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Why SaaS companies should use the phone for support

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// table of contents //

INTRODUCTION // 04

01 // How Potential Customers Evaluate SaaS Solutions // 06

02 // Phone-Based Support Can Help SaaS Companies Gain an Edge // 13

03 // 14 Phone-Based Customer Support Best Practices for SaaS Companies // 19

CONCLUSION // 29

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// Why SaaS companies should use the phone for support



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// INTRODUCTION //

Many tech companies like Quora, Twitter, Facebook, Google and LinkedIn are doing everything they can to avoid providing customer support over the phone. They either don’t provide a phone number on their website or offer automated solutions when they do.

These companies cite reasons like they don’t have enough employees to answer every call, phone support is not scalable and our customers can solve their own issues using our FAQ and information provided online.

For these established companies, this may be true enough. However, for software as a service (SaaS) companies, especially startups, not offering phone support could be a costly, even fatal, error.

Phone-based customer support can be the differentiating factor between a SaaS company that makes it and one that doesn’t. This is because phone is the most preferred support channel, it is the most effective channel for solving complex support issues and allows agents to establish a personal connection with their customers.

http://blog.talkdesk.com/what-customers-want-from-support-contact-centers



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Using the phone for customer support can also positively influence critical KPIs such as conversion and retention rates and can therefore be instrumental in any company’s success.

This e-book will discuss how potential customers evaluate SaaS solutions, how phone-based customer support can be an influential factor in driving customer conversion and give examples of phone-based customer support best practices that will help increase customer retention for SaaS companies.



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01 // HOW POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS EVALUATE SAAS SOLUTIONS

Before diving into why SaaS companies should use the phone as their main support channel, we will describe the unique characteristics of SaaS business models as well as some of the pros and cons of SaaS solutions.

Knowing how your customers size up your SaaS company (as well as other SaaS products) is the first step to knowing what they are looking for in a solution, how you can enhance your service to meet their needs and how you can win them over as a customer for life.

This ebook describes the unique characteristics of SaaS business models as well as some of the pros and cons of SaaS solutions. It will help shed light on the thought processes of potential customers when they evaluate your SaaS product so that you can target your product to better fit their needs.



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Some of the advantages that favor adoption of the SaaS model over other solutions are:

1. ADVANTAGES OF SAAS SOLUTIONS

» LOWER ENTRY COSTS

SaaS products are typically more affordable than other solutions and

thus require minimal upfront investment. There are typically no license fees, installation costs or expensive hardware or software. Additionally, with pay-as-you go and monthly pricing plans, the cost to start using is typically much lower than on-premise software solutions. With lower entry costs, there is less of a barrier to start using a SaaS solution.

» REDUCED OPERATING COSTS

With SaaS products, there is no hardware, software or plugins to install.

This eliminates expenditures on installation, maintenance and upkeep.

Additionally, tech issues are typically solved by the SaaS provider, so the workload burden on in-house IT staff or the consumer is significantly reduced. Taken together, SaaS products significantly reduce operational costs.



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» SHORT IMPLEMENTATION TIME

Most SaaS solutions are ready to use and simple to deploy. With short implementation times, SaaS products are very attractive to enterprise customers, SMBs and the individual consumer.

» SCALABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY

Many SaaS providers can easily add or remove resources as needed

and offer customization capabilities to meet specific business needs. In addition, many offer an API so in-house developers can further customize the product to integrate with other systems. Thus, SaaS products can easily meet the changing needs of most businesses and consumers.

» NO FINANCIAL EXIT BARRIERS

Many SaaS solutions often offer pay-as-you-go models with no long-term

contracts. Thus, there is no cost to switch providers at any time. This makes it simple for customers to at least try a solution, as they won’t be locked in for the long-term should they not be completely satisfied.



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» AUTOMATIC UPDATES IN THE BROWSER

Most SaaS companies continuously enhance their product in order to

remain competitive within their industry. New features are typically deployed quickly and can be used immediately, without downloading new software, updating a plugin or buying new equipment. This can add incredible value to SaaS companies as well as the companies and consumers that use them.

» ACCESS FROM ANYWHERE

All that is needed to access a SaaS program and associated data is a

computer and an internet connection. So using a SaaS program while traveling, in the field or from home is simple.

» INCREASED BUSINESS CONTINUITY

Cloud computing allows companies to store their data in a secure server

online so in the event that a disaster hits their office, their computer is lost/broken/stolen or a server gets damaged, they don’t need to worry about their data.



