7 Characteristics of Great VoIP Customer Service and Support
Though technological change has revolutionized business over the past 20 years, the majority of you reading this still use a telephone to communicate with prospects, customers, partners and vendors. Your phone service needs depend on the nature of your business and the features you deem necessary to keep operations as smooth-sailing as possible. One provider can offer the most basic plan while another could give you all the features you're looking for, alongside the nice-to-haves. Regardless of your industry or specific business requirements, one essential attribute needs to be carefully scrutinized if you're looking into making the switch to VoIP: stellar customer service and support.
What makes for great VoIP customer service and support?
How do you figure out if the VoIP provider of your choice can meet your existing needs and future user demands?
How do you find a provider who does more than provide a cookie-cutter solution?
Although great is subjective, we list down the following characteristics of outstanding customer service that is universal among reliable VoIP providers today.
Live and Knowledgeable Representatives
Dealing with live customer support personnel who are knowledgeable on the subject facilitates quicker resolution. It also gives that personal touch, fostering a sense of trust and worth to the customer.
Furthermore, dealing with a live person rather than an automated message or only dealing with your service provider via email means someone can recommend right away if your system is due an add-on or even a downgrade. When you can jump on a call with a team who knows the nuts and bolts of your business because you've talked to one of them before or met them onsite, you've found your dream support team.
Atlantech Online prides itself on ensuring that whenever you call, you are able to speak to a staff member, whether your question is related to a technical issue, installation update, or billing inquiry.
Willingness to Go the Extra Mile
It's no secret that issues or kinks will inevitably arise. A true customer-focused VoIP provider doesn't guarantee that nothing can possibly go wrong. Instead, great customer support means having a provider who promises to stick with you when problems arise, whether it's a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack or a low-quality call experience filled with echo and static.
Today's VoIP leaders do more than just provide rock-solid support 24/7. Often, they're the carriers who don't hesitate to go the extra mile to get issues resolved even when those problems are not directly related to their scope of service.
Proactive Network Monitoring and Management
An exceptional customer support experience is also a result of carriers who take the time to build a dedicated infrastructure and team who proactively monitors network status and supports customers. This attribute also extends to security safeguards that help detect and identify possible fraudulent activities quickly. For example, there have been many instances when we have detected and helped customer mitigate International Long Distance fraud.
Simplified Customer Management Relationship
Instead of being transferred multiple times from one department to another, great customer service means having a seamless experience while dealing with support.
For instance, when trying to get in touch with a tech support representative or an account manager, you should not be put on hold for a long time nor transferred to the wrong department before being able to speak to someone who can truly help you.
Complete Service Offerings
The way people work today has changed. These days, it's all about agility and speed. Whether you're leading a small team of user-experience researchers or handling a large crew with various skill sets, it pays to have a VoIP provider who goes beyond cookie-cutter solutions and can customize a package that actually meets your requirements.
Simply put, look for a carrier who has complete service offerings. A provider who offers a full range of related business needs, such as data center services and broadband connections, means support can be provided across other channels.
Enterprise Grade Solutions
Taking enterprise-grade solutions into account is equally important. Stellar support is not just about providing specific features without a glitch; it's also being able to deliver a consistent end-user experience by working with third-party providers or apps.
Atlantech has partnered with ShoreTel to provide a premise-based Unified Communications system including voicemail, an automated attendant, automatic call distribution, call detail recording, unified voice mail, and desktop call control. Everything is accessed from the same intuitive interface, making it easy for you and your staff to navigate, manage and maintain.
A Dedicated Team of Experts
Last but definitely not least, great customer support comes from a dedicated team of experts covering service delivery, technical issues, and project management. This is particularly important for small to mid-sized businesses who need outside support for network and infrastructure assessment as well as business documentation.
Beyond the Benefits
From increased mobility to significant cost savings, it's no surprise that the number of businesses and organizations making the switch to VoIP is growing, because VoIP has game-changing benefits that improve your bottom line. In fact, our philosophy is that you shouldn't call it VoIP... we just call it phone service. It would make as much sense to buy a horse for transportation as it would to use legacy technology for your business telephone communications.
Before you go looking for a VoIP carrier, look beyond the solutions and benefits provided. Dedicate the same amount of scrutiny to customer support and experience.
Talk to one of our VoIP experts today to learn how you can make smarter decisions in keeping voice costs low while improving workforce communications at the same time.
