{"id":66085,"date":"2025-08-21T13:45:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T20:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=66085"},"modified":"2025-08-21T13:45:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T20:45:21","slug":"mps-fumbles-the-due-diligence-in-maintaining-customer-accounts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2025\/08\/mps-fumbles-the-due-diligence-in-maintaining-customer-accounts\/","title":{"rendered":"MPS Fumbles: The Due Diligence in Maintaining Customer Accounts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 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\u2014how to block\/how to skirt past blockers. Or how to tackle\/elude tackles. Offense tries to win accounts. Defense attempts to take business away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the August State of the Industry (SOI) report on MPS, this week we\u2019re 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 \u201ccoaching staff\u201d of dealers are sharing the fundamentals of holding on to accounts like a football and not the proverbial loaf of bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Chris Gallagher, GOP<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s customers \u201cThe GOP Cult\u201d in recognition of the lengths it goes to in ensuring clients are 100% satisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GOP co-owner Chris Gallagher cites three post-sales strategies that keep their accounts coming back:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Clear and comprehensive onboarding and team calibration to ensure all expectations are set correctly. <\/li>
  • 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. <\/li>
  • Larger clients meet with the GOP service team and the customer success manager once a month for a monthly operational meeting\u201d to review service trends and usage reports, and ensure clients know where every penny is being spent.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAt the end of this meeting, the client ranks GOP on a scale of 1 to 10,\u201d Gallagher noted. \u201cIf the answer is not 10, they are asked what changes need to be made. This has been such a game-changer for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Keep in Touch<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Dawn Abbuhl, RBS<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    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\u2019s 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\u2019re also opportunities for the Albany, New York, dealer to upsell and become stickier as a provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt 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,\u201d she said. \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    DeAnna Phillips, Fraser<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    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\u2019s technology and infrastructure do not stagnate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe’re proactive, always looking for ways to optimize their print environment and future-proof their operations,\u201d she said. \u201cBy anticipating their evolving needs and delivering continuous value, we help them stay ahead, and that keeps the relationship strong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Taylor Wells, Pearson-Kelly Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Taking a proactive account management posture is essential for Pearson-Kelly Technology of Springfield, Missouri. The dealer eschews the \u201cinstall and forget\u201d practice that can be damaging to any relationship, notes Taylor Wells, director of service and operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cRegular business reviews, usage reports, cost analysis, and continuous improvement recommendations keep us aligned with [customers] evolving needs,\u201d Wells said. \u201cOur 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.\u201d

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It\u2019s 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\u2014how 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\u2019re 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 \u201ccoaching staff\u201d 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\u2019s customers \u201cThe GOP Cult\u201d 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\u201d to review service trends and usage reports, and ensure clients know where every penny is being spent.\u201d \u201cAt the end of this meeting, the client ranks GOP on a scale of 1 to 10,\u201d Gallagher noted. \u201cIf the answer is not 10, they are asked what changes need to be made. This has been such a game-changer for us.\u201d 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\u2019s 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\u2019re also opportunities for the Albany, New York, dealer to upsell and become stickier as a provider. \u201cIt 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,\u201d she said. \u201cThis 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.\u201d 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\u2019s technology and infrastructure do not stagnate. \u201cWe’re proactive, always looking for ways to optimize their print environment and future-proof their operations,\u201d she said. \u201cBy anticipating their evolving needs and delivering continuous value, we help them stay ahead, and that keeps the relationship strong.\u201d Taking a proactive account management posture is essential for Pearson-Kelly Technology of Springfield, Missouri. The dealer eschews the \u201cinstall and forget\u201d practice that can be damaging to any relationship, notes Taylor Wells, director of service and operations. \u201cRegular business reviews, usage reports, cost analysis, and continuous improvement recommendations keep us aligned with [customers] evolving needs,\u201d Wells said. \u201cOur 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":66086,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80,1650,82,1638],"tags":[2738,4403,3654,2258],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66085"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66085"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66085\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66087,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66085\/revisions\/66087"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}