Many desktop phones are available for you to offer to your customers, and more of them are able to be used on multiple platforms. What does this mean to you, as a service provider if your customer is capable of taking their devices with them if they choose to leave?
Chances are, you’re offering UCaaS on a platform like Netsapiens or Asterix, and have a choice of devices you can provide to your customers. Most service providers are not making ends meet through a high markup on the devices themselves, either.
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From Poly to Panasonic, there are a variety of devices that are not dependant upon the provider itself for its functionality (as opposed to a Cisco-branded device, for example). These devices are great as they provide you a way to offer a solution that can meet a competitive price point, with customizable options for you and the customer.
The risk here, of course, if that if the customer purchases these devices outright, or though some kind of financing, they can take these devices to another provider. This means that you should focus your energies on customer retention and satisfaction.
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Retaining customer really revolves around a few key points, so if you can stay ahead of these, your churn rate can be positively impacted.
- Ensure that expectations that were set before installation are fulfilled: broken promises are a leading source of dissatisfaction among customers.
- Follow-up on regular intervals to check on your customer: even a small touchpoint every few months lets the client know that you are interested in a relationship instead of just a recurring payment.
- Become and remain the trusted advisor: it is likely you will offer more products and services than your client initially needs. By being open to advising your customer on all matters even in the vicinity of what they purchased, you can be the one to provide the solution to their needs.
Provider agnostic devices are good for the provider and the customer, but that means you should always remain mindful of customer churn and take preventive steps necessary to reduce it.