Commercial Integrator October 2022 - 13

clients able to call and use our after-hours
phone tree to get help? Must they submit
a support request using a portal or website?
Support options should be as simple
as possible, and they should ensure the
proper team member sees the request
in the amount of time that the service
agreement stipulates. It's important and
necessary to test after-hours request methods
periodically to make sure they work
properly.
Regardless of the methods used for
after-hours requests, we must communicate
them properly to our clients. If we
are providing after-hours service, we must
make sure that clients know how to get to
that service - especially during a time of
frustration, when emotions can run high.
It is extremely important for clients to
understand that after-hours requests will
only be handled if they come in through
established methods; otherwise, there
is a risk they will be missed. A client who
doesn't follow the proper procedures
for requesting support during business
hours will likely also not follow them after
business hours. Sometimes, we might have
to have a conversation with a client to help
them understand the importance of using
the proper support-request methods.
Expectations
Regardless of how great our after-hours
services might be, and irrespective of how
innovative our support-request methods
are, problems will manifest themselves if
a client does not have the proper expectations
about those services. We must
properly convey the exact nature of the
after-hours services we provide, as well
as any charges that the client will incur for
using those services. Additionally, they
should know all of the following: if there is
a guaranteed response time, the types of
services available, the hours and days of after-hours
support, and how they can access
after-hours support.
Managing expectations is our responsibility.
We must be careful that we properly
manage them by ensuring that we follow
our own policies, as well. Our policies are
there to ensure we are efficient; we offer
excellent service; and we are profitable.
When we do not follow our own policies,
we tend to confuse our clients' expectations.
That will cause problems. A client
who is used to texting your personal
mobile phone instead of using your established
support-request methods will be
frustrated if, in the event of an emergency,
you don't see their text.
These expectations should be handled in
our managed-service agreements, signed
by each client. Properly communicating
these expectations helps to avoid a client
ending up unhappy with a fee they incurred
or a call that went unanswered. And even
if they are, the agreement at least offers a
starting point for a conversation to discuss
expectations.
Diana Giles is president
of Skyline IT Management,
a member of The ASCII Group
since 2021.
commercialintegrator.com
OCTOBER 2022 Commercial Integrator
13
http://global.maxhub.com http://www.commercialintegrator.com
Commercial Integrator October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Integrator October 2022
