A business without technology. Money that lost you
It may seem that it is rather reckless to write an article on Habr about companies that relate to technologies with distrust, greatly save on them or do not use them at all. In fact, we met such guys even in the field of software development, not to mention related industries and areas far from the IT world. Mail with spam, but free, but a demo version of CRM, tables and text files instead of a client base and a knowledge base and occasionally a small VPS purchased from a hoster simply because it’s fashionable and costs only 120 rubles a month, - here it is, IT small and medium business infrastructure. And sometimes it’s not. It is true: why spend money on not making money? The salesman is earning, but CRM is not, the marketer seems to bring something there, too, and the mail client is not, even the system administrator is bugging, but the help desk for him for internal tickets is some kind of pampering. Is that familiar?
Do you know where myths come from? A group of people has a certain set of knowledge that explains the laws of the world, whether it be nature, society or business. Suddenly, under the influence of some factors, a gap appears in knowledge and versions, speculations and rumors rush into it, like a black hole. Some of them are refuted, and some subside, condense, turn into a judgment, and then into an established myth. Unfortunately, even at the end of the second decade of the 21st century, there is a place for myths in business.
This is what happened with CRM systems in Russia. CRM is a universal automation tool that you just need to use in business, as well as an office suite or email. You just need it by default, otherwise the customer base will be in a mess, the employees will bite because of customers, information security will be reduced to zero. However, almost a couple of decades ago, imported solutions with a complex interface, poor translation, mandatory modifications and an exorbitant price tag were the first to enter the Russian market. Rumor has it that CRM is a luxury, not an automation tool. A little later, 10-15 years ago, the market began to be saturated with Russian developments, which first also drove prices, and then went for dumping and began to offer limited free solutions - so a small business received a signal that there are free solutions for it, and it needs to get into narrow frames provided. The money poured into the marketing of large corporations did the trick.
So what happened, the third is not given? Given, but there is a myth - the cost of the acquisition, implementation and maintenance of CRM / ERP is not available for representatives of small and medium-sized businesses, so squeeze into free frames. Meanwhile, there are affordable solutions on the market with good, even with top-end functionality.
As you can see, you can successfully automate without overpaying to consultants, three-level implementers, and sellers of connectors, plug-ins, and add-ons (well, this is when you need to buy a third-party solution in order for some function to work in CRM or integration).
And in general - the software itself is a cargo cult. We need to focus on staff and process optimization, and use the CRM / ERP system as a tool.
“What ROI?” - the client is interested in the vendor’s manager during a meeting or call. I would like to joke about ROE or clarify if the questioner knows how these three letters are deciphered. An adequate entrepreneur is unlikely to ask such a question in the forehead, because he perfectly understands that in the case of CRM (like any other software), the return on investment should be considered, given two points:
But this does not mean that you need to abandon the change in the return on investment and not evaluate the income taking into account the costs incurred by the company. This measurement is necessary, and then it would not be excruciatingly painful from the calculations, even BEFORE the implementation, decide how and who will work with CRM and what part of the tasks will be automated.
There are two ways to maximize business profits: the first is to earn a lot of money and cover all expenses with interest, the second is to reduce the amount of money that you lose for some reason (for example, because of an unorganized client base or “personal” clients of employees). And there is a third, innovative, - to connect the first and second. This is where automation tools come to the rescue: heads that are free from routine start earning more, and money ceases to flow into unclosed security holes.
This photo shows more automation than some modern companies. Because PC with solitaire is not automation
Have you ever watched a car rust? First, micro-chips of paint and enamel occur, body steel is exposed. Under the influence of moisture and reagents, rust red spots are formed. It's time to clean up this thing, cover with anticorrosive, paint with enamel and polish. But something is not enough, and now small shells and holes form on the body metal. Then the rust gets under the enamel and allows the edges to crumble. Now you can not buy anticorrosive - it is up to the capitalist. If at this stage you score on the problem and start to the maximum, sooner or later the body will sag and one day it will certainly collapse, leaving you on the frame (this is if there is a frame). By the way, with tooth decay the same story. In general, something was observed.
