I like to call learner technical support the “secret sauce” of our success in the continuing education industry. Not only is our superior support one of the many things that sets InReach above other companies, it is an invaluable asset to our clients.
Just look at the statistics. 89% of consumers have stopped doing business with a company after experiencing poor customer service.1 While 45% of US consumers will abandon an online transaction if their questions or concerns are not addressed quickly.2
In the Contact Center we have a crucial mission. We are not only responsible for answering questions and resolving issues, we are responsible for representing our clients to their members. Since every InReach client’s online educational content is presented in a branded catalog, their members don’t necessarily realize that when they are calling for support that they are calling InReach and not their membership organization. As a result, in every interaction the Contact Center becomes a brand ambassador for our clients, so to speak.
Using this philosophy as a guide, the tenets of good technical support become clear.
First, be available. By this I mean ensure that the Contact Center hours span all US time zone, and that learners can contact the Contact Center in a variety of ways. All our customers have our phone, email and chat links embedded in their sites, so we are easily accessible to their learners.
Second, be responsive and knowledgeable. People don’t contact us because they just want a nice chat over a cup of coffee. They have questions or issues that need to be resolved, and shouldn’t have to experience inordinate wait times for that assistance. We pride ourselves on our response times which are often significantly faster than industry averages. Moreover, our staff undergoes continuous training to ensure issues are resolved quickly, often with a single call.
Finally, strive above all for customer satisfaction. There are a number of ways we work to do this, some of which I think are unique to InReach. For instance, we collect and analyze data on all the Contact Center interactions. We discuss our findings with our clients to ensure that together we better serve their members.
In fact, I’m so passionate about what constitutes good learner support, I’ve created a tipsheet on 10 things that define good learner support. Click here to download it>>
