a product would show interest in funding. When you know the number of people who are interested in funding your business, you can estimate the possible outcome of your campaign. Moreover, your company receives a lot of attention and marketing even before it rolls out through crowdfunding. You have a chance of earning consistent profit through the business and so would be able to pay off all those who have funded the business eventually. Validate your business concept : When you are looking for more institutionalized investors, the first and foremost question they are likely to ask you are - why should they invest and do you have any guarantee that your business plan would succeed? These are tricky questions with no easy answers for any business owner. However, when you are opting for crowdfunding, you can show the proof of concept which can convince them to invest in your dream venture as well. A successful crowdfunding campaign would mean that many people are welcoming your product and business concept and there is a good market value of the business that you are starting. The initial success would assure formal investors like banks to give you loans without worrying about the chances of non-payment unless there is a major crisis in your business. The number of people investing in the company also shows the trust and integrity that the masses show towards your brand even at its initial stage which can help to boost your reputation for the future. New and innovative brainstorming : The crowd not only comes up with the funds but they can even provide you with new ideas which would help your business to prosper. New and innovative ideas about the different aspects of the company would ensure that you can cover all the loopholes in the business plans. The entrepreneurs can engage the crowd in a brainstorming session as they would want to have a say in the business where they are investing. Through their discussions and comments, you can even come across good suggestions and ideas which would benefit the company in the long run. Moreover, you can even get legal suggestions about avoiding debt and also debt settlement reviews from different people through their experiences. Consult your lawyers about this and find out what is applicable for your business. This way you can make sure that your business is safe and secure as well against any business trouble related to finance. Conclusion : There are different advantages associated with crowdfunding. It is much safer compared to other methods of funding, and you can rest assured to avoid any debt-related crisis if you can successfully implement the different types of crowdfunding methods. The choice ultimately rests on the business owner about how to collect funds and use them successfully for the company. It can be concluded that business management becomes easier than ever before when you have a proper conception of the process of funding that you are implementing.

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