So here. You have a company, it has processes, finances, employees, such a business organism. Gradually, employees realize their steepness, become impudent and begin to solve their problems at the expense of the company: use customers for personal gain, take kickbacks, sell products bypassing accounting, fight for customers. You see the first signs and are afraid to think that this is happening to you, or you are fussing and wasting time on the selection and training of new staff. Meanwhile, since prevention did not work out, it would be better to implement CRM for full control over operational activities (not over employees!). Because further it will be worse and worse until the company abandons bloodless on the brink of survival due to snowball problems. And solving the situation at the end is much more expensive than taking action at the beginning. Well, it's like in a clinic: treatment of young caries - 1200 r. per tooth, treatment of deep caries with restoration - under 15,000 rubles. There is an option to pull it out for 1,500 rubles, but then you need an implant for 46,000 or it’s somehow uncomfortable to walk. In general, hardly anyone wants to lose business due to inadequate control and management of operational activities.
So the sooner you invest in automation, the more effective it will work and will pay off faster. Identify potential risks that may cause losses, and start work on implementation - it’s not scary, it’s profitable.
If you allow employees to leave and often look for new ones, you lose money that goes into searching, adapting, training, and most importantly, to losses while the introduction to the course is taking place, since a new employee has lower efficiency than a trained old one. In addition, a close-knit, well-developed team has higher productivity due to well-established business processes.
Technologies play a significant role in the retention and development of personnel: in the CRM-system a knowledge base is formed and a competent scheme for working with clients is built, communication is formalized on the corporate portal and those communications that are better to be formalized are made, various software makes the work convenient and productive.
Ineffective processes cost the business dearly. If the process is slowed down, goes through with problems or is absent altogether, then it is he - the loss point with which to work. Moreover, the problem can be both in the whole process as a whole (for example, the stages are incorrectly defined and unrealistic deadlines are set), or in an individual person. Poor organization leads to lower productivity and, as a result, lower incomes.
Problems with business processes help solve process automation systems; they are quite expensive and difficult to master, require special managerial and technical knowledge. However, you can choose a CRM system with a process automation module and thereby kill two birds with one stone: set up processes and automate operational work and sales. One of such systems is our RegionSoft CRM , in which processes are configured in a convenient visual editor or with the help of a wizard and are connected with all other entities in the system: clients, tasks, events, etc. During the implementation of CRM, the company inevitably revises business processes and formalizes them, which allows you to quickly succeed even in complex organizational chains (small business does not exclude complex processes).
If you take the package of documents invoice + certificate of completion + invoice, then the manager on the PC will fill them in 15-30 minutes, depending on the number of items of goods, services and works. Ask to form an accountant - even longer. The same goes for invoices, magazines, and so on. documents. In addition, when manually filling out forms, errors are possible, the correction of which will also take time. If the manager does not have access to 1C or the manager does not own this program (which is not uncommon, and not an obligation), the matter takes an even more serious turn.
Along with the primary in the top of “office time eaters” are contracts and business proposals, the preparation of which takes a lot of time.
Therefore, since we went to a CRM processor (universal system) with business processes on board, it is worth choosing a CRM system with support for the formation of primary documentation based on templates. For example, in RegionSoft CRM, starting with the Professional edition, there are forms of all primary documentation, the ability to create templates for contracts, commercial offers, specifications and any other documents used by the company. The formation of printed forms of documents takes place in a couple of clicks, and the printed forms themselves, in addition to printing, can be exported to various popular formats or sent by e-mail without closing the printed form itself. Saving time is colossal! Clients will also appreciate your speed of forming document packages. And speed in business today is a factor in non-price competition and decides a lot.
We did not answer one of the users in the chat on the site of our new project - the cloud help desk ZEDLine Support . He wrote everywhere, including in the comments on Habré. Indeed, today the client is used to almost instant reactions to his attention to your company. And the more he trusts your company and seeks to purchase your product, the more demanding it becomes. In the B2B sphere, speed and punctuality are also a business reputation. Therefore, lost numbers and e-mail, forgotten calls and meetings are inadmissible phenomena in the company. Customers just leave.
