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The Case For Dedicated Support Sales Teams 
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IT support and maintenance contracts have become an established and vital source of top-line corporate revenues. In fact, for many technology companies today, these contracts account for a third or more of total corporate revenues and, managed properly, deliver both a predictable and renewable revenue stream. Organizations must recognize the value that lies in developing best practices around their support sales process, including hiring sales teams dedicated to support and maintenance activities.
DocID=902091
The Four Stages of the Customer Experience
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The way we interact with customers directly affects the way they perceive us. When we are responsive, attentive, willing and able to provide the information or assistance they need, we increase the likelihood of providing a positive experience. When we are difficult to do business with, unable or unwilling to satisfy customers’ needs, indifferent, inept or rude, chances are the customer will have a bad experience.
DocID=902089
Measuring the Business Impact of Support
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The need to quantify the impact of support whether directed externally to customers or internally to employees through a help desk is more critical than ever. As budgets are trimmed and cost efficiencies emphasized, support must actively quantify and promote the benefits it brings to the business. This article offers practical advice for measuring the impact of support operations.
DocID=902088
Calculating Staff Utilization Rates for Case Management
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Utilization is a term often associated with billable consultants and not necessarily with phone based support staff. Utilization is however an appropriate measure of the efficiency of support organizations. Utilization is a measure that emphasizes quantity and not quality, thus utilization rates should be used in conjunction with metrics that suggest the quality of support delivered at various utilization rates. This article introduces an approach to measuring the utilization of technical support staff when responding to customer inquiries.
DocID=902087
The Benefits of Offering SLAs
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If your company has ever considered offering SLAs but has been concerned with the potential downside of increased customer expectations, consider the impact of not managing these expectations. When left to their own devices customers will set their own expectations for a reasonable level of service. Failure to meet these expectations is the leading cause of customer dissatisfaction. This article introduces the benefits of offering service level agreements.
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Selling the Value of Support and Maintenance
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This presentation introduces the 7 fundamentals for effectively selling the value of support and maintenance programs.
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Service Segmentation Strategies
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This presentation introduces the benefits and approaches to establishing customer segments for the purpose of defining, selling and delivering post-sales services.
DocID=902084
Measuring the Maturity of your Knowledge Management and Self-Service Initiatives
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This session will introduce four stages of maturity for self-service and knowledge management initiatives and share practical insights for moving up the capabilities maturity curve. Conference attendees will have the opportunity assess the maturity of their own Knowledge Management and self-service initiatives and receive a confidential maturity assessment.
DocID=902083
Influencing the Online Experience
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This presentation explores customer preferences for using web-based tools and the resources and introduces the strategies necessary to positive influence customer's on-line service experience.
DocID=902082
Achieving Cost Efficiencies Through Service Automation
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The pursuit of optimal cost efficiencies is a fundamental driver for process improvement and technology adoption across all industry sectors. Process improvement can optimize the use and allocation of resources, but has limits in the ability to achieve maximum cost efficiencies. Technology adoption on the other hand offers the potential to dramatically lower costs through automation of product production and service delivery therefore reducing the need for costly labor.
DocID=902081
Influencing the Online Experience
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This report examines how the web is changing the way businesses engage with customers and the impact on-line interactions have on shaping customer perceptions of companies. The study, conducted by ServiceXRG and sponsored by InQuira, examines both shopping and service experiences. The study was designed to gain insights from both the consumption and supply sides of the on-line experience and includes responses from 503 customers and 311 companies.
DocID=902080
7 Fundamental Elements of an Effective Service Channel Strategy
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Technology vendors have long looked to channels to broaden their access to markets expand their geographic reach and enhance their skills and resources. While many vendors form channel relationships to sell products, more than two-thirds (69.7%) of technology vendors surveyed by ServiceXRG use channels to sell, deliver and renew support and maintenance services.
DocID=902079
Self-Service Success Through Customer Segmentation
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Successful self-service initiatives depend upon the development of a portfolio of offerings that are appropriate to the needs of the target audience. A wide variety of self-service resources can be offered, but unless customers are willing and able use them there is little point. A portfolio consisting of few options that are well tuned to the needs and capabilities of customers is far more effective than a portfolio that consists of many disparate and hard to use resources.