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When evaluating a potential SaaS solution, the aforementioned advantages are typically weighed against these perceived risks:

2. DISADVANTAGES OF SAAS SOLUTIONS

» LOSS OF CONTROL OVER SYSTEMS AND INFORMATION

With SaaS models, the user has to relinquish some control over who

can access their data. They also must rely more on external companies to handle servers, databases, etc. As such, there is a certain amount of trust that must be given to the SaaS provider as they will be managing applications, data and confidential information. For some companies and consumers, this can be an issue.

» FINANCIAL VIABILITY AND CAPACITY TO STAY IN BUSINESS

Some SaaS companies, especially startups, don’t yet have proven track records, visibility, customer testimonials or the customer clout to convince customers to use their product and convince them that their company will be around long-term. For many prospects that are evaluating SaaS

products, trusting these companies can be risky.



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» LIMITED CUSTOMIZATION

Most SaaS companies don’t offer fully-customized versions of their product or the flexibility to completely adapt the product to specific needs. This can be a deal-breaker for enterprise companies that would

like a fully-customized, out-of-the-box package.

» OPERATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS

Learning to use software, training a team to become proficient with the product and customizing the product can often be a lengthy and costly endeavor. For these companies, switching to other systems can be a

daunting task.

» INTEGRATION COMPLEXITY

With SaaS products, there is often a need to sync third party systems

with the product using an API. If teams don’t have in-house developers that are adept at integrations, this can be a time consuming, costly and difficult process.



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Potential customers that are searching for a new product or solution often weigh these pros and cons of SaaS solutions before making a decision. It is therefore important for SaaS companies to be aware of how each prospect is evaluating their product and do all that they can to help reduce any reservations that they might have about going with a SaaS solution.

» LATENCY ISSUES

For companies that require real-time updates and accurate data, using

a SaaS product may not be the best option. Depending on server locations and internet speeds, there can be latency when accessing data.

It could mean the difference between winning a customer that adds incredible lifetime value and losing a prospect forever.



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SaaS companies face tough competition. From more reputable on-premise solutions, to the startup that just invaded their space (and is gaining a lot of traction) and the company that just pivoted and is now offering a very similar product, competition is everywhere. With so many solutions on the market, and more being developed every day, it is essential that SaaS companies continually enhance their product and service and carve out a niche to stay competitive.

The phone is the single tool that can make all the difference. From offering excellent customer support, to creating lasting relationships and increasing brand awareness, the phone can be the key to your company’s success.

Below are 7 facts about SaaS companies and how the phone can help to raise your company above the competition:

02 // PHONE-BASED SUPPORT CAN HELP SAAS COMPANIES GAIN AN EDGE



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One of the biggest challenges facing SaaS companies is establishing trust with their customers. Customers need to feel confident that their SaaS provider can rapidly solve their problems, safely manage their data and is capable of staying in business long-term.

1. PROSPECTS WON’T CONVERT UNLESS THEY TRUST YOUR PRODUCT AND TEAM

While product quality, brand awareness, client testimonials and reputation are critical, providing amazing customer support over the phone is an excellent way to facilitate a professional relationship based on trust. Excellent support interactions send a clear sign of

professionalism, customer dedication and the capability of your

team. These interactions can be all the customer needs to trust that your company can adequately meet their needs and can continue meeting their needs in the long run.

The attention span of prospective customers can be very short. Potential leads can be lost simply because the product didn’t work the first time they tried it,

2. PROSPECTS HAVE SHORT ATTENTION SPANS



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they couldn’t see its value or they thought it was too complicated. Giving live demos over the phone, answering any questions or concerns and helping to setup your product for the prospect will help you convert more leads and drive customer satisfaction. The phone is

the best way to accomplish all of these goals because you can never be sure that prospects will watch the video you emailed them, take the time to read a setup manual or troubleshoot on their own.

In the SaaS world, selling a product is all about qualifying, nurturing and converting leads. While generating traffic on the company’s website and attracting the right visitors

3. TRAFFIC IS WORTHLESS IF NOT CONVERTED

is an important part of the process, the art of conversion is key to driving sales.Calling the prospect is an excellent way to understand their use case and obtain all the information necessary to qualify the lead. Prospects also tend to be more open to share information and

understand how your solution can suit their needs when you speak

with them over the phone (vs. chat or email). Finally, phone is one of the best ways to follow up with leads and close deals, especially when they become unresponsive through other channels.



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Most of SaaS businesses have pay as you go models,

with monthly subscriptions and no long-term contracts.

Thus, the customer’s first payment is only a fraction of their potential lifetime value and retaining each customer is critical to sustaining revenue growth.

4. CUSTOMER RETENTION IS CRITICAL FOR SUCCESS

High customer acquisition costs coupled with short-term customers

is a recipe for failure. To succeed, SaaS companies need to cultivate lasting relationships. While other channels of support are great methods of staying in touch with customers, the phone is the best support channel to progressively build solid relationships with customers. Phone conversations and established relationships can mean the difference between having a customer opting out without notice and one that proactively resolves an issue with your team.