Everything is simple here: almost any CRM-system has a notification and reminder mechanism that will not let you forget about a single case. The difference is in the details: for some, the emphasis is shifted towards controlling the working time of employees, while for others, towards collective and personal planning. For example, in the same RegionSoft CRM , both trends are supported: time tracking in managing business processes, and several planners, where the plans of the entire company or the entire department are visible at a glance.
Here it is short - if you do not have collected and relevant information on sales, all marketing decisions are just the speculations of short-sighted specialists. CRM systems provide analytical information to the entire commercial service and guarantee the personification of any impacts and events. Well, bad marketing is bad because it has nothing to do with working with clients and revenue growth.
No one doubts that bookkeeping rules. But there is nothing worse than getting completely addicted to it and asking for the primary, information about payments, sales data, etc. It will be a long time and with a displeased face.
Therefore, CRM is designed to ensure that each manager controls payments, analyzes the profile of purchases, begins to work with receivables even before the general asks for it at a general meeting. Moreover, a properly tuned CRM helps build the most complex KPI mechanisms, and managers predict their future income.
However, not only the CRM system is a technology without which it is difficult for modern business to function. Consider three more common cases.
Companies without a site, unfortunately, are not uncommon. Someone uses the card on Yandex, someone is satisfied with the cards, and someone deliberately leaves the online, desperately sparing money for the site. Of course, this should not be so, if only because the pattern of customer behavior is formed: something was needed - google - read reviews - chose acceptable - talked with the company - bought.
This is what happens if there is no site.
It’s easier to say briefly: without a website, your company will never be taken seriously. Well, or if your story goes back to the days before the war, you will be forced to be satisfied with existing customers and spend huge resources on attracting new ones.
The first situation. If you rummage through the collection of business cards received over the last couple of years, it’s easy to find business cards from company representatives with email addresses at yandex.ru , google.com , mail.ru. At the same time, the site is indicated on the business card.
The second situation. Mail is in the domain, the company works all over the world, but the cockroaches in the head of the head are very economical, and the admin is so-so. Everyone is sitting on a free email client. Technical support, the head of the sales department and the head of the marketing department start the morning with the analysis of letters, because they write a lot. Of 200-400 letters per day, only 10-20 are relevant, the rest is spam, which nevertheless needs to be reviewed so as not to miss an important letter. Bottom line: annoyed employees, slow response to letters, dissatisfied calls and overload support, periodically received viruses. By the way, the story is relevant today, this is not a story from the past.
Well, okay, they like to live like that. Or is the reason deeper than a simple image? Of course, using free email clients, you run the risk.
But, of course, all the reasons to get mail in the domain and use a good commercial email client are nothing compared to the main one - the task of ensuring information security.
Do you know an old joke? “- Dear subscriber, you are welcomed by Phone Sex. Wait for an orgasm ... wait for an orgasm ... wait for an orgasm ... ”The technical support / support of many commercial companies looks something like this: pleasant voices, memorized scripts, runs for managers and no dose of satisfaction.
Meanwhile, technical support (and just support, support, help desk, help, etc.) is a very special unit, which is fundamentally different from commercial service, sales people, and even production / development. Support is a unit that works with a client who has already believed you, bought from you and now wants to ask or get help with your product. That is, in fact, it is already your money. Well, the client has already given money and wants everything to be normal, namely:
That is, the first thing your client wants is to be informed, to be confident in your service. Then he will be ready to make new purchases, pay for additional services and recommend you to his friends.
If the purpose of the CRM system is to bring potential customers to the deal and organize further operational work with the client (the initiative mainly comes from the supplier of goods or services), then helpdesk is processing customer requests (the initiative comes from the client). Correctly delivered work on processing customer requests is a powerful tool to combat dump, i.e. with the process of keeping customers from leaving to your competitors.
At the same time, our experience accumulated shows that the correct concept for a CRM system is a desktop architecture, when all comprehensive information about clients is under your control, and employees who need to access the database work in the office within the local network or remotely through a secure VPN For helpdesk, the task is exactly the opposite: customers generate tickets here, so they should have free access to the system via the Internet from anywhere in the world. This implies the need for cloud-based helpdesk.
A ticket processing system with a client cabinet, preferably integrated with a CRM system, solves the task of processing calls. We developed the cloud help desk ZEDLine Support and now you can work with clients in the RegionSoft CRM + ZEDLine Support complex, but it is itself a self-sufficient and useful software for any company.
