Liz Balmer, Author at Perficient Blogs https://blogs.perficient.com/author/lbalmer/ Expert Digital Insights Thu, 12 Apr 2018 19:04:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://blogs.perficient.com/files/favicon-194x194-1-150x150.png Liz Balmer, Author at Perficient Blogs https://blogs.perficient.com/author/lbalmer/ 32 32 30508587 Enable Your Workforce to Deliver Smarter, Faster Service https://blogs.perficient.com/2017/08/02/enable-your-workforce-to-deliver-smarter-faster-service/ https://blogs.perficient.com/2017/08/02/enable-your-workforce-to-deliver-smarter-faster-service/#respond Wed, 02 Aug 2017 13:00:02 +0000 http://blogs.perficient.com/salesforce/?p=11430

Customer service is no longer just about providing an answer to a customer problem. It is now about enabling customers to obtain answers on their own, communicating suggestions and requests, and feeling like they have personalized service from their CS agent. Employees within organizations have the same expectations and organizations are transforming their service delivery to treat employees just like their best customers. Existing help desk solutions often times include cumbersome processes, antiquated solutions that are outdated, and long cycle through overly complex approvals. As organizations look to improve their internal processes with personalized employee support, they’ve looked to Salesforce and Samanage for a best-in-breed solution. Salesforce is the #1 CRM platform and Samanage takes all things that are great with Service and Community Clouds and expands it to support ITIL methodology and IT Service Management (ITSM).

Samanage is a cloud-based IT service desk and asset management solution that helps organizations manage their computer assets and respond quickly and efficiently to internal service requests. It is built on the foundation of Service Cloud and provides a user friendly agent console with access to key information such as service requests, incidents, problems, and automated SLA tracking. Employees can easily access:

  • ticket information – to see status updates and actions
  • request for service – to easily submit requests on an employee portal (built on Employee Community Cloud)
  • View work responsibilities – to ensure actions are taken at appropriate times

All users are able to access their information, respond to tasks, and view information from their mobile device with the Salesforce1 mobile app. The diagram below provides a solution overview of Samanage built on the Salesforce platform.

In 2017, Perficient embarked on a partnership with Samanage.  As an implementation leader in the Service and Community Cloud space, we have helped many B2B and B2C organizations build solutions that maximize the Salesforce platform to support their customer’s business needs. Perficient has focused on not just supporting business processes, but also ensuring the user experience is seamless and intuitive. The decision to partner with Samanage was an easy one since Perficient can leverage its extensive knowledge of customer service as a base with technical breadth to provide internal support. Our expertise in Service Cloud and Community Cloud allows for easy installation of Samanage and configuration of the tool to support ITSM. The perfect equation to implementing faster, providing VIP service, and procuring information to employees easily is the partnership between Salesforce, Samanage and Perficient.

It’s no longer JUST about customer service – it’s about enabling your entire workforce to deliver faster, smarter, with more personalized service.”

Interested in learning more about Samanage or how to get help for your organization?  Contact us!

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6 Tips to Make Zendesk to Service Cloud Migrations Easier https://blogs.perficient.com/2016/12/16/6-tips-to-make-zendesk-to-service-cloud-migrations-easier/ https://blogs.perficient.com/2016/12/16/6-tips-to-make-zendesk-to-service-cloud-migrations-easier/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2016 01:26:23 +0000 http://blogs.perficient.com/salesforce/?p=10714

Migrating from one technology to another always has its unique challenges, and migrating from Zendesk to Service Cloud is no exception. However, we’ve done a migration or two (more like 10 or more) and consistently get the same migration questions from clients. In case you missed it, we’ve already covered ten reasons why we see customers move off Zendesk and five primary benefits of moving to Service Cloud, so we thought we would round out this blog series by sharing some well-worn best practices to support your potential transition to Salesforce.

