MPS Fumbles: The Due Diligence in Maintaining Customer Accounts

It’s that time of year here in the northeast when mornings are cool and kids head back to the classroom. That also means high school football practices and games are well underway. The fundamentals of the sport, you may have noticed, closely mirror competition in the business world—how to block/how to skirt past blockers. Or how to tackle/elude tackles. Offense tries to win accounts. Defense attempts to take business away.

As part of the August State of the Industry (SOI) report on MPS, this week we’re taking a look at account management and client retention. Conversely, our October SOI is ostensibly about taking business away from the competition (capturing net-new is a more PC take on the subject). For now, our “coaching staff” of dealers are sharing the fundamentals of holding on to accounts like a football and not the proverbial loaf of bread.

The borderline obsessive focus on client satisfaction is a distinct character trait for Green Office Partner of Chicago, which funnels much of its energies on ways to become the ideal MPS provider. In fact, OEM partner Xerox has dubbed the dealer’s customers “The GOP Cult” in recognition of the lengths it goes to in ensuring clients are 100% satisfied.

GOP co-owner Chris Gallagher cites three post-sales strategies that keep their accounts coming back:

• Clear and comprehensive onboarding and team calibration to ensure all expectations are set correctly. 
• A dedicated customer service manager is assigned to the client, who is not compensated for additional equipment purchases but rather for the reduced number of service calls via proactive analytics. 
• Larger clients meet with the GOP service team and the customer success manager once a month for a monthly operational meeting” to review service trends and usage reports, and ensure clients know where every penny is being spent.”

“At the end of this meeting, the client ranks GOP on a scale of 1 to 10,” Gallagher noted. “If the answer is not 10, they are asked what changes need to be made. This has been such a game-changer for us.”

Keep in Touch

Constant contact is more than a newsletter delivery tool. The term is a reminder that accounts can be fleeting, and while one may brush it off as being overly simplistic, a vendor is getting its pocket picked by a competitor as you read this. It’s not just a wellness check, as Repeat Business Systems President Dawn Abbuhl observes. Regular meetings are part of the process in maintaining a close relationship, but they’re also opportunities for the Albany, New York, dealer to upsell and become stickier as a provider.

“It provides an opportunity for great communication and being able to address any issues fast, make any changes to accommodate their changing needs and also conversations about other products we can offer,” she said. “This often results in a comprehensive technology focus and partnering with IT, mailing, copiers, software, VoIP, etc.  The ability to provide all of these products result in customers never wanting to leave.”

One of the keys that has enabled Fraser Advanced Information Systems of West Reading, Pennsylvania to boast a strong client retention rate is focusing on building long-term partnerships rooted in trust. DeAnna Phillips, manager of strategic accounts for Fraser, also sees it as a product of ensuring the customer’s technology and infrastructure do not stagnate.

“We’re proactive, always looking for ways to optimize their print environment and future-proof their operations,” she said. “By anticipating their evolving needs and delivering continuous value, we help them stay ahead, and that keeps the relationship strong.”

Taking a proactive account management posture is essential for Pearson-Kelly Technology of Springfield, Missouri. The dealer eschews the “install and forget” practice that can be damaging to any relationship, notes Taylor Wells, director of service and operations.

“Regular business reviews, usage reports, cost analysis, and continuous improvement recommendations keep us aligned with [customers] evolving needs,” Wells said. “Our account managers are empowered to act more like consultants. They build relationships, not just renew contracts. That trust, and the top-tier service our techs consistently deliver is what drives our high retention rate.”