In principle, all the problems of companies rest on several basic issues:
To date, there is not a single basic task within the company that automation cannot solve, and its use is not just a management culture, but an urgent need - exactly the same as it once became the need to buy computers in the office. You do not do business with a pen in the general ledger and in the journal of accounting of appeals? So why not make this process fast and productive? Yes, you pay, and a lot - but you get a return. Alas, the growth of income without investment is impossible even on the Field of Miracles in the Country of Fools - there it was necessary to bury four gold ones. Think about it.
The harmful myth of small and medium business
Do you know where myths come from? A group of people has a certain set of knowledge that explains the laws of the world, whether it be nature, society or business. Suddenly, under the influence of some factors, a gap appears in knowledge and versions, speculations and rumors rush into it, like a black hole. Some of them are refuted, and some subside, condense, turn into a judgment, and then into an established myth. Unfortunately, even at the end of the second decade of the 21st century, there is a place for myths in business.
This is what happened with CRM systems in Russia. CRM is a universal automation tool that you just need to use in business, as well as an office suite or email. You just need it by default, otherwise the customer base will be in a mess, the employees will bite because of customers, information security will be reduced to zero. However, almost a couple of decades ago, imported solutions with a complex interface, poor translation, mandatory modifications and an exorbitant price tag were the first to enter the Russian market. Rumor has it that CRM is a luxury, not an automation tool. A little later, 10-15 years ago, the market began to be saturated with Russian developments, which first also drove prices, and then went for dumping and began to offer limited free solutions - so a small business received a signal that there are free solutions for it, and it needs to get into narrow frames provided. The money poured into the marketing of large corporations did the trick.
So what happened, the third is not given? Given, but there is a myth - the cost of the acquisition, implementation and maintenance of CRM / ERP is not available for representatives of small and medium-sized businesses, so squeeze into free frames. Meanwhile, there are affordable solutions on the market with good, even with top-end functionality.
For example, our RegionSoft CRM. Let's calculate with you what the cost of automation on its basis in three scenarios will cost.
Given: 15 users.
Scenario 1. RegionSoft CRM Standard without implementation, training, improvements - a net purchase of perpetual licenses. Amount - 100 900 for 15 licenses, pay once, without monthly fees. On average 6,727 p. per employee - forever. (Under the action, the cost of licenses will be 85,765 rubles.)
Scenario 2. RegionSoft CRM Standard Plus without implementation, training, improvements - a net purchase of perpetual licenses. Amount - 149,800 for 15 licenses, pay once, without monthly fees. On average 9 986 p. per employee - forever. (Under the action, the cost of licenses will be 127,330 rubles.)
Scenario 3 *. RegionSoft CRM Professional Plus with installation and training, 3 hours of work on TK, 3 hours of work on reports, 3 hours of work with external integrations, examination of the company before implementation, TK based on the results, setting up the auto-backup system and creating contract templates and KP according to the model - 289 600 rub once, without a subsequent monthly fee. This is an introduction to a small company with significant vendor participation. (For the action, the amount will be 255,475 rubles.)
* all listed prices are an example and are not a public offer, the final cost depends on the business requirements of a particular organization
For comparison: a modest meal of 15 employees a year in the dining room costs 856,800 rubles.
As you can see, you can successfully automate without overpaying to consultants, three-level implementers, and sellers of connectors, plug-ins, and add-ons (well, this is when you need to buy a third-party solution in order for some function to work in CRM or integration).
And in general - the software itself is a cargo cult. We need to focus on staff and process optimization, and use the CRM / ERP system as a tool.
Software investments are too expensive
“What ROI?” - the client is interested in the vendor’s manager during a meeting or call. I would like to joke about ROE or clarify if the questioner knows how these three letters are deciphered. An adequate entrepreneur is unlikely to ask such a question in the forehead, because he perfectly understands that in the case of CRM (like any other software), the return on investment should be considered, given two points:
- ROI is primarily affected by the company's business processes, which determine the quality of use of any assets: from labor and core to software;
- if CRM is not used (or is absent) in the company, the opportunity cost may be much higher (for investigation of incidents, ensuring information security, reputation protection, staff selection to replace the "leaked").
