Helpdesk/Training Department
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@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Being able to charge for this means I can build the team faster to improve support. As we get more customers, the number of personnel will need to increase offering support... at cost. Currently, this is met with no charge to customers at all, and were just about able to make the finances work. However, It needs to be monetized to make it sustainable...
Do you think such a way is sensible?
Edited: to explain a little.
It is extremely hard to do in practice. If you really want to do this, the only way that I have seen it work is to offer phone support at one tier, email at another, etc.
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@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Being able to charge for this means I can build the team faster to improve support. As we get more customers, the number of personnel will need to increase offering support... at cost. Currently, this is met with no charge to customers at all, and were just about able to make the finances work. However, It needs to be monetized to make it sustainable...
Do you think such a way is sensible?
Edited: to explain a little.
It is extremely hard to do in practice. If you really want to do this, the only way that I have seen it work is to offer phone support at one tier, email at another, etc.
Hard, nothing wrong with that. Worthwhile - yes. Worth being hard, yes. If were able to monetize some of the support, that will help financially - a lot actually.
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Need to think about salary for this position too, as once confirmed (which should be Tuesday), I know it will be discussed. Any ideas on best ways to review salary for roles based in London?
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@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Being able to charge for this means I can build the team faster to improve support. As we get more customers, the number of personnel will need to increase offering support... at cost. Currently, this is met with no charge to customers at all, and were just about able to make the finances work. However, It needs to be monetized to make it sustainable...
Do you think such a way is sensible?
Edited: to explain a little.
It is extremely hard to do in practice. If you really want to do this, the only way that I have seen it work is to offer phone support at one tier, email at another, etc.
Hard, nothing wrong with that. Worthwhile - yes. Worth being hard, yes. If were able to monetize some of the support, that will help financially - a lot actually.
But just to be clear... I mean hard in the "never seen it work, ever" sense. Support and SLAs are very tough things to put together. I can't even picture how it's possible to make it work.
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@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Being able to charge for this means I can build the team faster to improve support. As we get more customers, the number of personnel will need to increase offering support... at cost. Currently, this is met with no charge to customers at all, and were just about able to make the finances work. However, It needs to be monetized to make it sustainable...
Do you think such a way is sensible?
Edited: to explain a little.
It is extremely hard to do in practice. If you really want to do this, the only way that I have seen it work is to offer phone support at one tier, email at another, etc.
Hard, nothing wrong with that. Worthwhile - yes. Worth being hard, yes. If were able to monetize some of the support, that will help financially - a lot actually.
But just to be clear... I mean hard in the "never seen it work, ever" sense. Support and SLAs are very tough things to put together. I can't even picture how it's possible to make it work.
Then, how do other companies stop support services for customers from burning through cash?
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@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Being able to charge for this means I can build the team faster to improve support. As we get more customers, the number of personnel will need to increase offering support... at cost. Currently, this is met with no charge to customers at all, and were just about able to make the finances work. However, It needs to be monetized to make it sustainable...
Do you think such a way is sensible?
Edited: to explain a little.
It is extremely hard to do in practice. If you really want to do this, the only way that I have seen it work is to offer phone support at one tier, email at another, etc.
Hard, nothing wrong with that. Worthwhile - yes. Worth being hard, yes. If were able to monetize some of the support, that will help financially - a lot actually.
But just to be clear... I mean hard in the "never seen it work, ever" sense. Support and SLAs are very tough things to put together. I can't even picture how it's possible to make it work.
Then, how do other companies stop support services for customers from burning through cash?
Single SLO / SLA level, not tiers that depend on intentionally lowering quality to lower tiers. Have you seen any support company with a model like this? This works for shipping and stuff with hardware, because you use cheaper shipping options to make the tiers. But for support, you can only make this work by ignoring customers to make them "suffer" for not paying for the better service.
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@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Being able to charge for this means I can build the team faster to improve support. As we get more customers, the number of personnel will need to increase offering support... at cost. Currently, this is met with no charge to customers at all, and were just about able to make the finances work. However, It needs to be monetized to make it sustainable...
Do you think such a way is sensible?
Edited: to explain a little.
It is extremely hard to do in practice. If you really want to do this, the only way that I have seen it work is to offer phone support at one tier, email at another, etc.
Hard, nothing wrong with that. Worthwhile - yes. Worth being hard, yes. If were able to monetize some of the support, that will help financially - a lot actually.
But just to be clear... I mean hard in the "never seen it work, ever" sense. Support and SLAs are very tough things to put together. I can't even picture how it's possible to make it work.
Then, how do other companies stop support services for customers from burning through cash?
Single SLO / SLA level, not tiers that depend on intentionally lowering quality to lower tiers. Have you seen any support company with a model like this? This works for shipping and stuff with hardware, because you use cheaper shipping options to make the tiers. But for support, you can only make this work by ignoring customers to make them "suffer" for not paying for the better service.
A few, such as Bonitasoft, a BPM solution. They offer such a setup. I don't see a single SLO/SLA working - for our typical customer, the free tier will work. Say 70%. For the other 30% or so, I could picture a premium service, if offered, being accepted. If the only option was that service, paid, we would lose 70% of business.
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@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Being able to charge for this means I can build the team faster to improve support. As we get more customers, the number of personnel will need to increase offering support... at cost. Currently, this is met with no charge to customers at all, and were just about able to make the finances work. However, It needs to be monetized to make it sustainable...
