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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Organizing an Event This Year? Here’s What You Need to Know.

We have all seen what a pandemic can do to the event industry. Not only that, but we have also seen how hard it is to organize a small gathering without breaking any laws. Depending on where you live, the laws may have been even worse than that. However, things are starting to get more relaxed in many parts of the world. We can’t guarantee the complete legality of events in your area, as we are not a law firm of any kind, but we can give you some sound advice to keep your events as much within the safety standards as possible. Venues Need to Rethink Their Communication Strategy Communication is the key to creating a seamless experience for everyone involved. And in the current context, that is more evident than ever. Venues need to lay out their entire set of rules for the event to all the guests and staff. That way, you’ll be able to ensure that everyone knows what they need to do and that there won’t be any mishap. Ensure that your message gets across well without creating panic or confusion. The last thing we need after such a long pandemic is to prolong people’s fears. Use Digital Tools to Make Everything Better We live in a world where technology is widespread. Using the internet is as easy as ever, and staying connected is stupid-simple given the fact that almost everyone carries a smartphone. Make sure to use every tool at your disposal to plan ahead of time, keep in touch with vendors, sell tickets more easily, and plan out the layout of the building for the event. From mail apps to getting insurance for special events online, you can get a lot of things done with a simple computer or smartphone connected to the web. Practice Social Distancing When Planning Out the Seating Ideally, you’ll want to leave a seat empty in every straight direction that the participant will be juxtaposed against. In short, leave one seat empty in front, in the back, and on the left and right side of each participant. Or, at the very least, leave a seat empty on their left and right, and try to distance the rows in front and back of each participant. Food and Beverages - Basic Rules If you’re going to organize a corporate event, then you’ll probably want to have a self-service buffet. That’s out of the question, unfortunately, given the current context. As long as you have a good catering service and preferably some professional waiters, you could try to organize a seated dining scenario. Alternatively, you could ask each participant what they would like to eat and order every meal in separate packaging. A more cost-saving solution would be to order pre-packed meals and keep them in the fridge until the attendees arrive. You will then place the meals on each attendee’s desk before they arrive. Handling meals carefully is a must. Ticketing Alternatives While there are bound to be people who will prefer physical tickets, we’d advise you to encourage them to grab their tickets online. Creating a purely online ticketing system saves you money, reduces the risk of spreading viruses, and greatly reduces the overall waiting time. Not only that, but it allows people to order their tickets from wherever they might be. So you won’t have to keep a physical operator at your booth and you’ll be able to sell tickets much more efficiently. Your Thoughts? If you follow our guidelines, your events should be practically safe against any virus. However, we’re curious to see if you’ve got any other suggestions to make events even safer for everyone involved. With that in mind, feel free to leave us a comment down below and share your thoughts with the rest of our community. Also, we would really appreciate it if you shared this article with your contact on social media. Thank you! Read Also: Choosing the best Photographer for your Event

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

5 Must-Know Facts About Cannabidiol (CBD)

Many characters have learned of a compound described as THC, which is the component in marijuana that makes users what they call "high." But lately, awareness has moved to a different mixture of marijuana named CBD and for real logic. While physicians can't appear to see past particular consequences of THC, CBD nugs do not seem to impersonate that dilemma, while data of CBD's therapeutic advantages remains to improve. Presenting you with five factors that you should apprehend about this individual composite: Here are 5 Must-Know Facts About Cannabidiol (CBD): 1. CBD is a fundamental component in cannabis CBD is an example of over 60 mixtures observed in cannabis that apply to a group of particles named cannabinoids. Of those mixtures, CBD and THC are present in the raised concentrations and are consequently the endless known and analyzed. CBD and THC planes direct to differ between various flowers. Marijuana produced for recreational goals usually includes more THC than CBD. Nevertheless, by utilizing particular breeding systems, cannabis growers have maintained to produce families with high planes of CBD and close to zero planes of THC. Those strains are unique but have grown more common in late years. 2. CBD is non-psychoactive Juul CBD pods do not produce what they call high. Although this presents CBD as a bad option for recreational users, it provides the element a meaningful benefit as a medication, because wellness experts favor therapies with minimum outcomes. CBD is non-psychoactive due to the fact that it does not operate on the related pathways of the THC compound. Those pathways, named CB1 receptors, are extremely concentrated in the cerebrum and are liable for the brain-altering consequences of THC. A 2010 survey announced in Modern Drug Security reasons that CBD "does not differentiate between various psychomotor and mental capacities." The writers append that many investigations imply that CBD is "well endured and supported" even at high dosages. 3. CBD has a wide range of medical Benefits Though CBD and THC perform on various pathways of the physical body, they appear to hold several of the corresponding therapeutic advantages. According to a 2012 study printed in the Clinical Pharmacology, investigations have determined CBD to hold the subsequent medicinal qualities: Antiemetic: Decreases illness and nausea Anticonvulsant: Contains spasms activity Antipsychotic: Battles psychosis ailments Anti-inflammatory: Combats swelling ailments Anti-oxidant: Combats neurodegenerative sicknesses Anti-tumoral/Anti-cancer: Combats swelling and cancer cells Anxiolytic/Anti-depressant: Fights stress and anxiety disorders Sadly, most of this data originates from creatures, because very rare thoughts on CBD have moved out in individual patients. But a pharmaceutical report of CBD was newly produced by a narcotic business sordid in the United Kingdom. The company, Pharmaceuticals, is presently supporting clinical tests on CBD as a therapy for schizophrenia and specific models of epilepsy. Furthermore, a pair of investigators at the California Healing Center, directed by Dr. McAllister, has declared that both expect to start tests on CBD as a breast ailment treatment. 4. CBD reduces the negative effects of THC CBDistillery gummies appear to give reasonable security for the marijuana effect. Various investigations imply that CBD works to overcome the intoxicating results of THC, such as mind impairment and fear. CBD also seems to prevent the rest, causing impacts of THC, which may reveal why unusual strains of cannabis are associated with enhancing sharpness. Both CBD and THC have survived to display no chance of fatal overtreatment. Yet, to decrease possible consequences, medicinal users could be greater off utilizing cannabis with greater levels of CBD. 5. CBD is still illegal Though CBD displays much hope as a medication, it continues to be illegal in various sectors of the nation. CBD is listed as a Schedule I narcotic in the US and a Schedule II narcotic in Canada. On the day of Dec. 13, 2016, the United States DEA performed it obvious that all marijuana-based infusion is deemed a Schedule I sedate below the national law, containing CBD oils and additional samples of CBD extracts. On a side note, the United States FDA newly signed a petition to claim a pharmaceutical variant of CBD in kids with unusual models of epilepsy. The narcotic is produced by Pharmaceuticals and is given the name Epidiolex. According to the organization, the narcotic holds more than 98% CBD, minimum numbers of any additional cannabinoids, and 0% THC. GW medications perform different cannabis-based medications named Sativex that have been established in over twenty-four nations for managing various sclerosis. Read Also: How Does Recreational Marijuana Affect Your Sex Life How CBD Oil Capsules Are Changing People’s Lives

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