Be open to process changes – Zendesk provides a number of out-of-the-box support processes that are hard to avoid, and thus replicating them without due consideration can be disastrous. One area to avoid is trying to replicate Macros that were created in Zendesk. Since Zendesk typically is optimized for smaller support teams and may not be scalable for a growing service organization, do not try to recreate similar workflows in Salesforce just because agents are comfortable with it. Rather, take advantage of Salesforce’s native features built on industry best practices for maximizing agent productivity and running large, enterprise organizations.

Utilize native Salesforce – Leverage Service Cloud features that are straight out-of-the-box features such as case management workflows, quick actions, formula fields, and native functionality to support your business processes. Only use custom code for things that native and AppeExchange products cannot satisfy.

Do what is best for the process – Let the business processes and agent workflows drive requirements and system design by involving your agents early in the requirements gathering process. Expose them to Service Cloud demos as you build the system and collect feedback to increase system ownership, buy-in, and acceptance of change. This will inevitably result in improved user adoption post-implementation.

Data migration can be complex – Data extraction can be difficult and often a slow and arduous process. Substantial time will be needed by clients to convert and map data to its future state so it can be imported into Salesforce. Start the data migration planning early executing tasks like obtaining extracts as soon as possible to avoid hiccups down the road that may delay the final rollout of Service Cloud. It is recommended to migrate only data that will truly be used by agents in Salesforce.  This includes open cases, contacts, and accounts. Then you can leverage a separate database for archiving things like old knowledge articles. Also, if possible, avoid migrating attachments to be conservative with file storage in Salesforce.

Knowledge article migrations can be tricky – Knowledge articles are often an essential part of a Service Cloud transition and they can be fraught with complex problems.  Articles with internal links, embedded images or help videos can be particularly difficult to quickly migrate. Depending on the size of images and videos, clients may want to secure a public server or repository to store these files. Clients should reserve time to validate each knowledge article prior to publishing since automated conversions will not fix all links or formatting, and agents or knowledge managers will be required to manually adjust articles.

Reporting on day one – Consider your reporting needs when migrating to Salesforce for go live.  By looking at customer service metrics you will identify key processes and information needed in Salesforce versus recreating information from Zendesk which may no longer match the solution or future state operating processes.

While the above migration best practices should get you started preparing  service agents, the technology environment, and the eventual service output and reporting for a successful rollout, don’t miss out on our Zendesk to Service Cloud webinar on Monday. While Zendesk migrations are tricky and difficult, the added attention and focus up-front from key stakeholders and IT can make all the difference with your Service Cloud implementation! By investing the time up-front and making key decisions on data, knowledge, processes, and leveraging native Salesforce functionality, your team can accelerate time to value for your new customer service solution.

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10 Reasons Why Companies Move from Zendesk to Service Cloud https://blogs.perficient.com/2016/12/15/10-reasons-why-companies-move-from-zendesk-to-service-cloud/ https://blogs.perficient.com/2016/12/15/10-reasons-why-companies-move-from-zendesk-to-service-cloud/#respond Thu, 15 Dec 2016 20:00:33 +0000 http://blogs.perficient.com/salesforce/?p=10710

Having worked on a number of Zendesk to Salesforce Service Cloud migrations to date, we see a core set of common themes around why customers choose to migrate to Salesforce.  As such, we wanted to share the typical profiles or personas and trends for companies (from an organization and system perspective) moving off of Zendesk and as they make the transition to Salesforce.

Modern Service Organizational Trends

#1 Product diversification

Zendesk is a great solution for emerging, small and medium business, and having worked on similar transitions, we see many instances where moving to Salesforce is a priority based on a larger product base which needs more and varied support processes. Clients that begin selling products who venture into providing services or partner relationships require more complex processes to support their business.

#2 Expansion of industry segments

Similar to moving from being a single to multi-product company, we see organizations that move into varied industries needing increased flexibility when managing support cases.  Often moving from a classic retail industry into a specialized industry like entertainment causes an increased complexity among service teams who also need to be focused on specific areas to ensure realistic organizational support.

