CRM software solutions

Service management and resolving cases involved the logging of issues that customers experience during the business operation. It requires certain measures to be taken in order to resolve issues, and then for it to be archived within each customer's records. Microsoft CRM handles two types of service related activities: one that has an ongoing service and support contract, and the other without contractual terms.

What are Services (Cases)?

A service can usually be defined as a support call from a customer relating to the technical issues or an onsite visit to the customer's location. The services are usually billed per incident basis although in some cases it can be complementary as part of an after-sales service under contract terms.

At any event, the focus is on the ability of 'tracking issues', 'issue logging' and 'assigning issues' to the right personnel or department for resolution. Therefore, issues turn into CASES

In Microsoft CRM, a service is interchangeably referred to as CASES.

What is a Contract in Microsoft CRM?

The Contract in Microsoft CRM includes a service level agreement (SLA), details of the post-sale services, and the set number of prepaid hours in return for onsite/offsite services. In the CRM, users can also assign a different status to contracts; for example, a contract can be classified as cancelled, expired, or on hold.

Users have the option to create customized contracts, or to use predefined contract templates already available in Microsoft CRM.

Using Contracts for Support Services

Within the Microsoft CRM, users can interconnect a particular contract with its corresponding customer. This contract can include information such as billing cycle, rates, contract start date, and more.

When a contract customer calls for support, the users can log into Microsoft CRM under the customer account information and attach notes on the specific issues regarding that particular customer.

Maintaining Service and Support Hours

Based on the contract terms, the service calls are tracked and the specified time units are deducted from the total allowance of contract hours as they are used up. When the contact hours for the support approaches near depletion, Microsoft CRM can flag the customer and send an automatic renewal notice as well as inform the CRM user about the forthcoming renewal.

Handling customers with no contracts

Similarly, Microsoft CRM can provide the same convenience for support and services to other customers with no service contracts. For example, an invoice request can be generated upon completion of a service call.

What managers want to see

Just as any good CRM should provide, the customer service managers can use Microsoft CRM software as a solution to improve the service substantially.

They can log into CRM to review items like 'open customer issues', 'closed issues', and 'service calendar' of the people assigned for onsite support, or pending customer complaints.

Microsoft CRM allows the managers with the ability to retrieve valuable information regarding the customer service department. Undoubtedly, this is a highly effective way to manage the customer service department.