DocID=902078
How Customer Preconceptions Affect Maintenance Contract Sales
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All of the time, effort and planning you put into crafting the perfect portfolio of services may be for naught unless your marketing message is equally well crafted. Customers carry a lot of baggage that can affect their decision to buy support and maintenance contracts even before they evaluate costs and benefits. In many cases these preconceptions are based on situations that have little to do with the services you are selling. Fortunately many preconceptions can be overcome through effective sales and marketing. The key to maximizing support contract sales (attach rates) is to understand primary objections, or preconceptions, and then to craft a compelling response.
DocID=902077
Self-Service Maturity
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This report defines four levels of self-service maturity across six self-service competencies. The report outlines the primary characteristics and attributes that characterize each stage of self-service maturity and the key metrics for measuring performance.
DocID=902076
Service-Level Agreements – IT User Perceptions and Expectations
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This report explores the perceptions and expectations of information technology users regarding the level of service they receive in response to requests for technical assistance from their IT service providers. The study examines service-level performance and its effect on the overall customer service experience. This report is based on a study conducted by ServiceXRG of 350 information technology users that recently requested technical assistance with a software application, hardware system or computer-related equipment.
DocID=902075
Channel Strategies For Improving Channel Service Sales and Delivery Effectiveness
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This report explores current channel practices and performance to present strategies for improving the use and effectiveness of channel partners for the sale, renewal and delivery of support and maintenance services. This report explores perspectives of both technology vendors and channel partners, including value-added resellers, systems integrators, distributors and retailers.
DocID=902065
Channel Strategies Report Summary
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This summary highlights the findings from the report titled Channel Strategies For Improving Channel Service Sales and Delivery Effectiveness and provides a summary of findings and complete table of contents.
DocID=902064
Channel Compensation: Pay for Performance
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This article examines the methods technology vendors use to compensate their partners for the sale and renewal of service contracts. The article highlights steps vendor can take to incent partners to reach sales performance targets.
DocID=902063
Support Sales and Marketing Maturity
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ServiceXRG has developed a groundbreaking maturity model to assess and improve your ability to define and sell the value of support. This model describes the five fundamental competencies you need to achieve support sales and marketing success
DocID=902060
Microsoft Customer Service and Support - Attracting and Retaining Top Talent
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Technical service and support programs are, more than ever before, a critical competitive differentiator. Through a series of strategic moves, Microsoft has made clear its intentions to accentuate its service profile as it continues to expand its global footprint. This report examines the implications of a number of new initiatives designed to standardize on procedures for attracting, developing and retaining the kind of talent it feels will have a continuing and sustainable impact on its service quality
DocID=902055
Benefits from Offering Account Management Services
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Corporate sales organizations have long employed account management programs — in which a designated individual or team serves as the primary point of contact for customers — to maintain relationships with key clients. Recognizing the benefits gained through these associations, support organizations are increasingly embracing the account management concept as a way to not only sustain profitable, high-value relationships, but generate new top-line revenue streams. The following article offers insights from a study conducted by ServiceXRG to understand the current use, program structure and impact of account management programs.
DocID=902051
Supporting Vista - Preparations, Implications and Costs
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ServiceXRG has conducted a study of 88 support organizations for Technology companies to better understand the potential implications of Microsoft Vista and to assess what the industry is doing to prepare to support this new version of Windows. The study includes responses from hardware, software and service companies. Current Vista preparations and recommend actions are highlighted within this report.
DocID=902050
Supporting China - Determining the Needs and Expectations of Chinese IT Decision-makers
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ServiceXRG conducted a study of 111 IT professionals in top-tier Chinese companies within China that represent a wide range of industry sectors and company sizes. This report provides insight into the needs and expectations of a segment of the Chinese market that demonstrates a high propensity to adopt and deploy information technology and require service and support.
DocID=901095
Report Summary: Supporting China
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This free summary describes what is included in the Supporting China report.
DocID=901092
Service Level Agreements - Practices and Benchmarks
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This report is based on a review of 65 high technology companies and highlights the use and examples of service level agreements, guarantees, and penalties.
