5 Questions to Analyse Your Communication Provider's Support

How Effective is Your Communications Provider’s Support?

In the fast-paced world of business, if an error or downtime occurs with your communication solutions, there is no time to waste. Excessive wait times for advice or resolutions lead to frustrated customers, missed sales calls and lost profits. So, your business needs a communication provider who not only provides high-quality communication solutions but also offers comprehensive, proactive and speedy support that keeps your business moving. 

Analysing whether the support your current provider offers is effective isn’t always straightforward, especially if you’ve yet to experience a major problem or outage. To ensure you’re receiving the support your business deserves, here are 5 key questions you can use to analyse the effectiveness and efficiency of your current provider’s support. 

Question 1: How Quickly Does Your Provider Respond to Issues?

According to statistics from SuperOffice, the average length of time it takes for a customer service agent to respond to a request sent via email is 12 hours, with figures suggesting some of the worst response times are over the seven-day mark. If you’re experiencing an issue or an outage with your business communications, having to wait anywhere near this amount of time for a response could spell disaster.

The level of downtime communications issues could cause is devastating no matter what industry you work in. For large-scale businesses with hundreds of employees, downtime results in an average loss of $16,000 (approximately £12,500) per minute, according to data from Pingdom. To make matters worse, the average time it takes for customer service to resolve a technical problem is around 24 hours, signalling significant losses for businesses if the above figures are applied.

From an employee standpoint, a lack of effective support and issue resolution can leave countless workers unable to serve their customers to the expected standard or communicate with their colleagues regarding important issues.

That’s why, at Elite Group, we’re proud to boast some of the most impressive response times in the business communications sphere, to keep our customers up and running as much as possible. With an average response time of just 5 minutes, our business communications customers can expect a stellar level of service in rapid time. Plus, with a 91% first-time resolution rate, you can expect your communications issues to be solved the first time around in the vast majority of instances, without the need to constantly call or email back to track the progress of your resolution. When disaster strikes, we’re there for you.

Question 2: Do They Offer 24/7 Support?

According to data from the Vonage Global Customer Engagement Report, almost 50% of modern consumers expect companies to offer 24/7 support, including evenings and weekends. For example, a multinational business that serves customers in multiple time zones will need to remain in consistent contact with its customer base at all times and doesn’t have the luxury of an out-of-hours period in which technical issues can be fixed. To avoid excessive downtime and lost profits in the thousands, 24/7 wrap-around support can prove to be a godsend for such businesses, helping them maintain constant standards and uphold an impressive reputation.

That’s why, at Elite Group, we make it a priority to support our business communications customers no matter the hour or day they need assistance. With our Elite Assist support package, should you encounter an issue with your business communications, you can rely on 24/7 phone-based customer service, meaning you’ll always have a technical expert to speak with, no matter the hour or the specific problem. This is ideal for international businesses, or businesses that operate outside of the standard nine-to-five. With numerous levels of support available, depending on your needs, and a free trial of the service also on offer, our business communications customers can start to reap the benefits of this service immediately if they wish.

Question 3: What Certifications Do Their Team Possess?

Any communications provider can claim to offer industry-standard, world-class service for their customers. But if they’re unable to back up these claims with a team that has the relevant accreditations, few have reason to side with them. At Elite Group, our team of communications experts is home to several accreditations that put them firmly ahead of the competition, so you’ll always know you’re working with experts who are undeniably qualified to serve you and solve your problems quickly.

But it’s not just about working with the best for the benefit of your wider business. Working with accredited experts in their field for your communications offers something that money simply can’t buy: peace of mind. When disaster strikes and your business comms run into technical issues that you can’t solve alone, it pays to know you’ve got the right team on your side that’s able to fix nagging issues quickly and efficiently. This helps keep your business communications on track, helps your team remain productive and your business profitable. By simply reaching out, you’ll be provided with the answers you need to conquer these issues without prolonged periods of downtime or similar troubles that could cost you time and money.