But this does not mean that you need to abandon the change in the return on investment and not evaluate the income taking into account the costs incurred by the company. This measurement is necessary, and then it would not be excruciatingly painful from the calculations, even BEFORE the implementation, decide how and who will work with CRM and what part of the tasks will be automated.
There are two ways to maximize business profits: the first is to earn a lot of money and cover all expenses with interest, the second is to reduce the amount of money that you lose for some reason (for example, because of an unorganized client base or “personal” clients of employees). And there is a third, innovative, - to connect the first and second. This is where automation tools come to the rescue: heads that are free from routine start earning more, and money ceases to flow into unclosed security holes.
This photo shows more automation than some modern companies. Because PC with solitaire is not automation
Have you ever watched a car rust? First, micro-chips of paint and enamel occur, body steel is exposed. Under the influence of moisture and reagents, rust red spots are formed. It's time to clean up this thing, cover with anticorrosive, paint with enamel and polish. But something is not enough, and now small shells and holes form on the body metal. Then the rust gets under the enamel and allows the edges to crumble. Now you can not buy anticorrosive - it is up to the capitalist. If at this stage you score on the problem and start to the maximum, sooner or later the body will sag and one day it will certainly collapse, leaving you on the frame (this is if there is a frame). By the way, with tooth decay the same story. In general, something was observed.
So here. You have a company, it has processes, finances, employees, such a business organism. Gradually, employees realize their steepness, become impudent and begin to solve their problems at the expense of the company: use customers for personal gain, take kickbacks, sell products bypassing accounting, fight for customers. You see the first signs and are afraid to think that this is happening to you, or you are fussing and wasting time on the selection and training of new staff. Meanwhile, since prevention did not work out, it would be better to implement CRM for full control over operational activities (not over employees!). Because further it will be worse and worse until the company abandons bloodless on the brink of survival due to snowball problems. And solving the situation at the end is much more expensive than taking action at the beginning. Well, it's like in a clinic: treatment of young caries - 1200 r. per tooth, treatment of deep caries with restoration - under 15,000 rubles. There is an option to pull it out for 1,500 rubles, but then you need an implant for 46,000 or it’s somehow uncomfortable to walk. In general, hardly anyone wants to lose business due to inadequate control and management of operational activities.
So the sooner you invest in automation, the more effective it will work and will pay off faster. Identify potential risks that may cause losses, and start work on implementation - it’s not scary, it’s profitable.
Where to look, where to look for gaps for money leakage?
Employees are expensive
If you allow employees to leave and often look for new ones, you lose money that goes into searching, adapting, training, and most importantly, to losses while the introduction to the course is taking place, since a new employee has lower efficiency than a trained old one. In addition, a close-knit, well-developed team has higher productivity due to well-established business processes.
Technologies play a significant role in the retention and development of personnel: in the CRM-system a knowledge base is formed and a competent scheme for working with clients is built, communication is formalized on the corporate portal and those communications that are better to be formalized are made, various software makes the work convenient and productive.
Processes in chaos
Ineffective processes cost the business dearly. If the process is slowed down, goes through with problems or is absent altogether, then it is he - the loss point with which to work. Moreover, the problem can be both in the whole process as a whole (for example, the stages are incorrectly defined and unrealistic deadlines are set), or in an individual person. Poor organization leads to lower productivity and, as a result, lower incomes.
Problems with business processes help solve process automation systems; they are quite expensive and difficult to master, require special managerial and technical knowledge. However, you can choose a CRM system with a process automation module and thereby kill two birds with one stone: set up processes and automate operational work and sales. One of such systems is our RegionSoft CRM , in which processes are configured in a convenient visual editor or with the help of a wizard and are connected with all other entities in the system: clients, tasks, events, etc. During the implementation of CRM, the company inevitably revises business processes and formalizes them, which allows you to quickly succeed even in complex organizational chains (small business does not exclude complex processes).