DocID=901090
Knowledge Management - Strategies, Benchmarks and Best Practices
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This report provides a detailed view of knowledge management practices, performance metrics and industry benchmarks. The report is based on a study of 117 participants representing perspectives from a wide range of companies of varying sizes and knowledge management maturity.
DocID=901088
Report Summary: Knowledge Management
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This free summary describes what is included in the Knowledge Management report.
DocID=901087
Seven Secrets of KM Success
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This report explores seven key factors needed for a successful KM initiative
DocID=901080
Strategic Account Management - Best Practices for Technical Account Management
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This study highlights how companies define and manage strategic accounts, as well as how they define and sell technical account management services. Data is presented about account management services are offered and how they are priced. This report also explores best practices for hiring, compensating and retaining account managers. The primary responsibilities of TAMs, their required skills, source for top talent and compensation practices are presented as well.
DocID=901075
Report Summary: Strategic Account Management - Best Practices for Technical Account Management
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This report explores how companies define and manage strategic accounts, as well as how they define and sell technical account management programs. This report also examines the skills, sources and compensation of technical account managers, and concludes with a review of the impact of well-defined account management strategies.
DocID=901055
Technical Account Management
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The Technical Account Management Study Summary provides highlights from the recent survey TAM survey.
DocID=901045
Report Summary: Customer Segmentation Strategies
Strategies and Best Practices for Service and Support
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This free report summary introduces the strategies and benefits of developing a service segmentation strategy and highlights the key findings of the report titled Customer Segmentation Strategies and Best Practices for Service and Support.
DocID=901035
The Impact of Service Segmentation
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Any effort to get to know your customers better is likely to yield positive benefits. One important benefit of service segmentation is the impact segmentation can have on support sales performance as indicated in the figure below. Companies that indicate that they have a formal service segmentation strategy enjoy higher contract attach and renewal rates than those that do not.
DocID=805092
Are Service Industry Awards Worth the Effort?
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There are a plethora of industry awards and recognition opportunities to provide a means to get recognized for your service initiatives. Is it worth your effort to pursue industry recognition though these awards. This article examines the pros and cons of service industry awards.
DocID=805090
Report Summary: Roadmap for Achieving Self-Service Success
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This free summary offers four key road maps to achieve self-service excellence and presents the table of contends from the full report titled "Self-Service Excellence - A Roadmap for Achieving Self-Service Success"
DocID=805090
Assessing the Impact of Offshore Outsourcing
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When properly executed outsourcing can be financially attractive and offer a competitive advantage. This report introduces a methodology to define and assess the effectiveness of outsourcing relationships.
DocID=805088
Balancing Innovation and Optimization
A New Approach to Managing End-of-Life Products
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How much innovation and new products can our customers absorb, and when are there diminishing returns from new technology assimilation? This report presents a practical approach to establishing end-of-life product strategies.
DocID=805086
Creating and Managing Effective Self-Service Content
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Identification of the common sources of support knowledgebase content and the key editorial processes necessary to effectively create and manage self-service content.
DocID=805084
Defect Disconnect - Your Product Defect Rate is Much Higher Than You Think
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Tracking defect rates is an important measurement for both support and development. Perception is reality for users and the current defect tracking metrics may be far from accurate and even misleading. This report reveals the user perspective on defects and compares that to what the industry typically reports.
DocID=805082
Imperatives for Getting Customers to Use Web Based Self-Service
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Web-based self-service has become an important resource that customers rely on to help solve technical support issues. It is equally important to service providers for both customer satisfaction and as well as cost efficiencies. This article explores the key imperatives needed to attract and retain users of web based self-services.
DocID=805080
Leveraging Service Excellence to Develop Customer Loyalty
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Service excellence plays a critical role in keeping customers loyal. Customers are less likely to be influenced by marketing and will form their opinion based on their service experience. This article examines the impact of service excellence on creating and sustaining customer loyalty.
DocID=805078
Service Brand Equity Can Influence Product Selection
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Service is an integral part of the enterprise technology evaluation and selection process. This article explains how and why service brand equity is important.
DocID=805076
Support Contract Attach and Renewal Rates - The Key to Increasing Revenue
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The financial contribution of support and maintenance revenue continues to grow in significance. This article illustrates how support contract attach and renewal rates hold the key to significantly increasing support and maintenance revenue.
