Good customer service is good business. It may sound great on paper, but business leaders know how empty this adage is without action to back it up.
Yes, they say, existing customers do generate the majority (72%) of revenue. True, they reply, it is more expensive to bring on new customers than it is to delight the ones you already have (HubSpot).
Now show us how you do it for us.
Practice what you preach. As an organization that helps organizations deliver exceptional service across a variety of industries and use cases, it only follows that we do the same.
Here’s the customer service experience you can expect from our team.
Fine-tuned structure that follows the sun
We provide 24/7 support, 365 days a year, says Stefan Bogner, Head of Bucher + Suter’s Customer Service. Doing so for an international customer base means we must follow the sun.
At any time, from anywhere in the world, Bucher + Suter customers can get the tailored support they need. When one of our service specialists signs off, another is there to serve the time zones still within operating hours.
The first level of support is handled by dedicated specialists, a team that grows from year to year to satisfy future customer needs. Overall, Bucher + Suter Operations comprises approximately 60 employees, total. Each employee is organized into dedicated customer teams to guarantee the best possible support experience for each customer—no need to reiterate who you are, or the service needs unique to your company and space.
Principles of “Follow the Sun”
A commitment to core service principles
In a recent Forbes Expert Panel, industry experts weighted on how to create consumer-like service experiences for B2B. We find a number of these principles reflected in how we tailor our own service experiences.
1. Start with the right customer fit
It turns out that what you do pre-sales can translate to a better post-sale customer service experience.
Customer service is integrated into the entire lifecycle, says Trent Cook, Head of Customer Success. Starting with the preparation of the offer, through commissioning to customer growth.
It starts with sales and marketing strategies that lead to aligned B2B decision-makers. Alignment helps to prevent buyer’s remorse, something that 60% of software buyers express. It’s difficult to meet service expectations when the customer already regrets the purchase.
There’s a lot that goes into this effort, but it all comes down to fit. That is, aligning well with the specific needs and pain points of the target audience. This means doing the leg work to understand a customer’s business challenges, industry positioning, and operational goals, a core part of our own approach.
Customer alignment measurement criteria and business practices for the maturity model
2. Be fast and accurate post-sale
Responsiveness is one of the best antidotes for misalignment, missed service expectations, and regret. In fact, nearly half of companies say that, to remedy any second thoughts, vendors should start by immediately responding to customer requests (Gartner).
Our response times are super-fast, less than 10 minutes on average, regardless of which channel the request comes in through, says Bogner. Our first level is trained to ask the right questions, narrow down the problem quickly and precisely, and call in the necessary technical expertise if required.
As a result, Bucher + Suter’s customer service enjoys 99% positive customer feedback.
3. Provide customer-specific expertise
B2B relationships are built on trust. The customer must trust that you know them, understand their needs, and remain committed to maximizing their value. Put differently: each customer wants to feel like they’re the most important name in your book of business.
And they are.
We divide operations into customer teams. This ensures that the teams know the customer’s solution inside out and are also familiar with the customer’s contact persons, says Bogner.
Customer experience execution model
4. Be there for the entire journey
If the B2B customer journey is evolving, the service experience must evolve with it. Being there for customers must include a reliable framework for doing so. “We manage the customer from A to Z,” says Bogner. Here’s a few examples of how:
- Address minor enquiries/questions about the operation of applications
- Troubleshoot in the event of errors and failures
- Consult on enhancements to existing solutions
- Internally monitor SLAs to ensure reaction and action within agreed timescales
Case Study: Bluebeam
When you read the Bluebeam case study, you’ll notice something about the process: roll-out and post-launch support appears at step five. While it’s true that it was at this step that the customer “went live and handed off to b+s Customer Support and operations team,” you’ll find all the service pillars (alignment, responsiveness, customer-specific service) embodied throughout the entire process.
For example:
- Business process analysis to identify the optimal migration order
- Tailored system documentation based on extensive design and testing
- Ongoing assistance and feedback gathering to further refine service experience
The result? A customer implementation that exceeds initial expectations, while laying the groundwork for future scalability. None of which would be possible without close attention to customer needs, throughout the entire journey.
Bluebeam case study: The process
Conclusion you can use: How to narrow your list
When making software purchases, 96% of buyers begin by making a vendor list; 89% end up buying from a vendor on that list (Gartner). If that describes your approach, consider service alignment as a means for narrowing that list. Insist on a reliable tech partner whose approach to customer service:
- Actively seeks alignment in the pre-sale phase
- Has a track record of meeting or exceeding industry SLAs
- Takes part in design, testing, and implementation
- Structures service to deliver truly tailored support
Be more than experts, says Stefan Bogner. Be the experts that your specific customer base actually needs.
Indeed, Bucher + Suter customers enjoy all of the above, in addition to b+s Hub access and a dedicated Customer Success team. Practice what you preach is not a phrase that we take lightly, especially when it comes to customer service.