Do you think such a way is sensible?
Edited: to explain a little.
It is extremely hard to do in practice. If you really want to do this, the only way that I have seen it work is to offer phone support at one tier, email at another, etc.
Hard, nothing wrong with that. Worthwhile - yes. Worth being hard, yes. If were able to monetize some of the support, that will help financially - a lot actually.
But just to be clear... I mean hard in the "never seen it work, ever" sense. Support and SLAs are very tough things to put together. I can't even picture how it's possible to make it work.
Then, how do other companies stop support services for customers from burning through cash?
Single SLO / SLA level, not tiers that depend on intentionally lowering quality to lower tiers. Have you seen any support company with a model like this? This works for shipping and stuff with hardware, because you use cheaper shipping options to make the tiers. But for support, you can only make this work by ignoring customers to make them "suffer" for not paying for the better service.
A few, such as Bonitasoft, a BPM solution. They offer such a setup. I don't see a single SLO/SLA working - for our typical customer, the free tier will work. Say 70%. For the other 30% or so, I could picture a premium service, if offered, being accepted. If the only option was that service, paid, we would lose 70% of business.
How would the premium work? And don't say SLA, how will the helpdesk behave to make it work?
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Bonitasoft doesn't look like an ITSP. Can you tell us how their tiers work?
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@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Being able to charge for this means I can build the team faster to improve support. As we get more customers, the number of personnel will need to increase offering support... at cost. Currently, this is met with no charge to customers at all, and were just about able to make the finances work. However, It needs to be monetized to make it sustainable...
Do you think such a way is sensible?
Edited: to explain a little.
It is extremely hard to do in practice. If you really want to do this, the only way that I have seen it work is to offer phone support at one tier, email at another, etc.
Hard, nothing wrong with that. Worthwhile - yes. Worth being hard, yes. If were able to monetize some of the support, that will help financially - a lot actually.
But just to be clear... I mean hard in the "never seen it work, ever" sense. Support and SLAs are very tough things to put together. I can't even picture how it's possible to make it work.
Then, how do other companies stop support services for customers from burning through cash?
Single SLO / SLA level, not tiers that depend on intentionally lowering quality to lower tiers. Have you seen any support company with a model like this? This works for shipping and stuff with hardware, because you use cheaper shipping options to make the tiers. But for support, you can only make this work by ignoring customers to make them "suffer" for not paying for the better service.
A few, such as Bonitasoft, a BPM solution. They offer such a setup. I don't see a single SLO/SLA working - for our typical customer, the free tier will work. Say 70%. For the other 30% or so, I could picture a premium service, if offered, being accepted. If the only option was that service, paid, we would lose 70% of business.
How would the premium work? And don't say SLA, how will the helpdesk behave to make it work?
I could see the phone option like discussed working. For example, if free, you email and that goes in to something like Helpscout, and well respond as and when we can. Typically within a day (although, that information could be internal only). If paid, you get email/Helpscout, but also a phone number to get straight through to us, and a support desk member you've been assigned as a main point of contact, perhaps quarterly reviews to see how we can further help them etc...
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@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Bonitasoft doesn't look like an ITSP. Can you tell us how their tiers work?
They call theirs their SLA. Essentially, the gold tier was from memory 15% of subscription yearly. The platinum was 25%, or something in that range...
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@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@scottalanmiller said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
@jimmy9008 said in Helpdesk/Training Department:
Being able to charge for this means I can build the team faster to improve support. As we get more customers, the number of personnel will need to increase offering support... at cost. Currently, this is met with no charge to customers at all, and were just about able to make the finances work. However, It needs to be monetized to make it sustainable...
Do you think such a way is sensible?
Edited: to explain a little.
It is extremely hard to do in practice. If you really want to do this, the only way that I have seen it work is to offer phone support at one tier, email at another, etc.
Hard, nothing wrong with that. Worthwhile - yes. Worth being hard, yes. If were able to monetize some of the support, that will help financially - a lot actually.
But just to be clear... I mean hard in the "never seen it work, ever" sense. Support and SLAs are very tough things to put together. I can't even picture how it's possible to make it work.
Then, how do other companies stop support services for customers from burning through cash?
Single SLO / SLA level, not tiers that depend on intentionally lowering quality to lower tiers. Have you seen any support company with a model like this? This works for shipping and stuff with hardware, because you use cheaper shipping options to make the tiers. But for support, you can only make this work by ignoring customers to make them "suffer" for not paying for the better service.
A few, such as Bonitasoft, a BPM solution. They offer such a setup. I don't see a single SLO/SLA working - for our typical customer, the free tier will work. Say 70%. For the other 30% or so, I could picture a premium service, if offered, being accepted. If the only option was that service, paid, we would lose 70% of business.
How would the premium work? And don't say SLA, how will the helpdesk behave to make it work?
I could see the phone option like discussed working. For example, if free, you email and that goes in to something like Helpscout, and well respond as and when we can. Typically within a day (although, that information could be internal only). If paid, you get email/Helpscout, but also a phone number to get straight through to us, and a support desk member you've been assigned as a main point of contact, perhaps quarterly reviews to see how we can further help them etc...
That stuff I see work because you are given them solid options that don't require taking something away from other tiers to make it make sense.
