There has never been a more important time to project great customer service than today. Customer service with support calls is critical to the growth of any business. Over the years, we have learned a lot about customer service and how to handle support calls. As in the first blog the list is molded by experiences in the enterprise software industry but are applicable to any customer support call. I hope these tips in addition to those shared in the first blog on Call Center Management will help.

Did you read: Call Center Management: Tips to Improve Customer Service, Part 1

Call Center Management

1. Remember They Can’t See You

As humans, over 50% of our communication is done through body language. This, of course, is wiped out when you’re on the phone. They can’t see your smile, or your head nodding in agreement, or look you in the eye to see that you’re paying attention. You need to make up for this by verbally recognizing what they’re saying. A simple “ok” or “I understand” can go a long way in improving the conversation.

2. Fix the Problem Twice

In the case of a bug or other problematic issue, it’s always important to take care of the customer in the quickest possible manner. Get them a quick fix or workaround so they can continue with what they were doing. After that, spend the extra time to find the underlying problem and make sure it gets fixed.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Apologize

Anyone in a support role needs to learn pretty quickly to check their ego at the door. If you can’t easily apologize for something that had absolutely nothing to do with you, then you may want to choose another career path.

4. Tell Them What You’re Doing

This goes back to number 1 in this list. The customer can’t see you, so make sure to fill them in on what you’re doing to help them. Nobody likes to sit in silence or listen to a bunch of keys rattle off and not know what’s happening. Be sure to tell your customer what you’re doing so they know you’re making progress towards a solution.

5. Record Yourself

Start recording your phone conversations and playing them back to see how you fared. You’ll be amazed at the things you pick up on right away and can start improving on. If your phone system can’t record calls, then you can always put the call on speaker and record the conversation with another recording device. Be sure to tell your customer the call is being recorded.

6. What Else Can I Do

Always ask this question to two people: yourself and your customer. Ask yourself what else can be done to make the experience better. Surely there’s something you can do, even if it’s small. Maybe you can offer a coupon, or upgrade them to a higher status, or provide a link on the internet with additional information. Ask your customer what else you can help them with; there may be another issue or request they need help with. This also gives the impression that you’re in no hurry to get off the phone with them.

BONUS TIP: Ask For Feedback

Customers typically do not volunteer to tell you what’s wrong, so you may have to ask. Provide the opportunity for them to offer feedback by having them fill out a survey covering areas such as quality of service, and response time. This will help you identify and address areas that need improvement before it’s too late. It also lets the customer know that you care.

You work hard to attract new customers and do not want to have your efforts wasted or lost because of poor customer service. Evaluate your customer service procedures to see if there are areas that could be improved.

If you missed last week’s blog, I encourage you read it for 6 additional tips to improve your customer support calls.

A reminder that a great software system to handle support tickets and general Customer Relationship Management (CRM) needs is a must. It can automate processes, send notifications, track support levels, and provide valuable metrics. It’s difficult to imagine doing a job without an application.

For additional information call 713-680-2247 or request a demo.

How much does an ERP cost?

ERP systems have now been around long enough that most companies are convinced and aware of the benefits they can bring. There is no denying that deploying an ERP solution is a major event in the life of a company, and the costs involved are substantial. ERP systems can be a fairly large investment; therefore, one wants to see a well-reasoned return on investment before moving forward. Not everyone understands the benefits that an ERP solution can bring.

I would like to share with you some basic facts that I think will help warrant the cost of an ERP system. Some of the benefits of the investment can be measured where others cannot.

Let’s start with the benefits that are tangible and measurable:

• Reduction in Inventory – Because of improved planning and scheduling one can expect a 20% inventory reduction. This is a commonly achieved benchmark, plus a recurring element to it in terms of lower warehousing costs, handling and transportation and reduced damage. These can add another 5% to 10% to the savings.

Read Also: Save Thousands Using Barcoding for Better Inventory Control

• Reduction in Material Costs – An ERP leads to improved procurement processes. Better demand forecast allows better terms from vendors which can mean a 5% reduction in purchasing costs. You will no longer have to pay for material at those premium prices because of shortages.
• Lower Cost of Labor – Manufacturing practices will improve and your work schedule will benefit from fewer outages and interruptions. You can estimate that an ERP can bring down your direct and indirect labor costs by as much as 10%. This will reduce overtime and re-work as well as speed up the work flow on the shop floor.

Read Also: Are you making money on your projects? Job Costing is Key

• Improved Sales and Customer Service – Better coordination and communication within the company and streamlined production leads to an increase in sales. A company running a good ERP sees fewer lost sales, an increase in overall sales and far greater customer satisfaction. Ability to manage and keep customers happy will result in repeat business. This increase can be as much as 10% of the previous sales value.