DocID=805074
Support Reps - The Key to a Positive Service Experience
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The character and capabilities of support representatives are leading factors in user's definition of service excellence. This article identifies the support representative characteristics that have the greatest influence on delivering a positive service experience.
DocID=805072
The Most Effective Web Support Services
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Four out of five of the most effective web support resources are self-help resources. These findings reaffirm users' interest and willingness to access useful content resources for self help. This report reveals which resources are most effective and must be considered in the development or administration of web base support services..
DocID=805070
When It Comes to Service, Perfection is Not the Goal
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The pursuit of service perfection is in most cases the wrong thing to do. A far more effective business objective is the pursuit of service excellence. Service excellence is the balance of quality, cost and customer satisfaction. This report is important
DocID=805068
Why Availability of Service Matters
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Availability of services is at the heart of service excellence. This article introduces what customers think about service availability and explains what makes this characteristic vitally important.
DocID=805066
Why Pursuit of Service Excellence Really Matters
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Service can have a positive effect on customer loyalty, company reputation and financial performance. The article highlights customers' perceptions about the role service plays in establishing and sustaining a relationship with information technology vendors.
DocID=805064
Self-Service Excellence - A Roadmap for Achieving Self-Service Success
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This in-depth study explores critical factors for developing, measuring and continuously improving self-service effectiveness. Also included are a presentation of leading self-service performance benchmarks and a review of essential practices from content management to self-service promotion and awareness initiatives.
DocID=605090
Support Operational Strategies and Benchmarks
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The result of a comprehensive industry study of leading information technology providers offering the most in-depth resource available for Support industry metrics and benchmarks. This study provides detailed findings and analysis with deep segmentation for key areas of support.
DocID=605088
Enterprise Perceptions of Support
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This report provides insight and analysis of customer's expectations, perceptions and experiences with the critical aspects of support services. This report is based on a study of 352 IT decision makers and users.
DocID=605080
Support Business Strategies and Financial Benchmarks
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Managing, measuring and optimizing the business of support have become strategic imperatives for technology companies. This report offers detailed information and insight about key financial metrics and performance benchmarking for managing the business of support.
DocID=605070
Support Sales and Renewal Strategies
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This report highlights the strategies and best practices used to sell and renew support and maintenance programs.
DocID=605066
Customer Segmentation Strategies and Best Practices for Service and Support
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Not all customers are created equal nor do they represent the same value to your business. Nearly two-thirds of support and maintenance revenue comes from less than one-third of the customer base. It seems illogical to view all customers the same way, yet only slightly more than a third of companies have a formal service segmentation strategy. This report highlights the current use of service segmentation and presents the five imperatives for developing a successful service segmentation strategy.
DocID=605066
Offshore Trends
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This ServiceXRG Market Perspective examines the transformation of offshore strategies within the high technology industry. This perspective reviews the state of offshore support today and highlights the need for support strategies to evolve to enable the growth of emerging markets, in particular India and China.
DocID=605064
Support Localization
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The purpose of this report is to examine the needs and expectations of IT Decision makers concerning their views about the importance of having local service presence and support in their language.
DocID=605062
Formulating the Right Response - Why Understanding Customer Intent is Vital to Effective Problem Resolution
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Service organizations have been at the forefront of process improvement and technology adoption in an effort to achieve cost efficiencies, maximize delivery effectiveness and sustain acceptable levels of customer satisfaction. This report examines the efforts to automate the service delivery process by understanding the intent behind customer requests.
DocID=605060
Outsourcing Technical Support
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A detailed look at the current use of outsourcing to reveal the strategies and benchmarks necessary to successfully establish, manage and measure the impact of an outsourcing relationship.
DocID=605058
Service Resolution Optimization
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This report provides practical strategies and recommendations to identify opportunities to achieve greater efficiencies and effectiveness from service resolution efforts.
DocID=605056
Taking Remote Support to the Next Level
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This report is based on the findings of a study about remote support practices and experiences of 391 enterprises of all sizes and across a wide range of industries and company sizes. This report examines current uses of remote support, experiences in using it and their future plans for the use of remote support technologies.
