6 Things That Make For a Great Service Department

Imagine you own your own company and you’re about to put in a brand new phone system for the entire building.

You are completely replacing your existing system that has more than worn out its welcome. You’re excited. Your employees are excited. There are so many new features that come with your soon-to-be-installed phone system that will make daily operations so much simpler.

As if the deal wasn’t sweet enough a local integrator came through with a substantially low bid compared to the competition. You couldn’t wait to sign that contract.

However, amongst all of the excitement you overlooked the post-installation service agreement, much like all clients who are blinded by the lowest bid and shiny bells and whistles of any given project.

Let me ask you this: What are you going to do when there is an issue with your “oh so perfect system” and you need to make a service call only to be greeted by poor response times, lack of time and effort, unskilled labor and unfulfilled promises? Service is often overlooked and really should be researched thoroughly prior to any project to ensure the utmost potential of your system.

Here are 6 things to look for that make for a quality service department.

 

Manages Responses and Response Times Accurately and Precisely

The client is the most important element to any project whether it is before, during or after installation especially. You need to be there for that client no matter what.

The best service departments have 24/7 availability for whatever issues may arise. Scheduling is a critical factor in any service department. The ability to schedule appointments and schedule them is just good service 101. With scheduling an appointment comes following through with said appointment at the specified timeslot.

No client enjoys being left waiting or being forgotten about. They are the client; they need to be taken care. A good service department works with them whether that is working with their needs, working around their schedule, etc.

 

Knows Communication and People Skills are Crucial

It goes without saying clients that have to make service calls probably aren’t the happiest people in the world. Their needs need to be tended to with the utmost professionalism and urgency.

Whether it is from the actual service technician or other various service personnel, communicating with customers in a kind and understanding manner reflects great on those employees, but even greater on the company itself.

 

Knows That Knowledge Sometimes Isn’t Enough

If you are going to fix something, you need the right skill set for it, obviously. It might be hard to believe that some service departments might actually NOT have the most qualified of staff. Qualified service technicians should have a firm grasp of the job at hand and know more than what is simply required.

Plus, much like any job a great service representative should never stop learning on the job. Online research can be conducted to find out more about quality of service, online reviews are a good starting point.

 

Going the Extra Mile

Especially in the technology industry, problems are sometimes extremely hard to find. Something that could seem like an easy fix on the outside to an unskilled technician’s eye might wind-up being a seriously underlying issue.

A service provider MUST stick with it to ensure that the issue is completely resolved and not just stick a Band-Aid over it and wait for another issue to rear its head since it wasn’t fully taken care of the first time.

 

Has the Ability to Handle The Unexpected

Have you ever heard the phrases “expect the unexpected” and “life is full of surprises?” Well, both of these statements definitely apply here. Nothing in the technology industry is 100% cut-and-dry. What should you expect from a good service department? Answer: The ability to go with the flow.

Sometimes clients don’t describe the problem correctly. Sometimes the clients might not know all of the issues that need to be solved. The ability to apply impromptu knowledge to the situation at hand is a skill that should be required.

 

Represents Both the Firm and His or Herself Positively

As if the above points don’t already, but for a service department the primary objective aside from fixing the problem should be to leave a positive experience for the client. Shortcuts should not be taken. Clients should not be taken for granted.

If your client is happy your client is more inclined to come back for repeat business. A service employee should do his or her best to represent themselves and their employer in the best way possible to continue building a better relationship with the client and a better reputation in the industry.

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