case Belnet - TERENA · Ticketting, CRM, monitoring & reporting(!), (configuration) database..; , interfacing between tools(!) ‘Professional’ Customer service needs standardization

NREN Customer Servicecase BelnetOverview & Future

Koen SchelkensTF-MSP, Helsinki, 7th of February 2012

2TF-MSP Helsinki - Customer Service - Koen Schelkens07/02/2012

Agenda

1. Belnet today

2. Customer Service ?

3. Customer Service @ Belnet

4. Conclusions

5. Questions / discussion

1. Belnet today


Belnet today

• Vision:deliver Dedicated connectivity

• MissionBelnet stimulates scientific development through innovative high-quality network infrastructures and associated services, to the benefitof Belgian higher education and research. (= NREN part)

Belnet accelerates the growth of the knowledge and informationsociety thanks to the expertise it has built up, its unique position in themarket and its economies of scale. (= services to Public Administrations,FedMAN ,BNIX, CERT.be)


Belnet today

• Strategy (2007-2012) :

1.) Belnet intends to meet the needs of educational and researchinstitutions and their end users regarding network infrastructures andservices in an optimum manner.

2. ) Belnet intends to deliver innovative networks and applications whichwill anticipate to future needs.

3.) Belnet intends to be a strong, visible organisation accessible to alleducational and research institutions.

4.) Belnet intends to deploy its resources and staff in an effective waywithin an optimised organisation.


Belnet today

BELNET Organisation

HR Q1 2012: 60 FTE – Budget 2012: app. 14 mio €

• BELNET Service Portfolio


Belnet today

Belnet user baseTotal start Q1 2012 202 connected institutions

Ca. 700.000 end users


Univ. & (higher)education;

#: 75; 37%

Researchinstitutes (incl.

hospitals,museums….) ;#: 72; 36%

public services/administrations

#:55; 27%

Belnet today

2. Customer Service ?


Customer Service ?

Not just a question of using the right words or tone…?


Customer Service ?

“Customer” ?• = Connected institution to an NREN

• Organisation+• set of dedicated contact persons represent 1000’nds of end

users+• Contractual relation (in Belnet’s case) , but:…

• ≠ ‘classic’ supplier <-> customer relation

• In NREN‘s : customer = more a partner


Customer Service ?

Definition ?Formal / KISS :“Customer service is the provision of service tocustomers before, during and after a purchase”(Wikipedia.org, 2012)

Inspiring :“Customer service is an organization's ability tosupply their customers' wants and needs”(www.customerservicemanager.com, 2012)


Customer Service ?

Definition ? (bis)

More complete, ambitious :“Customer Service is the commitment to providingvalue added services to external and internalcustomers, including attitude, knowledge, technicalsupport and quality of service in a timely manner"(www.customerservicemanager.com, 2012)

More qualitative, focused on satisfaction :“Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance thelevel of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a productor service has met the customer expectation.“ (Turban et al. 2002)


Customer service =• Is an organisation’s ‘customer orientedness’ , a

mindset (‘customer orientedness’ )and much more..

• Compilation of multiple business processes• Technical & administrative support, Service delivery process ,

user communication, Service- & helpdesk, customer relationmanagement (CRM), needs monitoring & analysis… ,Knowledge dessimination, ‘Sales’ support, .…

• Needs focus: meet ( exceed ?) expectations & userneeds

• Customer service department or bunch ofactivities distributed over different departments ofan organisation ?

Customer Service

2. Customer service @ Belnet


Customer Service @belnet

Our rationales & motives:

• Market/ business standards Commercial ISP’s/Telco’s IT Service managment – ITIL

• Customer Delight management (since 2008) : ~ manage customers’ expectations be expected needs to be explicit: Service Level Description Exceeding expectations means: Delighted customers/partner Continuous service improvement in all it’s aspects (via feedback)

• Push from connected institutions: growing demand for professionalCS standards



Main functions of CS : Customer SPOC - Service desk

Technical support – 24/7 Helpdesk & NOC– Incident handling

Administrative & ‘sales’ support – aka ’Customer Care’

Advice & knowledge dissemination

Service delivery management

Customer follow up & relation building

Needs & satisfaction monitoring

=> More or less distributed over serveral departementswithin the belnet organisation



Main functions of CS @Belnet (I): Service desk & Customer SPOC

No overall service desk (one SPOC)

Many contact points (for ex. +15 service e-mail aliases )

Account managers (3FTE) – internal onwnership per customer

General rule: 1 working day response time (non-incidents…)

Technical support – 24/7 Helpdesk & NOC– Incident handling Incidents: Helpdesk/NOC (outsourced) – mgt by Networks dept.

