Customer service traits you should look for in an MSP partner

When partnering with a managed services provider (MSP), it can be easy to overlook assessing their customer service capabilities. The first contact with customer service tends to happen long after the ink on the MSP contract is dry. So many businesses often forget to ask about the MSP’s customer service standards before making a commitment.

Related article: What should be included in your managed IT services agreement

Based on our experiences with our Maryland and North Carolina clients, customer service ought to be a thorough, intentional process. It doesn’t happen overnight, nor is it something that occurs by accident. Customer service is a continuous process of pursuing customer satisfaction.

“Customer service is a continuous process of pursuing customer satisfaction”

In our years of chasing customer satisfaction, we have had to make internal changes to our company culture and organizational habits. outsource IT continues to instill in all of the members traits such as:

Patience and attentiveness

Good customer service personnel understand that clients come from all walks of life, and part of their responsibilities is to help alleviate stress that clients experience. This is why it’s important that customer service representatives (CSRs) exercise level-headedness and attention to detail.

Observe how your MSP handles your high-stress situations. Get a feel for their demeanor in their tone of voice and body language. Well-trained customer service representatives will be attentive and will not lose their cool even when solving difficult problems.

Good communication

A lot of grief often stems from poor communication. The usual consequences range from unclear instructions to incorrect software to even duplicate transactions. Poor communication results in lost money, and this may be in the form of unexpected expenses.

Poor communication leads to unclear directions and unmet expectations. This results in MSPs experiencing production and service backlogs, and unnecessary downtime and lost profits for your business. A truly reliable MSP must make it a point to establish clear lines of communication so that all involved parties can meet their goals.

Related article: AI-powered advances in customer support

Positive language

Positive language refers to talking about what you can do versus what you can’t do. MSPs that use positive language tend to have a culture of problem-solving, a critical characteristic to have given that tech issues don’t always have clear-cut solutions.

Be on the lookout for MSPs that respond to your service requests with affirmation. Good positive language isn’t always a direct “yes”; it can be a “no, but here’s what we can do for you” type of response.

Knowledge of products and services

Customer service representatives are expected to have in-depth knowledge of their company's products and services. Client-facing personnel ought to have a good understanding of how their products and services work so that they can answer questions and solve problems expeditiously.

If you wish to experience optimal customer service, partner with an MSP whose representatives have a deep understanding of what they offer. This signals that their employees are well-trained to help whenever you need them and can explain their products and services clearly.

Time management

Finally, look for customer service that knows how to manage time. This means reasonable response times and no missed deadlines. If your MSP’s CSRs under-promise and over-deliver their service activities on a regular basis, then you’re in good hands.

A good MSP understands that time equals money, and that time lost translates into lost income. A tech partner that truly cares will try to minimize your downtime as much as they can.

Experience first-class customer service with outsourceIT. We’ll do all the heavy IT lifting for you so you can focus on what you do best. Contact us today for more information.