Read Also: Call Center Management: Tips to Improve Customer Service, Part 1

• Improved Accounting and Cash Flow – Companies that run a robust ERP systems report a reduction of the number of days for their receivables. By simply reducing the days the receivables are outstanding, an ERP can improve your cash flow significantly. All result in a reduced requirement of cash. Reports readily available for outstanding invoices, delinquent accounts will help reduce those “problem” accounts. This can typically reduce the days outstanding receivables by 18%.

Besides the easily measured tangible benefits, there are other improvements that are hard to quantify but are equally important to the company. Here are three:

• Improvement in Process Design and Production – Since the ERP uses a common database that runs through the shop floor as well as the design section, this allows for better control over process design and production. If last minute changes are needed, all persons involved in the project will be communicated with immediately allowing for a faster response time.
• Improvement in Accounting Procedures – Since the entire company runs over a common database, there is no longer any need for duplicate files. This not only improves accuracy but speeds up the accounting process. Financial reports provide a complete and comprehensive projection in real time and can be customized to the needs of the person. Imagine how much time and money you would save simply by not having to complete manual journal entries and by being able to close month end in hours vs. weeks. Such visibility could also help you keep your jobs within budget.
• Improvement in Management Information Systems(MIS) Functions – An ERP system implemented as a software package, a MIS is no longer required to collate information from different sources and can offer an instantaneous view into the company’s bottom line.

Read Also: How to Choose a Manufacturing ERP Software?

There is no doubt that researching and implementing an ERP solution is a major endeavor for a company. The costs involved can be substantial and will mostly depend on the type of solution you will choose. On this level, you will have three options: out-of-the-box, customizable or configurable.

Curious about the next generation of Warehouse Management? Want to improve the management of your warehouse? Warehousing in the Metal Construction Industry has evolved over the past years. New technology has made once-difficult and time-consuming tasks much easier to accomplish. Using barcode and warehouse management systems make running a warehouse much more efficient and profitable.

Wireless warehouse, barcode technology

The wireless warehouse system allows managers to maximize their return on investment in their companies. This barcode technology has many benefits including:

• Lighting-speed transactions
• Greater data accuracy
• Reduced labor costs
• Lowered inventory costs
• Tighter quality controls
• Better Customer Service
• Data in “real time”

See Also: ERP for the Metal Industry

Managers would be unmindful not to harness these substantial competitive advantages. Wireless warehousing enables managers to perform automated collection of valuable data. This means that they can precisely assess inventory which enables them to make more accurate job bids and reduce their chances of under- or overbidding. Competitors who are already using this type of data collection software can easily provide better customer response and take considerable market share away from managers who do not have these systems in place.

The use of wireless warehousing barcode technology in the Metal Construction Industry can also help to boost productivity while enhancing accuracy in the work performed. These improvements in productivity are the primary reason why so many metal construction companies are installing the wireless warehousing barcode technology. The technology increases operator motivation and management control. These easily-used barcode scanners allow users to perform their jobs more effectively and efficiently. These scanners make it almost impossible not to collect accurate, timely and useful information such as quantity on hand as well as location of the items in the warehouse.

Workers also enjoy the benefits of this barcode technology because they are required to fill out less paperwork while recording even more accurate information. They can easily locate goods and be sure that they are in the locations that are recorded.

Fewer inventory stoppages are another barcode benefit. Tracking and scanning items with a wireless warehouse system reduces the need to conduct costly stock-takes or cycle-counts. These tasks are generally performed outside of the regular working hours and on weekends, which means they can cost the company large amounts of money in overtime pay. Eliminating the need for cycle-counts and stock-takes drastically increases a warehouse’s popularity. These stock-takes are conducted on a regular, usually monthly, basis in metal construction software warehouses where wireless warehouse technology is not in use. However, the companies that do use the new technology do not need to conduct these regular stock-takes and generally record inventory accuracies of 99.9 percent. This increased productivity also has the benefit of reducing overtime pay. Less hours worked means less overtime worked.

Read Also: Save Thousands Using Barcoding for Better Inventory Control

This new technology makes it possible to provide better decision support. Making the best accounting decisions depends on accurate costing. More reliable, faster and better information also makes it possible for warehouse managers to hold less items in stock. This means that these managers can reduce the average 10 percent safety stock that most warehouses without this technology usually hold in their warehouses. Reducing this stock will free up space and dollars that can be used for more profitable uses.

Barcode technology offers many benefits to warehouse managers. The affects on efficiency and profitability are undeniable. Reducing overtime pay and improving worker accuracy are valuable pursuits in the warehousing business. Every warehouse manager needs to look into installing this sort of system. Anyone who does not institute this new technology is certain to be left behind and get quickly overshadowed by their more forward planning competitors.