DocID=605054
The State of eService - Accomplishments, Milestones and Next Steps
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How has the use and effectiveness of electronic services evolved and what are the challenges and opportunities ahead? This report examines the business drivers behind electronic service offerings, the use and impact of electronic services and the ways that eservices will continue to evolve.
DocID=605052
Understanding Support Demand
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Exploration of the why customers need support, the types of requests made, and the way that service providers respond.
DocID=605050
The Economics of Support Knowledge Management
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This presentation was delivered by Tom Sweeny of ServiceXRG at May 2006 best Practices Showcase held in Boston. The presentation presents findings from ServiceXRG’s recent industry study of support knowledge practices and performance benchmarks. This presentation also introduces benchmarks for establishing appropriate staffing levels and measuring the impact of effective knowledge management initiatives. ServiceXRG is available to deliver this presentation to your team upon request. Call 800-475-0089 for pricing and availability.
DocID=405094
Workshop: Building a World-Class Knowledge Management Capability
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This workshop introduces the practices, benchmarks and best practices necessary to justify, implement and manage support knowledge management resources, tools and processes. This workshop provides practical insights to determine the right staffing, identify appropriate tools and define and adopt best in class practices. ServiceXRG is available to deliver this workshop upon request. Call 800-475-0089 for pricing and availability.
DocID=405092
The Road to Self Service Excellence
Clients only
This presentation highlights the findings and recommendations from ServiceXRG's self-services study.
DocID=405090
Measuring the Return on Knowledge
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This reports examines the best practices for measuring the impact of KM initiatives.
DocID=405090
Support Opportunities and Challenges
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This presentation identifies important challenges and opportunities for support organizations.
DocID=405088
Measuring and Maximizing the Effectiveness of Self-Services
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This presentation examines the strategies, best practices and performance benchmarks necessary to maximize the effectiveness of self-service offerings
DocID=405086
Four Keys to Self-Service Effectiveness
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This presentation identifies the four keys to self-service effectiveness. ServiceXRG delivered this presentation during a Webinar sponsored by Ovitas and Fatwire
DocID=405084
eServices Mature to Contribute Benefits Beyond Cost Reduction
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With the Web firmly entrenched as an information delivery and transaction processing platform, more and more companies are striving to make eService a key component of their overall service strategies. In the past, businesses typically launched eService initiatives — self-service, in particular — as a way to reduce costs.
DocID=405083
Enterprise Users' Perceptions of Support
Clients only
This presentation explores the needs and expectations of customers from their support provider
DocID=405082
Maximizing Support and Maintenance Revenue
Clients only
This presentation highlights the strategies and best practices to maximize support and maintenance revenue though effective sales and renewal strategies.
DocID=405080
Using Process and Knowledge to Achieve Superior Customer Service
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This presentation introduces strategies to optimize service resolution through effective use of process and knowledge. ServiceXRG delivered this presentation during a webinar sponsored by Kana.
DocID=405078
Webinar: Why Understanding Customer Intent is Vital to Effective Problem Resolution
Clients only
This presentation was delivered at a webinar focused on exploring the issues and opportunities associated with automating key aspects of the service resolution process. This presentation offers excerpts from the report titl
DocID=405077
Maximizing the Profitability of Customer Relationships
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This presentation quantifies the value of customer relationships and outlines strategies and recommendation for maximizing customer retention.
DocID=405076
The Pursuit of World-Class Support
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This presentation offers a definition of world-class support and suggest strategies and benchmarks to assist in the attainment of world-class capabilities and performance.
DocID=405072
Leveraging Remote Support Technologies
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This presentation examines the types of remote support technologies used today and the business problems they address. ServiceXRG delivered this presentation during a webinar sponsored by WebEx Communications.
DocID=405070
The Shift from Customer Acquisition to Retention
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This report highlights the critical importance of retaining customers through effective support and maintenance renewal strategies. The report examines the financial benefits of increasing support contract renewal rates and calls for an increased focus on customer retention initiatives.
DocID=405069
Measuring the Impact of Self Service Initiatives
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The long-term success of self-service is tied to the ability to establish meaningful business goals and milestones. Establishing clear expectations about the timing and impact of self services is critical to maintaining management support and continued funding. This presentation explores the creation of success criteria, strategies for tracking self service performance, and approaches to measuring the impact of self services.
DocID=405068
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