5 Strategies for Managing Customer Expectations

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5 Strategies for Managing Customer Expectations

A company’s ability to provide excellent customer support can only go as far as its ability to manage and ultimately exceed the expectations of its clients. The worst thing a business can do is tell a customer his or her problem will be resolved one way and then offer a different solution or timeline instead. Especially during this time where all businesses’ are relying so heavily on complete transparency & efficiency.

As business owners, we all know, there is a baseline expectation for high-quality customer service in today’s marketplace. For example, the Institute of Customer Service found 60% of consumers favor a balance of price and service and are unwilling to accept poor customer service in exchange for lower prices. However, the best way to exceed the norm and maintain happy clients in the long term is to manage their expectations from start to finish. Companies can set themselves up for success by utilizing the right support software and employing these five powerful strategies for handling customer service expectations:

1. Openly discuss solutions.

Businesses that have highly knowledgeable customer support teams should be well-versed in the solutions to every potential problem and be able to speak to those possibilities quickly. One crucial way businesses can manage customer service expectations is by openly discussing possible solutions to a problem with the client. By listing off possible resolutions, support teams empower their clients to understand the complexity of an issue and engage directly with its solution. Additionally, by painting a clear picture of possible results, service teams ensure customers don’t have unrealistic expectations of how simple or challenging the resolution will be.

2. Provide clear timelines.

Glitches, errors, and bugs in software can be irritating and costly to customers. However, clients will become angrier if they look forward to their problem being solved in a week, and instead wait a week and a half. Businesses can manage customer service expectations by clearly stating how long any task will take from the moment the client gets on a customer support call until the resolution is in progress. Teams should ensure customers are well-informed of not only how long a phone call will take, but how much time and work are required to get them a solution.

3. Be transparent and honest.

Transparency is crucial to managing B2B customer service expectations effectively and will affect clients’ ability to trust a company. Businesses can ensure clients remain confident in their providers and have a positive experience by continuing honesty in every possible situation. This means if a customer service representative doesn’t have the right answer to a problem, he or she should be open about consulting with other members of the team. Regardless of the situation, support teams should avoid keeping secrets at all costs.

4. Remain optimistic but realistic.

While optimism is an essential part of positive customer experience, representatives must also remain realistic about solutions. By understanding company policies, the complexities of individual problems, and the workload of their team members, support experts can gauge how a ticket will be solved and the time investment that is required. While it can be nerve-wracking to tell a client, a problem will take longer than expected to resolve, but it is more important to be realistic than set expectations that can’t be met.

5. Follow up regularly.

Finally, support teams can manage customer service expectations by following up after each stage of the resolution process. As Customer Experience Insight pointed out, most customers are not bothered by companies touching base with them. On the contrary, clients expect businesses to follow up with them to round out their customer experience. After a customer service agent communicates the potential solutions to a problem and offers realistic timelines, he or she should follow up with the client through email to reiterate what was decided. Additionally, customer support teams should always check in with clients as the resolution progresses, and once a ticket has been closed.

There are many ways businesses can optimize their customer experience strategies. However, the first step to delivering excellence is to manage expectations effectively from the get-go.

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ACDI Named Best Print Management Software Provider at Cannata Report’s Annual Frank Awards
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ACDI Named Best Print Management Software Provider at Cannata Report’s…

ACDI Named Best Print Management Software Provider at Cannata Report’s Annual Frank Awards

BENTON, Ark. — Leading service and solutions provider Access Control Devices, Inc. (ACDI) was recognized as Best Print Management Software Provider at The Frank Awards during The Cannata Report’s 39th Annual Awards & Charities Gala held Nov. 7 at The Madison Hotel in Morristown, N.J. It marked the eighth time in nine years that ACDI received a Frank Award, including the sixth time in seven years awarded Best Print Management Software Provider.

“All of us at ACDI are thrilled and honored to receive the Best Print Management Software Provider award with our incredible partner, PaperCut. Our team works diligently to provide world-class customer service and support, and we’re very grateful to The Cannata Report for the special recognition as well as PaperCut for a fulfilling partnership. Most importantly, we are inspired by the remarkable generosity of the Cannatas and our industry as a whole. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the efforts of everyone involved in this charity.”

Josh Lane, President and CEO, ACDI Tweet

The Frank Awards honor business leaders from the software and services, financing, and manufacturer segments of the imaging industry each year. Winners are determined by the independent dealer community participating in The Cannata Report’s Annual Dealer Survey, which collects the community’s views on relevant industry-related topics.

“We’re passionate about supporting our partners and empowering their customers to reach their goals, and this recognition from The Cannata Report is a true testament to those efforts. Our team believes that exceptional service and support are equally as vital as innovative software, and our core values drive us to excel in both.”

