Last month we talked about how the right Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) platform can create an amazing customer experience (CX). But if you’ve been in the industry long enough, you know that not every IT solution provider or vendor is as focused on CX as they should be. Sometimes issues happen and aren;t dealt with with the care and expedience you should be able to expect. When it’s good, it’s good, but when it’s bad, there’s no time to delay. You need help, and you need it now.
Whether it’s a chronic billing issue or a mission-critical outage that demands immediate attention, sometimes you need to escalate and a simple “Let me talk to a supervisor,” just won’t do. Here are 3 tips to getting to the top of the escalation food chain and finding resolution.
1. Plant the seed early.
Going into your vendor relationship with boundaries and expectations in place sets the stage for how the relationship will unfold in the future– including in the event of a problem. Set the expectation early for how you expect issues to be handled and resolutions to be reached. Get on a first name basis with your sales rep, and maybe even his superior. Sure, you have an SLA and that’s something to fall back onl but taking a proactive approach can smooth the path forward. And hey– name dropping a trusted advisor can’t hurt, if you have one.
2. Leverage your sales rep.
Sales reps have a vested interest in keeping you happy as a customer. For one thing, a little beauty called “commission” exists. And, as you know, retaining happy customers for the company means the potential for more commissions in the future. Plus, job security. And may reps grow their business through referrals. So, all of their incentives are aligned to help you.
So, when things go really bad, try working directly through your representative. Customer service supervisors may not have much control, but it’s far more likely that someone in charge will come with answers when the sales rep steps in.
3. Work with Premier Team. There are a few points of leverage you have when working with us. For one, we have combined buying power, meaning, in this context, that the way your case is handled directly reflects on the company that relies on us to refer clients. Premier Team’s long-standing and established relationships with vendors help us smooth the terrain of escalation, and our inside knowledge of how to navigate these issues lends you our upper hand.
Tired of waiting in line to solve urgent issues? We know how important it is to keep downtime to a minimum and to bring residual issues to a conclusion, and we’re ready to help you get there. Get in touch with Premier Team – we’ll help you handle it, no elevator music needed.