In order to stay competitive in a fierce market, SaaS companies must sell a complete service, not just a software product. This involves helping with the setup

5. MAINTAINING A CUSTOMER-FOCUS IS ESSENTIAL IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET



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process, customizing the product to better suit the customer’s needs and providing excellent support. Without these services, SaaS companies can quickly find themselves out of the competition. Phone is the best communication channel to execute all of these

customer-centric services. Companies can gain insight about the customer’s specific needs, manage expectations and provide amazing customer support with just a few phone calls.

The SaaS industry is one of the fastest growing segments of the tech industry. In order to gain a competitive advantage in a crowded space, SaaS companies have increasingly turned to providing

6. SAAS COMPANIES NEED TO GAIN A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

superior customer support. By offering 24/7/365 phone support, SaaS companies can differentiate from the competition and increase conversion and retention rates. Customers enjoy being able to reach out to a support engineer to have the problem solved as soon as it happens. When their problems are quickly

resolved, they will be more likely to stay with your company.



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Many SaaS companies are looking for new ways to monetize their product and gain the most revenue from each customer as possible. They sometimes go to great lengths to think of creative revenue channels that never

7. PREMIUM SUPPORT CAN CREATE A NEW REVENUE STREAM

work, but often overlook one that is a win-win for both the customer and their company. Leveraging 24/7/365 phone support can generate a new revenue stream. Offering premium support for an additional fee is a great way to provide amazing support, improve customer satisfaction and increase revenue. The great thing is many customers

are willing to pay.

Offering phone-based customer support can be the competitive edge that most companies are searching for. It can allow them to be one large step ahead of the competition so that they can acquire more customers, increase revenue, increase customer satisfaction and keep customers longer.



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Landing a customer is only half the battle for SaaS companies. Keeping the customer is the other half. One of the most influential factors driving customer retention for SaaS companies is the quality of customer support they provide.

Providing top notch customer support will add incredible value to your company, increase brand awareness and help to turn new customers into loyal customers and evangelists.

The following are 14 phone-based customer support best practices that will help propel your company to the top:

03 // 14 PHONE-BASED CUSTOMER SUPPORT BEST PRACTICES FOR SAAS COMPANIES



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Providing top notch customer service starts with hiring the best team. When your agents are well educated, experienced and love their job, they will be more effective at meeting the needs of the customer.

1. HIRE THE BEST TEAM

Providing amazing customer support doesn’t end with hiring the best team. You must also make sure that they are trained well. This includes making sure they are proficient with using all of your business tools,

2. TRAIN YOUR TEAM WELL

fully understand your policies and procedures, are acculturated to your team and are proficient with handling many different customer support scenarios. They should learn proper phone

customer support etiquette, how to handle difficult customers, how to establish a relationship with the customer and how to most effectively meet the needs of each customer.

http://blog.talkdesk.com/how-to-hire-and-manage-at-home-call-center-agents

http://blog.talkdesk.com/how-to-hire-and-manage-at-home-call-center-agents

http://blog.talkdesk.com/10-tips-for-call-center-etiquette-excellence

http://blog.talkdesk.com/10-tips-for-call-center-etiquette-excellence

http://blog.talkdesk.com/15-ways-to-deal-with-difficult-customers



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Call center software that is simple to use and integrates with all of your business systems can make a huge impact on the level of service that your agents provide to your customers. With these SaaS solutions, customer

3. INVEST IN CUSTOMER-FOCUSED TECHNOLOGY

information from your CRM, helpdesk, backoffice solutions, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is displayed in one simple interface so your call center agents can provide more personalized interactions with your customers. They will also know the entire interaction history of the caller from the call and email logs and list of the customer’s cases, tickets and events. Call center software that was developed with the customer in mind will allow your agents to be more efficient and effective and your customers will benefit as a result.

Providing excellent support means being available for your customers when they need it the most. This could mean providing 24/7/365 support, ensuring that you have enough support engineers and customer service reps to

4. BE AVAILABLE

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https://www.facebook.com/

https://twitter.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/



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meet the demands of your customers and making sure that you have the technology necessary to answer all of their questions. This may require employing a global team of support agents (so that they can easily provide around the clock service) or allowing your local agents the opportunity to work flexible shifts. Whatever your strategy, you should ensure that your team is fully staffed and prepared to meet

the support demands of your customers every hour of every day.

The number one priority of customers when they call customer support is to have their problems solved quickly. The more capable your support team, the

5. BE TIMELY

more effective they will be at answering support requests in a timely manner and the more satisfied your customers will be. Answering support requests quickly and sufficiently should be the overarching goal of any support team.





