The data center business is a global industry with both big international players as well as more local focused companies trying to win the customers appreciation. One, sometimes overlooked, way of competing is through customer experience.

The data center industry is usually very occupied with big numbers in terms of MW and invested capital but if you're truly looking for ways to increase company profitability, your data center operations team is a good place to start. A well-positioned and trained operations team can reflect a positive company image, as well as help you attract and retain customers.

Customer service is how your company interacts with its customers, both in daily operation and as a problem-solving solution when issues arise. It has a direct and meaningful impact on your company’s profitability as your data center operations team serves as the front-line response to your customer’s needs and is crucial for long-term customer retention.

If a customer has a good experience with a company, they’re more likely to return, and the more loyal customers you have, the more your company can grow to its full potential.

For instance, if your data center operations team has a smooth procedure that makes support tickets or new services requests quick and simple, you’re more likely to retain customers and build a loyal customer base that appreciates the partnership.

Increase employee satisfaction

And it’s not just about your customers. When your employees see that your company is focused on delivering exceptional customer service, they will be more likely to become advocates for the business.

They are also far more likely to remain with the company and be fully engaged in their work. In an industry with predicted upcoming shortage on competence, this will become even more crucial for future success.

Boost company values and brand

Your data center operations team communicates with customers on a daily basis, which means that they are directly responsible for representing your brand's mission and values. Great customer service can result in positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations for your business that can lead to new business. A positive public persona can strengthen the way people see your company, products or services.

These positive word-of-mouth referrals come directly from previous and existing customers that have had a great experience with your company. They tell their friends, relatives and colleagues and may even post to their social network about your friendly and helpful customer service. Their contacts, in turn, feel encouraged to buy from you. Word-of-mouth advertising is often a company's best and least expensive form of advertising.

Proactively addresses customer issues

Proactive customer service is when you reach out to customers before they know that problems exist. By being proactive with your customer service approach, you can let customers know that you're working to improve the user experience for them.

For example, if you have a group of customers who had a common problem and released a new product or feature that resolved that issue, you could use your ticketing system to identify those customers and then reach out to let them know about the new feature or service. This approach can be effective because customers recognize you're trying to resolve problems for them.

Strengthens company culture and streamlines processes

When everyone at your company shares the same end goal of customer service, you promote a more streamlined workflow. For example, your data center engineers may be more willing to help the sales team, or the pre-sale team may be more willing to listen to the customer support representatives. Ultimately, by making customer experience a priority, you can create a culture of helpfulness within your organization.

Gives you a competitive edge

Great customer service does more than just win over new customers and retain loyal ones. It also sets you apart from the competition.

By offering best-in-class customer service, you are attaching values to your company’s brand, strengthening your reputation in the data center industry and showing by example that you care about the people and companies who purchase your product or service.

At Conapto we care a lot for the customer experience. We measure it regularly and with a Net Promotor Score of +76 we feel that this is one way we can compete with all the international giants out there. Size can matter but its not the only thing that counts at the end of the day!