Autotask's New Survey Technology Delivers First Ongoing Industry Benchmarking Standards For IT Service Satisfaction
Embedded Tools Also Provide Unparalleled Ability to Automatically Deliver Custom Surveys and Capture Results Directly Inside Autotask
Autotask Corporation recently announced a breakthrough technology within its IT Business Management platform that allows IT Solution Providers to obtain real-time client feedback on staff performance, and anonymously compare that feedback to thousands of peers based on continuously-updated industry data. Currently deployed to more than 30,000 users through the Autotask cloud, the new technology is available to IT solution providers in the 43 countries currently served by Autotask around the globe.
Autotask's new release includes a number of standardized, opt-in customer satisfaction surveys that can be deployed by service providers within the Autotask cloud. The survey results are then aggregated to deliver the most current and accurate customer satisfaction performance benchmarks available today. Service providers can also create custom surveys that can be automatically delivered by email to selected clients based on a wide range of workflow options. The survey results are then privately stored on each client's account details in Autotask, allowing sales, operations or technical staff to easily reference and use the data to improve individual client service levels.
"We're now using the survey feature to gather information after every support ticket has been created," says Paul Tomlinson managing director of Mirus IT Solutions, a UK IT service company that already took advantage of the new technology. "Previously, we only issued surveys on critical tickets and had to pay a third-party provider to deliver the survey. Now, with survey technology embedded into Autotask we find it much easier to control and it gives our customers a much more professional feel when completing the surveys. The feedback we're receiving is allowing us to target ‘soft-skill' training to the right technical staff, insuring the support experience for our customers is second to none."
Customer Rankings Automatically Generated and Displayed at Account Level
With the embedded survey functionality integrated into the Autotask platform, the technology stores the results of each survey in an archive that is accessible directly from individual service tickets that may have triggered the survey, from the account screen of an individual survey participant, or from the survey tool area inside the Admin section of Autotask.
Uniquely, the technology also automatically aggregates the results of all ranking-type questions from all surveys for a given client and updates that client's "customer service ranking" score on a visual indicator on the main account detail screen. The indicator is based on a standard 5-Star ranking system.
"The customer ranking indicator allows our sales team to quickly review their key accounts and understand how the customer feels about the support we're delivering," Tomlinson continues. "Since the results roll-up for a number of employees within the customer's business it gives us a much better feel for the support experience they are receiving."
HTML Survey Creation, Workflow Automation, Built-in Reporting
The new technology allows users to select from a wide array of response types, including free-form, multiple choice, yes-no, or 1-5 ranking and create their own survey templates. The surveys themselves and personalized survey cover letters can be formatted using the built-in HTML editor.
Once survey and cover letter templates have been built, solution providers can jump into the powerful Autotask Workflow Automation Engine to establish rules for which customers get what surveys and when.
"Seeking regular feedback from our customer base on individual calls that are completed allows us to become much more targeted and deal with small slips in service quickly ensuring we stick to our 99 percent customer retention rate," says Tomlinson.
First "True and Accurate" Service-Level Industry Benchmarking Now Possible
Because all Autotask customers are operating their businesses virtually through a common hosted platform, Autotask Corporation is uniquely positioned to aggregate survey results across its network, allowing individual service providers to anonymously compare their results to those of their peers across a variety of service metrics.
This is accomplished through voluntary opt-in participation. Each Autotask system includes a set of standardized surveys that are common to all users. Service providers who want to participate simply set up their systems to send the selected standard surveys to their customers. Only those who opt in to issue the surveys will have access to the anonymous aggregated results. All individual survey results remain private.
"This is just the beginning of Autotask leveraging our unique asset – the world's largest community of service providers using a common hosted IT business management platform," said Bob Godgart, Autotask CEO. "As we continue to evolve our technologies, we will be rolling out more ways to enable peer-to-peer collaboration and communication through Autotask."
New Technology Included with Autotask Pro, Available as Add-on for Autotask Go!
The new surveys and benchmarking technology represents a major upgrade to Autotask Pro that is being added to the base platform with no additional fees or charges. The technology is also available as an optional add-on to the entry-level Autotask Go! offering. Autotask Go! customers who purchased prior to Nov. 1, 2010 have free access to the technology as a reward for their loyalty.
About Autotask Corporation
Autotask Corporation provides the world's leading hosted IT Business Management software built specifically for VARs, MSPs, and other technology solution providers to help them run their businesses better. The company's product line includes the Autotask Professional Services Automation (PSA) software, and the VARStreet family of advanced quoting and e-Commerce tools. All products work together seamlessly, and are available on demand to help IT solution providers to sell, implement, deliver and bill their technology products & services, visit http://www.autotask.com
SOURCE: Autotask Corporation