The long road of documents
If you take the package of documents invoice + certificate of completion + invoice, then the manager on the PC will fill them in 15-30 minutes, depending on the number of items of goods, services and works. Ask to form an accountant - even longer. The same goes for invoices, magazines, and so on. documents. In addition, when manually filling out forms, errors are possible, the correction of which will also take time. If the manager does not have access to 1C or the manager does not own this program (which is not uncommon, and not an obligation), the matter takes an even more serious turn.
Along with the primary in the top of “office time eaters” are contracts and business proposals, the preparation of which takes a lot of time.
Therefore, since we went to a CRM processor (universal system) with business processes on board, it is worth choosing a CRM system with support for the formation of primary documentation based on templates. For example, in RegionSoft CRM, starting with the Professional edition, there are forms of all primary documentation, the ability to create templates for contracts, commercial offers, specifications and any other documents used by the company. The formation of printed forms of documents takes place in a couple of clicks, and the printed forms themselves, in addition to printing, can be exported to various popular formats or sent by e-mail without closing the printed form itself. Saving time is colossal! Clients will also appreciate your speed of forming document packages. And speed in business today is a factor in non-price competition and decides a lot.
Customers - Abandoned and Forgotten
We did not answer one of the users in the chat on the site of our new project - the cloud help desk ZEDLine Support . He wrote everywhere, including in the comments on Habré. Indeed, today the client is used to almost instant reactions to his attention to your company. And the more he trusts your company and seeks to purchase your product, the more demanding it becomes. In the B2B sphere, speed and punctuality are also a business reputation. Therefore, lost numbers and e-mail, forgotten calls and meetings are inadmissible phenomena in the company. Customers just leave.
Everything is simple here: almost any CRM-system has a notification and reminder mechanism that will not let you forget about a single case. The difference is in the details: for some, the emphasis is shifted towards controlling the working time of employees, while for others, towards collective and personal planning. For example, in the same RegionSoft CRM , both trends are supported: time tracking in managing business processes, and several planners, where the plans of the entire company or the entire department are visible at a glance.
Marketing without analytics - money down the drain
Here it is short - if you do not have collected and relevant information on sales, all marketing decisions are just the speculations of short-sighted specialists. CRM systems provide analytical information to the entire commercial service and guarantee the personification of any impacts and events. Well, bad marketing is bad because it has nothing to do with working with clients and revenue growth.
Accountant rules a ball where you are an unloved stepdaughter
No one doubts that bookkeeping rules. But there is nothing worse than getting completely addicted to it and asking for the primary, information about payments, sales data, etc. It will be a long time and with a displeased face.
Therefore, CRM is designed to ensure that each manager controls payments, analyzes the profile of purchases, begins to work with receivables even before the general asks for it at a general meeting. Moreover, a properly tuned CRM helps build the most complex KPI mechanisms, and managers predict their future income.
Not a single CRM
However, not only the CRM system is a technology without which it is difficult for modern business to function. Consider three more common cases.
Life without a site
Companies without a site, unfortunately, are not uncommon. Someone uses the card on Yandex, someone is satisfied with the cards, and someone deliberately leaves the online, desperately sparing money for the site. Of course, this should not be so, if only because the pattern of customer behavior is formed: something was needed - google - read reviews - chose acceptable - talked with the company - bought.
This is what happens if there is no site.
- You do not control information about your company and allow you to form an opinion based on reviews and individual references.
- You do not have access to a large number of online sales channels and customer acquisition.
- You are not visible in the search engines, which means that the probability of being the selected client is melting.
- If you use aggregators, catalogs, analytical sites, or even Yandex tools instead of a site, you provide information about yourself in strict accordance with company policies. In addition, the methods for delivering content are also different and it is possible that some catalog will start taking money for you for the right to place a phone or e-mail.
- If your company is a card in a catalog or on cards, this is not a company, this is just another fragment of the catalog. There is no person, no.
- You do not get a huge layer of critical analytics.
It’s easier to say briefly: without a website, your company will never be taken seriously. Well, or if your story goes back to the days before the war, you will be forced to be satisfied with existing customers and spend huge resources on attracting new ones.
Mail for free - grief in the office
The first situation. If you rummage through the collection of business cards received over the last couple of years, it’s easy to find business cards from company representatives with email addresses at yandex.ru , google.com , mail.ru. At the same time, the site is indicated on the business card.