Mark Hart, Vice President of Business Development, ACDI Tweet

ACDI shared the award with partner PaperCut, an industry leader in secure print management software that saves time and works across all platforms, including multi-server and multi-operating system environments. ACDI has been a PaperCut-authorized solution center for more than ten years, providing a complete portfolio of services, including sales and technical support, training, compatible hardware, and remote and onsite installations.

"ACDI’s consistent performance in the Best Print Management Software Provider category continues to impress, with their innovative solutions earning top recognition for six of the past seven years. Under the guidance of President Josh Lane, ACDI demonstrates a steadfast commitment to equipping the dealer channel with innovative, reliable solutions that drive success.”

CJ Cannata, President and CEO, The Cannata Report Tweet

Founded in 1982, The Cannata Report is the leading publication covering the independent dealer channel in the office technology industry. To date, its Annual Awards & Charities Gala has raised $3.25 million for a host of charitable organizations nationwide. This year’s event raised $220,000 for breast cancer research at Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery and Innovation.

About ACDI

Since 1994, office equipment suppliers have trusted Access Control Devices, Inc. (ACDI) to provide industry-leading capture, print management, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and cost-recovery solutions to streamline office technology and the document lifecycle. From hardware payment solutions, proximity card readers, and EV charging stations to digital workflow automation, fleet management, and analytics software, ACDI’s extensive portfolio pairs seamlessly with its industry-leading project coordination, installation, marketing, and sales expertise. These solutions drive efficiency and productivity for thousands of organizations across education, healthcare, government, and beyond through global channel distribution and development partnerships with the most prominent copier and printer manufacturers. For more information, visit www.acd-inc.com.

ACDI and KPAX Shine at KM High Velocity Dealer Summit
août 21, 2024in ,
ACDI and KPAX Shine at KM High Velocity Dealer Summit

ACDI and KPAX Shine at KM High Velocity Dealer Summit

Led by President and CEO Josh Lane, Senior Product Manager David Brown, and Regional Solutions Director Rich O’Boyle, ACDI was well represented at the Konica Minolta High Velocity Dealer Summit held this month in Chicago. Following a successful meeting with partners earlier this year in Sarasota, Florida, the event was Konica Minolta’s second High Velocity Dealer Summit of 2024. It provided an ideal setting for collaboration between Konica Minolta and its partners to accelerate market share and improve profitability.

About the Summit

With a smaller, more intimate gathering of less than 100 dealer representatives and five media analysts, the High Velocity Dealer Summit in Chicago provided a unique opportunity for connection. By design, the scaled-down format allowed for increased accessibility between Konica Minolta’s extensive team and dealer attendees, fostering a relaxed atmosphere conducive to networking.

The more intimate setting led to valuable collaboration between our ACDI representatives with Konica Minolta and Distribution Management, working together to bring exciting solutions to the channel that will streamline productivity and success. As part of its core structure, the event also included keynote addresses from executive leadership and specialized breakout sessions tailored to dealer principals, sales, and service teams. Lane was featured on several panel discussions alongside Konica Minolta and Distribution Management representatives.

“Nothing gets our team fired up quite like engaging and collaborating with dealers and partners as we work together to promote growth and diversification across the imaging channel,” Lane said. “All of us at ACDI are grateful to Konica Minolta for hosting such an innovative event and giving us the opportunity to share more about ACDI and our portfolio of business solutions and services.”

ACDI & Konica Minolta

At ACDI, we’re proud to drive efficiency and productivity for thousands of organizations through global distribution and partnerships with the most prominent copier and printer manufacturers, including Konica Minolta. That partnership was on full display during the High Velocity Dealer Summit with breakout sessions and presentations on digital transformation solutions, marketing programs, and vertical market strategies. Our team also had the opportunity to promote Konica Minolta’s adoption of KPAX into its solution portfolio and the upcoming integration with its own VCARE solution.

“Our team prides itself on delivering world-class integrated software and hardware solutions through proven innovation, service, and culture,” said Lane. “We’re very excited to have Konica Minolta adopt KPAX into its solution portfolio and look forward to seeing the product reinvent printer fleet management for dealers everywhere.”

KPAX Fleet Management

As part of ACDI’s portfolio of innovative business solutions and services, KPAX is a centralized fleet management solution for multi-brand office printing and copying hardware. From a single interface, users can access MFP device information regardless of the number of sites, the number of customers, or the number of machines. KPAX optimizes the management of a dealer’s MPS program to reduce the fleet’s operating costs, improve service quality, and develop new revenue opportunities. As the most versatile fleet management solution on the market today, KPAX was also created by design to integrate with today’s popular third-party software applications.

“David and our product team do an incredible job of identifying products that we believe in and that we know will provide value to our dealers and partners around the world,” Lane said. “KPAX is an innovative solution that has the power to revolutionize and future-proof fleet management for dealerships of all sizes.”