Paul Strachan
It’s nice to be known as a caring company, but ultimately if you want to stay in business you need to strike a balance between selling your product and servicing your clients well so that they stay loyal. The problem with some telecoms companies is that they care more about their profits than your custom.
Service Level Agreements
So, how can you tell that they actually value your business? Look at your Service Level Agreement (SLA). This defines what level of service they promise to provide – and crucially what they have to do if things go wrong. If they’re confident in their product and looking to keep your custom they will be happy to negotiate. Companies that give you a Hobson’s Choice of SLAs are going to be less likely to care if you threaten to move.
Customer Service
Another pointer that they care about their customers is the standard of customer service they provide. In today’s business world if your telecommunications fail you will be hit hard and you don’t want to be dealing with inexperienced junior staff who either don’t have the authority to get your lines fixed or don’t care about the problem enough. Things to look for include prompt answering of telephone calls and employees that take ownership of your issues.
Trust
Trust is another area where companies that care about their clients can shine. By having a reliable network that actually provides the service they promise then you’ll remain a loyal customer – after all, changing supplier can be a huge headache.
Are you making the right decisions for your business? If you’re not sure and want to explore what opportunities may exist – then contact me for an initial free procurement health check.
Paul Strachan M. 07793 447961 T. 01307 460667 E. paul.strachan@auditel.co.uk