The second situation. Mail is in the domain, the company works all over the world, but the cockroaches in the head of the head are very economical, and the admin is so-so. Everyone is sitting on a free email client. Technical support, the head of the sales department and the head of the marketing department start the morning with the analysis of letters, because they write a lot. Of 200-400 letters per day, only 10-20 are relevant, the rest is spam, which nevertheless needs to be reviewed so as not to miss an important letter. Bottom line: annoyed employees, slow response to letters, dissatisfied calls and overload support, periodically received viruses. By the way, the story is relevant today, this is not a story from the past.
Well, okay, they like to live like that. Or is the reason deeper than a simple image? Of course, using free email clients, you run the risk.
- The first and smallest nuisance - your addresses will soon fall into all spam databases in the world. And you need to get used to the huge stream of spam.
- Periodically, database leaks of addresses of all major providers occur. If your address falls into the hands of hackers or the hands of scammers, spam will be sent from him already, and this is an insignificant e-mail in terms of reputation, which can also get into stop lists.
- A free email client is unlikely to provide you with technical support, and in case of problems with the availability of corporate mailboxes, you will face serious consequences.
- The marketing capabilities of such addresses are extremely limited. The domain in the mail address is, besides everything else, also an additional “touch” of your brand, a trust touch!
But, of course, all the reasons to get mail in the domain and use a good commercial email client are nothing compared to the main one - the task of ensuring information security.
Technical support by phone or mail - a black box for the client and for you
Do you know an old joke? “- Dear subscriber, you are welcomed by Phone Sex. Wait for an orgasm ... wait for an orgasm ... wait for an orgasm ... ”The technical support / support of many commercial companies looks something like this: pleasant voices, memorized scripts, runs for managers and no dose of satisfaction.
Meanwhile, technical support (and just support, support, help desk, help, etc.) is a very special unit, which is fundamentally different from commercial service, sales people, and even production / development. Support is a unit that works with a client who has already believed you, bought from you and now wants to ask or get help with your product. That is, in fact, it is already your money. Well, the client has already given money and wants everything to be normal, namely:
- know the deadlines for accepting an application for work
- know the progress of the application and its current status
- know who is involved in resolving the issue
- add some new or pop-up information in the memory
- get a good result.
That is, the first thing your client wants is to be informed, to be confident in your service. Then he will be ready to make new purchases, pay for additional services and recommend you to his friends.
If the purpose of the CRM system is to bring potential customers to the deal and organize further operational work with the client (the initiative mainly comes from the supplier of goods or services), then helpdesk is processing customer requests (the initiative comes from the client). Correctly delivered work on processing customer requests is a powerful tool to combat dump, i.e. with the process of keeping customers from leaving to your competitors.
At the same time, our experience accumulated shows that the correct concept for a CRM system is a desktop architecture, when all comprehensive information about clients is under your control, and employees who need to access the database work in the office within the local network or remotely through a secure VPN For helpdesk, the task is exactly the opposite: customers generate tickets here, so they should have free access to the system via the Internet from anywhere in the world. This implies the need for cloud-based helpdesk.
A ticket processing system with a client cabinet, preferably integrated with a CRM system, solves the task of processing calls. We developed the cloud help desk ZEDLine Support and now you can work with clients in the RegionSoft CRM + ZEDLine Support complex, but it is itself a self-sufficient and useful software for any company.
In principle, all the problems of companies rest on several basic issues:
- security management
- product management
- personnel Management
- project management
- customer relationship management.
To date, there is not a single basic task within the company that automation cannot solve, and its use is not just a management culture, but an urgent need - exactly the same as it once became the need to buy computers in the office. You do not do business with a pen in the general ledger and in the journal of accounting of appeals? So why not make this process fast and productive? Yes, you pay, and a lot - but you get a return. Alas, the growth of income without investment is impossible even on the Field of Miracles in the Country of Fools - there it was necessary to bury four gold ones. Think about it.
Our arsenal for comprehensive business automation:
RegionSoft CRM - a powerful desktop CRM system for small and medium-sized businesses
ZEDLine Support - cloud helpdesk with a simple interface and high speed
Write, call, contact - we automate to the teeth! :-)
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