Is Your MSP a Tortilla Chip or Loaded Nachos?
What you’ll learn today:
Why optimize Autotask?
A summary of what we’ve covered
The steps are as easy as 1-2-3
What CX means
A detailed process to roll out a better CX
Benefits of delivering a great CX
Don’t be that cheap drive-thru MSP…
(Rolling out a better Client Experience CX) Welcome back to our current series on how to Jumpstart your MSP in ’23. If you haven’t read any 2023 articles yet, you will want to set aside some time to do so (see the quick summary below).
Every week we will provide actionable roadmaps for you to implement immediately to help YOU grow your MSP THIS year. We do this, in part, by taking the out-of-the-box Autotask software and optimizing it for YOUR MSP.
Do I hear you saying, “Autotask works pretty good now, so why does it need optimization?” Well, Autotask is like a Tortilla Chip: great out of the bag, but when you add the cheese, ground beef, salsa, sour cream, and your secret sauce, you’ve got the ultimate joy-inducing food loaded with value. How’s that for an analogy?
The same is true for the software that drives your business. With Autotask, your MSP Team’s hard work, and Advanced Global’s secret sauce, we can load that plate up with a tasty, profitable dish that your Clients will love!
We do this by leveraging Advanced Global’s years of work with MSPs and Autotask to implement baseline settings and processes and configuring them specifically for your MSP.
Here’s a quick summary of where we’re at in this journey so far:
On 12/29, we went over the basics of leveraging Autotask, using best-in-class operating procedures, and creating and utilizing great reports.
On 1/5, we talked about ticket prioritization and the ROI of improving Tech resource utilization.
On 1/12, we covered streamlining your invoicing in easy, quick steps.
And last week, we talked about how to build a better Client Experience (CX).
However, it’s not quite as easy as the “Build it and they will come” mantra. From our Client’s experience, you do not just turn it on and walk away, expecting everything to be hunky dory (don’t we all wish…). Nope, we need to be very strategic about how we radically change the CX and roll it out.
The steps are as easy as 1, 2, 3…
1) Turn on the new notification Workflow Rules (WFRs) internally 1/3 at a time.
2) Turn on the new notification Workflow Rules (WFRs) to a pilot group 1/3 at a time.
3) Turn on the new notification Workflow Rules (WFRs) to all Clients 1/3 at a time.
See, I said it was easy.
I hear you saying, “Hold on a minute; it cannot be that easy.” In reality, rolling out a better CX after it has been built is just that easy. The gotcha here is that it needs to be slow and steady. We are talking about a radical change in the CX experience; the last thing you want is a Client Facing mistake or surprise.
Here is the process in detail:
Pilot Group:
For the Pilot Group, it’s best to pick five of your most critical Clients for three reasons:
1) They will provide you with honest feedback.
2) If they feel they are part of helping you, they may be less harsh in their criticism.
3) If you win them over, they are more likely to become a raving fan and one less pain in the butt. Talk about a win-win, right?
Overlapping Rollout:
One part of Rolling out a better CX that can be confusing is that while rolling them out 1/3 of the time is the right thing to do, the 1/3s are overlapping. This means that once the Internal Team is comfortable with the language and what triggers the Client-Facing notifications, you can roll them out to a pilot group, and once the pilot group is comfortable and has provided feedback, you roll them out to all Clients. As soon as the 1/3 set is rolled out to the next group, you roll out another 1/3 to the first group. So, at one point all three groups has a 1/3 set of notifications they are evaluating. Confusing right. Well let’s go thru it again, a little slower.
The 1/3 notifications that are rolled out first are the – Acknowledgement, Reviewed and Assigned, Three step Automated Closing notifications.
Turn them on internally so that everyone gets a feel for what they look like, say, and what triggers them to go out.
After a week or so, when everyone inside the Company is comfortable with the new Client-Facing Communications Protocol,
Turn off the first 1/3 internally.
Turn them on for the pilot group.