#3 Global expansion

Another obvious area of complexity comes from moving the business out of a native territory and entering the global market.  We have found many of our clients started small, but blossomed quickly into an national or even global business.  Leveraging Salesforce allows for an easier approach to rolling out their business globally encompassing regulatory needs, differing languages, and other geographical differences, but still having the ability to manage everything homogeneously within Salesforce.

#4 Evolving customer segments

Another area, which is similar to the multi-industry model, is when a company attempts to serve other segments.  Within a single segment, a tool like Zendesk works well, however as you need to respond to new customer segments the flexibility of Salesforce becomes critical.

#5 Diversification 

As your company direction changes (industries, segments, and geography), the platform should grow with you and support infrastructure growth and change.  Salesforce is a great tool to scale from a small support team to a call center with hundreds of agents.

#6 Need to scale

Salesforce is often brought in because more automation and integration is required across disparate, but essential business systems. Prior to this automation, the company needed more agents to move data regularly from system to system which is both labor-intensive and not cost-effective. Once the company joins their ERP, marketing automation, sales automation, and service systems together on the Salesforce platform, they can reap the benefits without the unnecessary overhead.

#7 Customer satisfaction demands

Salesforce is exceptional at making your current workforce more effective and efficient by providing a truly omnichannel approach to service. It combines features like Live Agent, Knowledge Management, Leads and Chatter into a single, powerful tool. Service managers have a true one-stop-shop for each of their support requests and can leverage Salesforce’s flexibility to provide the best support possible and keep the number of agents required to a manageable level.

Customer Service Technology Trends

#8 System complexities

The move to a larger market and different locales, also may mean a change to how you are selling your products and what you sell in specific regions or industries.  We have seen many customers vary their SKU’s to match a specific geography and this level of complexity can be managed through Sales Cloud and Salesforce CPQ with ease. That said, the support to that new set of needs can be applied using a similar approach, but leveraging a flexible solution with a streamlined user experience. Coupling this with variances around currency and language requirements means that you need to seamlessly cross borders while providing a single set of reports for executive management. By migratomg from Zendesk to Salesforce, you will be building on a platform and reducing unnecessary integrations.  Also, leveraging the AppExchange will allow businesses to quickly implement specific tools such as marketing automation, CPQ, customer satisfaction surveys, and many more.

#9 Integration and customization 

As noted in the first blog, Sales Cloud and Service Cloud combine into a powerful tool which provides a 360-degree view of the customer. Leveraging both for companies that are growing, increasingly has not become important but is now essential.  Knowing your customers’ needs while supporting future sales is highly important regardless of your industry, segment, or geography. Salesforce puts the customer at the heart of your company’s market approach and both they and your company benefit from the outcome.

#10 Fragmented customer experience

In the Age of the Customer, consumers have come to expect omnichannel engagement and end-to-end journey support. As the customer service technology landscape continues to evolve, one of the biggest advantages of having a single CRM platform like Salesforce is the ability to bring new functionality into the mix, like self-service through Community Cloud, Live Agent, or Field Service Lightning that delivers a seamless experience across all these new channels.

As companies grow, we see many of the areas listed above as undeniable impacts and inevitable decision points to select the best service platform that provides the most accessibility, functionality, and flexibility to run a growing business. Companies will need to heavily consider the benefits of transitioning to Salesforce and away from siloed solution, to manage their emerging business. Don’t forget to register for our webinar with Salesforce to learn more!

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Understanding the Benefits: Moving from Zendesk to Service Cloud https://blogs.perficient.com/2016/12/15/understanding-the-benefits-moving-from-zendesk-to-service-cloud/ https://blogs.perficient.com/2016/12/15/understanding-the-benefits-moving-from-zendesk-to-service-cloud/#respond Thu, 15 Dec 2016 18:37:57 +0000 http://blogs.perficient.com/salesforce/?p=10707

“Everything changes, nothing remains without change.” – Buddha

Implementing Salesforce Service Cloud will set the foundation to potentially have all your sales and service teams on one standard, reliable platform.  The benefits of Salesforce Service Cloud on its own are numerous and have been discussed at length in various other blogs or white papers.  Let’s recap those benefits and also add a few more specifically for those who are thinking about, or currently migrating to Salesforce from a standalone support ticketing solution like Zendesk.

