TOMCUS

ERINQUIRIESPractical aDVicE from peers and industry experts on solving critical issues.

Improving response time to customer

inquiries and complaints

7 ADVICEOf PEERPIECES

NOTES FROMTHE FIELD

VOlUME 3

Customers expect fast, effective service all

the time, every time. Often times however,

sales and service professionals have a lot of

difficult challenges and competing priorities

that inhibit their ability to provide exceptional

customer experiences. To achieve success,

employees need the right tools to amplify

their impact and provide a higher return for

their hard work.

CUSTOMER INQUIRIES

Microsoft Dynamics CRM arms companies

with a service and support solution that

improves customer satisfaction and

long-term loyalty while keeping costs low and

under control. With the right combination of

people, processes and technology, companies

can deliver the consistent, fast and efficient

service customers want.

WhAT IS “NOTES fROM ThE fIElD”?

To help organizations with some key issues,

Columbus has asked our customers and industry

experts, “What advice would you give your

peers to improve response times for inquiries

or complaints using Microsoft Dynamics crM?”

Our customers, employees, analysts, consultants

and partners from all over the globe have

provided feedback directly to Columbus or via our

social media channels to give their “Notes from

the Field.” We received hundreds of responses

which were distilled into this document that we

hope you will find useful and interesting.

NOTES FROMTHE FIELD

What advice would you give your peers to improve response times for inquiries or complaints?Q:

“ Companies can institute self-service or a knowledge based library that allows customers to provide self-support. Second tier, personal support can be available as well for issues that cannot be resolved as easily. This model can be a great way to reduce customer support costs.“

CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER, United States

“ Assigning new cases to a queue can be a great way to improve response time. As soon as a service rep finishes one case they can grab the next available case from the queue. Service managers can use reports to monitor response times. “

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, United States

Dashboards listing open

issues allow users to triage

based on priority or age,

ensuring the important

issues are handled first. ANONYMOUS, United States

“ Begin tracking response times in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and then share the reports monthly to hold the CSR’s accountable. It can generate some healthy competition for them to resolve inquiries faster and more efficiently.”

VP OF SERVICES, Denmark

Automated e-mails to the

customer increase accountability

and motivate users to resolve

issues quickly.

SALES MANAGER, United States

Use workflows to kick off reminder

notifications daily or weekly

for the service team members

to check on the status of the

complaint.

SERVICE DIRECTOR, Norway

Sophisticated systems can

connect to phone lines and allow

representatives to record, collect

information and disposition calls

all within one screen. The record

can be escalated or passed to

another level of support if needed

and metrics can be recorded.

IT MANAGER, United Kingdom

Columbus is widely recognized as a global leader in maximizing efficiency and business performance. With deep industry expertise we know how to make our clients more successful by adapting and implementing proven Microsoft-based solution sets for immediate business impact.

By upgrading to a Columbus end-to-end business application you will gain real time access to accurate business details and full control over every aspect of your operation, so you can adjust to changing business environments.

Our proven SureStep+ process and unique solution sets ensure a faster and less expensive implementation of truly flexible and future-safe ERP, CRM, BI and related business applications that deliver competitive advantage. By clearly scoping projects and phases Columbus enables clients to grow continually adapting their solutions to realize value and justify the technology investment.

TEChNOLOGY SOLUTIONSMicrosoft Dynamics CRM

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Microsoft Dynamics GP

Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Business Intelligence

SharePoint and Development Services

Columbus Advanced Discrete Manufacturing Solutions

Columbus Business Integration Solutions

Columbus rapidValue

Columbus Supply Chain Solutions

Columbus food and Beverage Solutions

Columbus Add-On Modules for Microsoft Dynamics AX

HOW CAN COLUMBUS HELP?

We can help you streamline processes to optimize your business performance in a

professional and pragmatic way. By upgrading to a Columbus end-to-end business

application you will gain real time access to accurate business details and full

control over every aspect of your operation, so you can adjust to changing

business environments.

POwER YOUR SERVICE PRODUCTIVITYMicrosoft Dynamics CRM arms your staff with a service and support solution that combines productivity with ease of use. Take advantage of case management, workflows, dashboards and knowledge management to deliver consistent, fast and efficient service. Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides a comprehensive customer service solution that is familiar to users, completely customizable, and can scale to meet enterprise demands.

CAPAbILITIES

MICROSOFT DyNAMICS CRM

MANAGE EVERY ASPECT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

STREAMLINE SUPPORT PROCESSES

ENABLE PEOPLE TO HELP THEMSELVES

• Create, assign and manage cases from initial contact through resolution.

• Manage service level agreements, refine business processes and bill customers accurately.

• Manage service appointments and resources across service sites and locations.

• Add, change and manage contact information with bulk data and duplicate detection tools.

• Optimize service handling and resource utilization with Microsoft Lync integration.

TURN INFORMATION INTO KNOWLEDGE

• Accurately measure performance with historical and predictive analytics.

• Identify opportunities for service improvement.

• Create new revenue opportunities with comprehensive customer information.

• Automate service processes through workflows.

• Assign, route and escalate cases with streamlined processes to resolve issues quickly and accurately.

• Foster consistent execution with automatic creation and assignment of activities.

• Provide customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Increase customer loyalty by enabling people to access information and services the way they want.

• Control costs with a self-service solution that is quick to deploy, easy to manage and seamlessly integrated.

Boost service effectiveness,

drive efficiency and engage

with precision.

A big tHaNK YOU to everyone who has contributed to the Notes from the Field including:

Brian Dewulf. richard riddle, lori McKienzie, lauren radlick, leah liinangi, chris Green, Devan andrzejewski, Jennifer Mislinski, Bill anderson, Ellen Hoefste, Vince lopiccola, thomas Hauge.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?For more information on Columbus, including case studies, videos and white-papers, visitwww.columbusglobal.com/us

The Columbus CRM Notes From The Field Series:

Volume 1Increasing Sales

Volume 2Marketing Visibility

Volume 3Customer Inquiries

Volume 4Automating Processes

For more information on Columbus, our clients’ experiences and our solutions, please visit www.columbusglobal.com

’Columbus’ is a part of the registered trademark ‘Columbus IT’

ABOUT COlUMBUS:

Columbus is the preferred business partner for ambitious companies worldwide.

We exceed 20 years of experience and 6,000 successful implementations, and we’re

proud to offer our customers solid industry know-how, high performance solutions

and global reach.