Exactive is an IT communication services provider in the UK specializing in offering Enterprise Voice, Skype for Business, Microsoft Exchange, and video conferencing technology for mid-market and enterprise businesses.
Business Challenge
Exactive was looking at ways to optimize customer service by making it easier for clients to use their services while also providing accurate information as soon as possible. The main idea was to increase the number of resolved service requests within the first contact. Exactive also needed to complete visibility into how CSRs managed service requests and how long it usually took to resolve an issue.
Hosting an online knowledge base for answering common questions from customers was another top priority for the company. At the time, Exactive was having trouble handling customer service requests, which resulted in significant delays in resolving these issues. All of these problems resulted in higher process costs and more customer grievances. Exactive decided to reach out to De Facto Infotech to find an immediate solution.
Technology Solution
De Facto Infotech created a self-service portal for customers by using Dynamics 2015 to optimize customer service for Exactive. Team members at De Facto studied the situation at Exactive to understand the challenges the company faced while also discussing a design prototype for creating a custom self-service portal.
De Facto made it possible for Exactive to successfully merge the client database into their customer service portal, making it possible to collect all of this data in one location. This portal was designed and created in only six weeks, which surpassed Exactive’s expectations.
Benefits of Using a Customer Portal for Microsoft Dynamics CRM
De Facto Infotech developed a unique customer portal for using Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which enabled Exactive to provide portable capabilities for each of their clients while efficiently managing and tracking interactions. The customer portal works seamlessly with each deployment model, such as on-premise, partner-hosted, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.
The implementation of the portal made it possible for clients to create help desk tickets. Once a ticket is created, it immediately notifies the CRM admin that a new case is available. Before posting a ticket, a customer can review the knowledge base to see if they can resolve their problem or if they need to reach out to customer service. Each client can also choose a priority level to determine the level of importance. Customer service will review these cases, as clients can upload documents to further assist in finding a solution to a problem.
Key Features of the Customer Portal
• Easy navigation for administrators and clients
• Customers can use several channels to raise a request
• Administrators can quickly track new and closed requests
• Users can create profiles within the portal to communicate with Exactive
• Easy for users to opt-out of the periodic newsletter once the case is resolved
• Raised requests are automatically routed to the right support team
• Mobile notifications for a raised request
• Knowledge base simple to use for answering most common client questions
• Customer portal easily integrates with Exactive website
• Feature to include geo-location tools for creating map-view of customer query
• Unique service request numbers eliminate confusion and improve efficiency
• Administrators have greater oversight into customer relations
• Dynamics CRM tracks the status of each service request and provides alerts for escalated requests
• Customers can easily upload photos to make it easier to process service requests
Final Results
Partnering with De Facto made it possible for Exactive to fine-tune and streamline its admin operations. Improving the delivery of services also reduced costs and improved customer satisfaction. Inbound queries were also reduced with the creation of the knowledge base. Ultimately, creating a customer portal made it much easier for clients to access essential information and receive answers to their questions as soon as possible.
