Customer experience, or CX, is more than a trending buzzword. It’s a competitive differentiator that can separate you from a sea of MSPs.
CX is not customer service—answering the phone, resolving a ticket, installing a new server. Rather, it’s how the customer feels about the interactions they have with your MSP business. It’s not a transaction. It’s a relationship.
It’s also something that leading MSPs instill in their culture.
“There are so many MSPs out there and we live in a distracted world,” says Lisa Shorr, co-owner of Secure Future Tech Solutions, an MSP in Warwick, Rhode Island. “In order for us to not be considered a vendor or a commodity, client experience really is our differentiator. It has to be forefront of each of our minds.”
That mindset must come from leadership, she adds.
Hunter Farlow, marketing director at ComTech, an MSP headquartered in Graham, North Carolina, agrees. He says customer experience requires putting yourself in your clients’ shoes throughout the entire customer lifecycle and keeping that top of mind to ensure that every touchpoint reflects that, whether that’s a gift, a conversation, or a problem resolved.
Upping your CX game doesn’t have to break the bank either. “It’s usually the small things that make the biggest difference,” says Farlow.
Here’s some CX ideas MSP are implementing to delight their customers and cement long-term relationships.
1. Pay attention to the human side
Clients are people too, and people like to be acknowledged and heard.
That starts with active listening and paying attention to personal details, says Brandis Kelly, president of the Midwest Region of DigeTekS, an MSP with locations across the country. DigeTekS went through customer experience training with The DiJulius Group and actively uses the trainer’s FORD methodology (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams & Desires) for building trust and rapport with clients.
Her team keeps FORD data on all their customers’ employees, gathering information about pets, weddings, vacations, family, and so on, to bring up in conversation. For example, Kelly says, “You can ask, did your son graduate? That’s fantastic. Where’s he going to school?” That shows clients that “we’re taking time to learn about their lives versus just what we do for them transactionally as an MSP.”
Everyone at the MSP has access to a Teams share with the FORD information; it is also linked to their documentation platform.
Farlow’s MSP also went through CX training and follows the FORD methodology. “We have our techs listen … and ask questions to try and get to know them and if they have something happening in their life that is important to them.”
Shorr stresses paying attention to customers’ personal details too. In addition, she keeps an eye on the local media for news about their clients. “Many of our clients are written up in their local business papers, so we’ll either send them the article or send them a quick e-mail and say congratulations on the great press. It just shows them that we’re staying on top of who they are, where they are, beyond just the tech side of things.”
She adds, “Most of this doesn’t cost money at all. It’s just time to learn who they are.”
2. Get face time
A lot of the work MSPs do is behind the scenes, but out of sight because things are running smoothly can easily lead to out of mind. Drop-in visits to clients are one way to stay top of mind.
“We’re not like a roofer or a service business that you can physically see the deliverables, so every chance that we get to interact with our clients face to face is definitely a big one,” Farlow says.
DigeTekS’ team all work remotely, and they are tasked with stopping by client sites every week just to say hello. Kelly says it’s important to have a local presence, so they hire techs who live near their clients. That makes travel time and expense minimal.
3. Keep all-occasion cards on hand—and have everyone sign them
Secure Future Tech Solutions keeps a variety of cards and notes on hand to send to clients, from thank you notes to holiday greetings and birthday wishes. Shorr recommends having all employees sign the cards; don’t just send them from “the team.”
She adds that she checks the obituaries regularly so they can acknowledge the loss of a client’s loved one with a sympathy card.
ComTech partners with a nonprofit to send clients holiday greetings. “Every card costs us $5, but a piece of that goes towards the nonprofit, so it’s a donation as well as a thank you for being a client,” Farlow explains.
4. Deliver food
It’s hard to go wrong with food, and who doesn’t like to be surprised by something delicious in the company break room?
DigeTekS sends new clients a cake when they complete their onboarding. The accompanying card says: “It’s a piece of cake. Now let’s celebrate. Thank you for entrusting us with your IT needs.”
Kelly adds that they make a point of using local bakeries in the communities where their clients are located.