At the same time, turn on the 2nd 1/3 internally – Waiting, On-Hold, and Escalation.
After a week, check back with the pilot group and see what they say. Adjust the notifications based on their input. Then:
Turn on the 2nd 1/3 to the pilot group.
Turn the 1st 1/3 on for all Clients.
Turn off the 2nd 1/3 internally while turning on the 3rd and last 1/3 set internally – Scheduled Remote, Scheduled On-Site, Note, and Request for Information, along with Scheduled Reminders.
Then check back with the pilot group after a week and see what they say. Adjust the notifications based on their input. Then:
Turn on the 3rd and last 1/3 to the pilot group.
Turn the 2nd 1/3 on for all Clients.
Turn off the 3rd and last 1/3 internally.
Once more, check back with the pilot group after a week and see what they say. Adjust the notifications based on their input. Then turn on the 3rd and last 1/3 for all Clients.
Voilà! Easy peasy, you now are delivering a better Client Experience. Now look at the results to verify the effort was a success and the right thing to do. You should see:
1) Call volume down by 75-80%
a. Minimal need for Clients to call for updates
b. Greatly increased trust level
c. Clients finding easier methods of sending in Service Requests like email
2) Fewer Tech disruptions
a. Reduced phone calls and text messages to their cell phones
b. Reduced personal emails
c. Fewer squeaky wheels demanding attention
3) Raving fans – Clients telling other businesses about your great Service to the Clients
One More Thing:
Since this is an overlapping rollout, you will have two sets of notification WFRs – old set and new set. Once the last 1/3 is turned on for all Clients, you need to delete the old set.
Yes, we said delete them. It is far easier to recreate a WFR than to figure out what an inactive WFR is or was doing.
See? I told you it was pretty easy. Like a great plate of Nachos, a Great Client experience is so much more enjoyable for the MSP Team and Client than what they can get in a soggy box from that drive-through MSP down the street.
And that’s it for this week, folks. I really hope you are finding value in this 2023 series. Remember, my goal is to help you Grow your MSP this year and beyond.
If you could use some implementation help because you are too busy, too tired, feeling overwhelmed, confused, or just want to make your MSP soar so much faster - send us an email at Info@AGMSPCoaching.com. We will be happy to set up a 30-minute free Coaching call to walk you through the ins and outs, as well as answer any questions you may have.
The elephant in the room:
How do we know what we know? Because we are not philosophers! We are hands-on "How To" coaches that guide MSPs every day on how to thrive by:
1) Fully leveraging the Autotask software
2) Providing the "Best in Class" Standard Operating Procedures
3) Leveraging Autotask Live Reports holding everyone accountable
We are Thinkers and Doers with 49+ years of working for MSPs, bringing real Bottom-Line Improvements, change, profitability, and Best in Class performance.
Here are a few bullet points to let anyone interested know who we are and what we do:
1) We Are – the Autotask Global Service Delivery Authority
2) We Help – MSPs thrive
3) We Solve – Service Delivery issues, inefficiencies, and challenges by making sure that:
a. MSPs know what they don't know
b. Techs know what to work on next
c. Someone is managing all open tickets and driving them to completion
d. The Client has a great client experience
e. Real-Time Time Entry is a cultural habit
f. Projects are completed On-Time and On-Budget
g. Profit is maximized
h. Autotask is being fully leveraged
i. The staffing levels are correct, and the workload is balanced
j. The historical data that is in the Autotask software is accessible to benchmark, track & USE effectively
k. The Service Delivery operations can scale
l. The Company can grow
4) Our Tools:
a. Autotask "Best in Class" standard build
b. Our MSP robust Service Delivery SOP library
c. Advanced Live Reports
d. Expertise in providing a transformational experience
Note: We are not philosophers; we are doers with 49+ years of Service Delivery experience, bringing real Service Delivery Improvement change, profitability, and Best in Class performance.
We start by offering a FREE No-Obligation PSA Configuration Evaluation.
To your success.