Key areas we see Salesforce customers benefit from:

  • 360 View of Customers: The main driver for service leaders and managers moving to Salesforce is to get a full view of the customer and their needs.  Salesforce users can access a truly rich data set on their customers within CRM.  Some specific examples include sales reps can access Salesforce1 while walking into a client and skim through all related information such as cases that are currently open.  Also, service agents can escalate cases and gain support from product gurus and notify sales reps of sensitive issues through Chatter.
  • Reporting: One of the main pain points that several of our customer service team leaders mentioned to us is the difficulty with reporting and comparing teams since typical Zendesk instances are all separate and unrelated. With Salesforce, reports can be created by team managers, executives, and even agents to slice and dice the data to fit the specific KPIs each group is tracking while keeping an eye on overall numbers.
  • One Platform: System administrators and IT teams have often asked to focus on one platform, build expertise, and be able to own a single, interdependent solution. Leveraging as much native functionality as possible, Salesforce provides a flexible solution and inherent benefits through the regular Salesforce releases.  Also, Salesforce has a deep and robust business apps marketplace called AppExchange, which offers a wide variety of products and apps to enhance the Salesforce experience.
  • Streamline Processes: Salesforce provides a truly end-to-end support process. From Communities with Live Agent, Knowledge, the ability to self-serve, case deflection and full integration to Salesforce, it allows agents to quickly triage cases as they come in, escalate, and collaborate with service teams, as well as extended teams such as product development, sales, and marketing, to name a few.  A connected service system means an ability to build workflows, automations, and processes to support customers and agents through the customer lifecycle.
  • Reliability: Salesforce has very vigorous standards and security, and very rarely experiences system outages. In fact, Salesforce maintains sites (trust.salesforce.com) to review the current status of the org and plan for any future upgrades.

If you are finding your organization gravitating towards Salesforce because of one or many of these reasons, continue to follow along with this blog series, as well join us for an upcoming webinar about best practices for Zendesk to Salesforce migrations.  Subsequent blogs will cover the top reasons why companies move to Zendesk, best practices for the move, and what you need to prepare for the essential migration activities.

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New Salesforce Service Cloud Features Announced at #DF16 https://blogs.perficient.com/2016/10/06/new-salesforce-service-cloud-features-announced-at-df16/ https://blogs.perficient.com/2016/10/06/new-salesforce-service-cloud-features-announced-at-df16/#respond Thu, 06 Oct 2016 21:54:22 +0000 http://blogs.perficient.com/salesforce/?p=10462

I attended the Service Cloud keynote today at Dreamforce 2016, and exciting new features were announced. Service Cloud now incorporates new technology such as Einstein and Salesforce messaging and existing clouds such as Analytics and Lightning.

One exciting demo showcased how an agent is able to communicate in multiple channels; they will also soon be able to communicate to customers through text, Facebook messenger, and other social tools. The demo also demonstrated the power of automations brought through messenger by having processes built to support FAQs. When the customer needs to directly converse with an agent, the workflow can automatically contact an agent to continue the conversation to solve the issue.

With Einstein and Service Cloud together, there are four main areas that can help agents and call centers to provide elite customer service. Einstein will provide:

  • Discover insights
  • Predict case close times
  • Recommend agent responses
  • Automate case classification

The Service Cloud keynote also introduced existing Service Cloud features such as Field Service and omnichannel interconnected with Einstein. There looks to be a lot of possibilities and new features with Service Cloud that can help call centers and tech service teams to streamline and automate their processes. It will be exciting to implement these new features and deliver more value to our customers in the coming year!

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