Secure Future Tech Solutions sends pizza to clients during tax season. “We’ll hand deliver pizza to clients and that just shows that we’re trying to be physically present for them,” Shorr says. The message: “We know how taxing tax season is; let us be a slice of your success.” They also deliver donuts with the message: “Donut go another day without your IT provider.” Says Shorr, “We try to be catchy and kitschy.”
5. Break bread together
Sending food to clients is a great touchpoint, but sharing a meal or a beverage in a casual setting can deepen relationships. Secure Future Tech Solutions hosts an annual Halloween event called “Bites and Brews” at a local brewery. They start with 10 minutes or so of cybersecurity education and then it becomes a client and employee appreciation event.
ComTech hosts an annual lunchtime picnic for all their clients at a local amphitheater, but Farlow says a park would work too. “If you haven’t offered lunch to your clients, it’s like an open door. Just come be with us. It’s just a way of saying thank you. That is very good from a client experience point of view because they’re not being sold something else and they’re not seeing you in a time of need.” They have the picnic catered. “It’s not terribly expensive to do it, but it makes a lasting impression.”
6. Lace up your running shoes (or golf cleats)
Sponsoring an event that your client is hosting is a way to support causes that are near and dear to their hearts. But if you don’t have the funds for that, you could participate in their events.
DigeTekS does both, and has had employees take part in toy drives, road races, and golf tournaments. “We want to give back,” Kelly says. “We want to be a strategic partner. We don’t want them to think of us as just another vendor. Vendors are just so easily replaceable.”
7. Gift with intention—and surprise
Sending gifts for major holidays is nice, but sending unexpected or thoughtfully chosen gifts makes you stand out.
Farlow is a fan of the book Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention, which promotes the strategy of gifting clients when they’re least expecting it. ComTech tries to do this three times a year. “They’re not extravagant (less than $100) but themed around a day most folks are not expecting,” Farlow explains. “Our first one this year is on Saint Patrick’s Day. No one’s expecting anything, and a gift at that timeline is surprising. It’s the ‘oh wow, they’re still thinking of me.’”
Scott Beck, president and CEO of BeckTek, an MSP in New Brunswick, Canada, favors “random” gifting too, and focuses on his clients’ decision makers. For example, he’s sent business books he thinks they may like or booked box seats for a concert and invited the decision makers to join him for a show.
Kelly personalizes gifting, such as sending chocolates with the client’s logo on them from a local chocolatier. “It’s been a really big hit,” she says. “We’re in nine states right now, so what’s local in Hawaii isn’t going to be local in Wyoming, but we always try to support local.”
8. Be the calm in the storm
When clients are having a tech issue, your technicians may bear the brunt of their frustration, so ComTech regularly stresses the importance of being “the calm in the storm,” Farlow says.
“We have to be that consoling voice, and that presents itself in a good experience for our clients,” he says. “It should be a joy for them when they get done talking with us—the highlight of their day. We work on it continually as we talk about our core values and experiences in our weekly meetings.”
9. Hold QBRs/TBRs
Regular technology and business reviews may seem like no brainers, but Shorr says she’s always surprised when MSPs who are clients of her image and brand coaching company, Shorr Success, tell her they skip them. And yet, they’re a critical part of your CX touchpoints. “We don’t want to be forgotten. And we don’t want to miss out on projects in their pipeline.”
However, she adds, “We’re not just there to pitch them services, we’re there to truly align with their goals. We try to demonstrate empathy and excitement in every step of the way.”
The ROI of CX: Priceless
The “beauty” of an MSP is the ability to deliver a personal touch, which SMBs are often seeking, says Shorr. And that personal touch doesn’t have to be costly, just intentional. “It’s those soft skills and interpersonal skills that set us apart or build that trust,” Shorr says.
Investment in CX is well worth it, Farlow adds. And while he acknowledges that it’s hard to put a number on ROI, he says they haven’t had a client leave since they initiated a gifting program. “Some things are not all about the money that gets returned. It’s about the relationship.”
For more inspiration on delivering a stellar customer experience, see Savannah Bananas’ Jesse Cole on the Five E’s to Create Raving Fans (Sticky Customers) and How Adopting an “Experience Mindset” Fuels Growth and Innovation.