Better still, Elite Group puts a huge emphasis on ongoing training, which is essential in an ever-evolving area such as business communications technology. This guarantees that our support staff can offer the most comprehensive, useful and up-to-date information for our customers, while also accruing fresh accreditations that help them perform their roles even more effectively. With key accreditations from some of the biggest brands, including Microsoft, 8×8 and more, you can always be sure you’re dealing with someone ideally suited to your specific problems when you reach out to Elite.

Click here for a closer look at our awards and industry-standard accreditations.

Question 4: How Effective is Their Communication?

‘Communications’ may be in the title of their role, but businesses need to consider both the quality of their communications provider’s communication services, as well as their ability to communicate effectively with the business they serve. When troubles arise, it helps a business to know that their communications provider will be fast-acting, informative and offer regular comments as to how issues are being dealt with, as well as multiple methods to get in touch and easy-to-track updates.

Ticketing systems – like the ones utilised by Elite Group – work very well and offer the business in question a simple way to monitor and be kept up-to-date on the progress of support requests and resolutions. This offers complete clarity for all involved and prevents the need for constant chasing. On the subject of chasing, communications providers should be proactive in their updates, rather than reactive, allowing their customers to get on with important tasks instead of constantly having to check progress. 

These communications providers should also offer their customers various ways to get in touch, guaranteeing ease of communication on all fronts and a speedier resolution to emerging problems. Email, phone and live-chat options should all be considered if communications providers want to present themselves as a fully communicative and consistently reachable service provider.

But no matter how a customer chooses to reach out to their communications provider for support, crystal-clear and proactive communication on the part of the provider is essential. Not only to keep the customer on-side but to ensure issues are swiftly resolved for the wider benefit of their business and their own customers. Things like regular account updates and contract reviews, to ensure the customer is getting the best value for their money, are key ways communications providers can keep their customers satisfied. 

Support from Elite Group is available via both phone and email, to suit a multitude of tastes and needs, as well as our innovative Service Now portal. This portal allows our customers to raise and track tickets for support requests, troubleshooting and fault-fixing, so you’ll always have a clear view of the progress of your request or repair. This prevents the need for you to consistently contact us, allowing you to keep an eye on things at the touch of a button. You’ll also be assigned a personal Account Manager who will remain in regular contact with you and act as your main port of call for any issues or enquiries. They’ll also conduct regular account reviews, so you don’t have to.

Question 5: Do They Understand Your Business Needs?

Rapport and understanding between businesses and business communications providers is essential if the relationship is to work to its fullest advantage. Sadly, though, far too many providers simply treat their business customers as one out of a pack and fail to truly personalise services and interactions based on the precise needs of the business. They fail to take the time to get to know the business on a more in-depth level and, as a result, can not offer the same quality of service as other communications providers that do go the extra mile. 

This lack of personal touch and willingness to go deeper and understand what makes a business unique in its ways of working can potentially harm a business’s chances of success when said business reaches out for support. The provider could waste time suggesting solutions that may not meet the specific business needs, which could have been avoided had they taken the time to get to know the business in question.

This is why Elite values experience and personalisation above all else. We believe in a consultative approach and take the time to get to know your business and your ways of working, inside and out, including your needs, goals and daily challenges. This doesn’t just help us build a positive working relationship but also pinpoint and implement key changes or practices that can aid your communications in a huge way, leading to improved business development and better relationships with customers.

Because of this approach, we’re almost always able to offer a solution that fits your needs and solves your problems the first time, without scrambling to search for solutions that fit as other providers may do.

Looking to Work with a Business Communication Solutions Provider Who Cares? Elite Group is Here for You

With over 20 years of industry experience providing business communications and technical support services, you can always rely on Elite Group to deliver. Our support team of accredited specialists, engineers and customer service representatives are ready and waiting to assist you in any way we can, for the betterment of your business growth.

Plus, with dedicated account management, you’ll always have a specific individual you can rely on for regular updates, product information, or any other information that’s relevant to your services. For more information on our business communication and support services, reach out to an Elite Group expert today.