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When a customer needs to call back your company for any reason, allow your support agents to give them a direct line. This will save them valuable time and reduce frustration as they won’t have to enter IVR prompts, wait in a queue or talk with an agent that doesn’t know their history.

6. GIVE A DIRECT LINE

When a customer is complaining over chat, sent an email that is pretty discouraging or has given feedback on a survey that they are unhappy with your service, ask if you can call them. Making the effort to reach out and

7. BE PROACTIVE

establish a personal connection shows that you care about them as a customer. Additionally, calling a customer over the phone will help to

expedite and enhance the problem solving process. Finally, when you don’t hear from a customer in a while, don’t assume that no news is good news. Reach out to them to see if there is anything your team can do to help meet and exceed their expectations.



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While discussing an issue with a customer, let them know how long they can expect it to take to be fully resolved (i.e. “I’m looking into this right now and it should only

be a few minutes before it is fixed”, “I am submitting

8. SET APPROPRIATE EXPECTATIONS

a support request to our engineers and it should be resolved by the

end of the day”). If your team has not met the expected deadline, follow up with the customer to let them know why and give them their new ETA. When you appropriately manage expectations, customers will appreciate being kept in the loop.

With each customer support request that was more complex, you want to make sure that your agents are following up with the customer. When doing so, they

9. FOLLOW UP

should ask to make sure their problem was adequately solved, ask if they continue to experience any issues and allow the customer the opportunity to ask any questions. When your product is in a



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vulnerable state and new issues arise, taking the time to make sure everything is running smoothly and proactively fixing any issues can go a long way to keeping your customers happy and loyal.

Some issues may seem simple, but once your agents dig a little deeper, they find that they are very complex. As soon as they realize that an issue is

10. ESCALATE ISSUES WHEN NECESSARY

beyond their domain of expertise, they should think about whom on your team might be most capable of solving it, let the customer know that they are unable to solve their issue, explain that another team member is better trained to solve their issue and transfer the caller to that person. Customers will appreciate the honestly and

that they are being transferred to someone with more experience

with their issue. The call center agent should also be sure to track the customer’s interactions to make sure that their issue was sufficiently resolved.



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When one of your agents is truly stuck and doesn’t know what to do, they should contact a manager or a more senior customer service representative immediately.

11. WHEN IN DOUBT, ASK FOR HELP

They should have the capabilities to chat with them while they are still on the phone with the customer, conference them in on the call, or be coached throughout the call without the customer knowing. This will help to expedite the problem solving process and enhance first call resolution.

You should always have an understanding of how your team is performing. To do this, you must use call center software that measures KPIs such as average handle

12. TRACK PERFORMANCE

time, service level, average speed of answer, etc. You should also track first call resolution to make sure that your reps are sufficiently answering their customer’s questions the first time, without having to transfer the caller to another department. Tracking these metrics

will go a long way in ensuring they are performing optimally.



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In addition to tracking performance metrics, your call center managers should also monitor calls for quality assurance, and coach call center agents when necessary.

13. MONITOR AND COACH

With more advanced call center software they can listen in on live calls without the agent or customer knowing, give advice to the agentwithout the customer hearing and join a conference call. This functionality makes it simple to provide amazing customer support in the most efficient means possible.

In addition to measuring KPIs, you should also have procedures in place to survey the customers about your support process. Whether it is asking them to complete

14. GAIN CUSTOMER INSIGHT

a survey after the call has finished, sending a follow up email with a survey, having each rep to ask the customer how the process has been so far, or a combination of the 3, you must make sure there is a clear and practical process in place. Another good rule to follow



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These phone-based customer service best practices will go a long way in making sure that your team is providing amazing customer service. They can also help to propel your company to the front of your industry as a customer-centric company that treats their customers like family.

is to always follow up with your most unhappy customers as well as your customers who have just tried to cancel your service. Because in the words of Bill Gates: “Your most unhappy customers are your

greatest source of learning.”



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// CONCLUSION //

Many companies avoid phone-based customer support at all costs. They may think it’s too costly, time consuming, complicated or intimidating. Whatever the reason, unless they are well established in their field and well ahead of the competition, not providing phone-based customer support can be a fatal flaw. Because so many companies shy away from phone-based customer support, the companies that dive into it and strive to provide the best support possible can propel themselves well beyond their competition.

Providing amazing customer support will help to convert more customers, increase their satisfaction with your company and keep them as loyal customers for the long haul.



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// REFERENCES //

http://www.salesforce.com/saas/benefits-of-saas/

http://www.zdnet.com/news/what-saas-can-teach-us-about-customer-

service/217084

[01]

[02]

http://www.salesforce.com/saas/benefits-of-saas/



//

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