Technical support : Networks & Services dept.’s

Complex problems/user projects: technical advisors (CR dept.)

Customer notifications (maintenance, incidents) (CR dept.)



Main functions of CS @Belnet (II): Administrative & ‘sales’ support – aka ’Customer Care’

SPOC administrative information

Contract & order management

Customer Billing

CRM data management

Complaint handling & incident aftercare (acc. Mgr & tech. advisors)

Price quotes & public procurement (answering + for customer leased lines)

Advice & knowledge dissemination On request onsite advice & guidance – 3 Technical advisors (CR dept.)

Min. 10 workshops a year

Customer communication (mailing, newsletter & website)



Main functions of CS @Belnet (III): Service delivery management

Internal order -delivery procedure & workflow per service (cross-departmental)

=> Customer request to service invoice

Checklists/best practices service implementation (tech adv.)

Continuous service improvement (direct feedback from customers)

Clear agreement/conditions per service

Service Level Management Complete Service Level Description since 2009

! Monitoring of all service levels= work in progress



Main functions of CS @Belnet (IV):

Customer follow up & relation building – account management Acc. mgrs (3FTE) : =min. 1 visit a year per institution (CR dept.)

User/customer events & conferences

Maintain close relations with stakeholder, user organisations, regional

governments

Needs & satisfaction monitoring Yearly needs & satisfaction survey

Survey tool available for more ad hoc service feedback

Customer feedback (visits, e-mail, events..) logged in CRM

Service Advisory Boards (Federation, VoIP service…)



Future : Centralize ownership for different CS processes Development & implementation of IT Service management

processes (=ITSM /ITIL v3.0) as from Q2 2012: Selected processes (not all !) Service desk Incident & Problem management Service Level Management Change management Configuration management Service Catalogue management Request fulfillment …

Ownershipdevelopmentper processdistributed overdepartmentsOperation ?



Future (bis): ITSM

Tools ? Clear internal Procedures (documented) ITSM Platform application with: New CRM New Ticketting system Configuration database IVR ? …. (ad hoc ) survey/poll tool

Focus: (imho) the customer , the user is thestarting point for every process, procedure,service development …


Conclusions – Lessons learned (1/3)

‘All noses all in the same direction?’

Get the customer focus right…. but it is not only about mindset…

Efficiency… you need de right tools ! Ticketting, CRM, monitoring & reporting(!), (configuration) database..; ,

interfacing between tools(!)

‘Professional’ Customer service needs standardization Clear internal procedures & workflows -> only 1 single interpretation

possible over the departements in the organisation

Mind the red tape : KISS principle !



Needs monitorings & reporting remains a big challenge…

KPI’s and/or service levels are a must have

….also for the internal organisation..



Service ‘intangibles’ are important -> manage the user/customer

experience:

Accountability

Usability

Clear documentation

Lean administration

Invest in close user relations = building up credit & loyalty.

Discussion

• How is customer service organised in your NREN• Vision /theoretical framework behind it ?

• Who takes up the function ?

• Your experiences - lessons learned ?

?

IT Service Management (ITSM -> ITILv3.0) Experience with implementation? Don & don’t ’s

Wich processes are vital for an NREN ? (service desk, SLA mgt, incident

management., request fulfillment … ?

Needs monitoring & reporting ?27TF-MSP Helsinki - Customer Service - Koen Schelkens07/02/2012

Thanks

Documents

case Belnet - TERENA · Ticketting, CRM, monitoring & reporting(!), (configuration) database..; , interfacing between tools(!) ‘Professional’ Customer service needs standardization