For More information on ABIS Wireless Warehouse Management Software Contact Us

Over the past decade, businesses generated an unprecedented quantity of patents, products, and profit models. This trend of consistent expansion is accelerating—2015 being one of the most innovative years in history. In order to thrive in this age of explosive growth and competition, businesses must maximize resource efficiency. And, to do this, they must have tools that are in line with the pace of the 21^st–century marketplace.

Arguably the most important of these tools is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software package. Industry leaders consider ERP software the cornerstone of their company’s organizational and operational efficiency.  Yet, some business owners and executives consider ERP software cost-prohibitive due to the oftentimes shocking cost of adopting and implementing an ERP package. However, businesses can avoid many unnecessary costs, and significantly reduce their bottom line by following a series of steps.

We detailed these steps in a White Paper and broke it down in a series of articles. In the last article of this guide, we describe a method to implement an ERP System that has proven extremely successful over the years.

• Article 1 (Chapter 1): ERP Software Selection: Where Should I Start?
• Article 2 (Chapter 2): How to Create A Winning ERP Implementation Team
• Article 3 (Chapter 3-4): Do I Need to Customize my ERP?
• Article 4 (Chapter 5): How Can I Save Money on ERP Training?
• Article 5 (Chapter 6): How To Make Sure You Will Not Miss Your ERP Go-Live Date
• Article 6 (Chapter 7): What is the Executive’s Role in an ERP Implementation?
• Article 7 (Chapter 8): What is the Best Approach to ERP Implementation?

Chapter 8: What is the Best Approach to ERP Implementation?

Keep it simple stupid

As organizations make their transition into the age of innovation, many companies make a significant technological jump once the decision has been made to upgrade and automate. Due to factors such as cost, time, manpower, and complacency, most organizations taking on new innovative initiatives are converting from extremely antiquated business practices and procedures.  The ‘if it ain’t broke’ mentality has encouraged practices like tracking production and inventory on hand-written documents, forecasting and procurement data reactively based on assumptions and opinions (rather than true facts and figures) and analyzing company key performance indicators through manually created and maintained spreadsheets.  Over time, teams get acclimated and comfortable with these behaviors, which prolongs and widens the gap between the innovative stage of the company and its competitors.  Thus, once the company finally decides to upgrade, through the adoption of an ERP for example, they most likely want to change almost everything.

Although it is important for an organization to automate and improve all areas of their business, it is important to remember the amount of work and effort required to properly implement a platform as extensive as an ERP.  If too much is taken on during an ERP implementation, there are several risks that not only jeopardize the project but the organization as a whole.  Most ERP packages are broken up into modules. Whether the ERP provider charges by the module, or by the work involved to set up, configure and train on these modules, there is always a cost associated with each module. Taking on more modules than necessary will result in drowning of project resources and time, extended project timelines, and a possible decrease in training retention—all of which are exorbitant costs that will quickly deplete the budget.

“The ‘if it ain’t broke’ mentality prolongs and widens the gap between the innovative stage of the company and its competitors”

Favor a Phased Approached

Through close communication with the ERP provider in the initial planning phase of the project, you can develop a project plan that will help deter some of these risks, and the costs associated with them.  When first meeting as a company to analyze your company needs, qualify the benefits of each of the modules, and only plan to implement the ones that truly deliver value.  If the list of modules is still somewhat considerable in length and time, a phased project approach will be necessary. In a phased rollout, rather than implementing all of the desired modules in one single instance, small groups of modules and processes are implemented at a time.  This approach provides cost benefits including more time for users to adapt to the system as they go (avoiding re-training and inflated support costs). This approach can also develop super users for later phases (as users implement phase I, their expertise can be harnessed in the setup and implementation of later phases).

Additionally, by utilizing a phased approach, the company mitigates the risk of possible go-live disasters.  Due to the integrated nature of a fully implemented ERP, any failure in any portion of the software could affect other modules and processes.  If the implementation is all encompassing, there is an added pressure for users and stakeholders to be 100% prepared in all areas of the platform.  If the company has ‘bitten off more than they could chew’, the threat of a go-live rollback (reverting back to the legacy system and planning another go live in the future) becomes much greater.  Rolling back a go-live has immense monetary consequences—loss of implementation hours, loss of business and production due to shut downs, overtime costs from manpower, and additional costs from legacy platforms.  These consequences will inevitably destroy any hopes to stay within the budget of the implementation.  While phasing an implementation out may give the initial impression of added costs, it will most likely eliminate disastrous episodes and costs like these.

Conclusion

While ERP implementations can be intimidating to an organization on many levels, the apprehensions based on finances and costs can be removed by adhering to a proactive approach that follows some of the key areas discussed above.  With proper planning and attention to these traditional blind spots of an implementation, organizations will not only dramatically decrease the overall cost of an implementation but also likely ensure a successful go-live and deployment of the new platform.