Mastering Service Delivery: Optimizing Tech Performance
A Deep Dive into Tech Engagement
& Efficiency
“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.”
- Archilochus
Welcome Autotask Warriors!
Summer is in full swing with vacations, barbecues, and trips to the beach taking center stage. We at Advanced Global are huge on mental health, so we want you to go out and experience those things we humans need to avoid burnout. However, this is not the time to slack on growing your business. In fact, this could be the perfect time to get ahead while your competition has its head in the sand.
So how do you ensure your team gets the appropriate time off without increasing headcount? How can MSP Managers and Sr. Techs go on that cruise or camp at that racetrack (infield, baby!) without needing a laptop or checking email every 30 seconds?
Driving chaos out of the environment and empowering Techs to work smarter, not harder, is the key. Optimizing Tech performance is crucial for MSPs to deliver exceptional service and maintain client satisfaction. Advanced Global's innovative processes and tools streamline operations, enhance communication, and empower Techs to work efficiently. In this week’s article, we explore key strategies, including structured engagement protocols, automation tools, and centralized dashboards, that transform MSPs into proactive, data-driven organizations, reducing client calls, and fostering trust.
The topics that need to be reviewed with the Techs include:
Engagement/Disengagement Process
Time Entry Speed Codes
Tech Dashboard
Tech Dashboard Lunch n’ Learn
When to Escalate
Escalations
On-Hold
Service Coordinator Help Needed
Waiting Client
Client Responded
Engagement/Disengagement Process
Effective communication is the cornerstone of a great client experience. The engagement protocol begins with reviewing the ticket title and description, then calling the client to inform them you are engaging on their request, even if it means leaving a voicemail. If they answer, it's an opportunity to gather important business context and decide if they need to stay on the line.
The disengagement protocol is equally vital. Before concluding, call the client again (likely leaving a voicemail) to inform them:
What was accomplished
The next steps
When will they hear from the MSP again
Who will they hear from if it's not you
This structured communication, supported by real-time time entry, significantly reduces client calls by 75-90%, fostering trust in the system.
Time Entry Speed Codes
Speed codes, also known as form templates or favorites, are powerful automation tools in Autotask. If you find yourself performing the same task more than a few times a month, creating a speed code makes it a keystroke away. For time entries, a "Standard Disengagement" speed code for each Work Type, for example, can automatically populate summary notes with prompts for accomplishments, next steps, and follow-up information, ensuring consistent and complete client updates. They can also automate status changes and Work Types; saving the Techs time and ensuring proper documentation.
Tech Dashboard
Designed in collaboration with Techs from various MSPs, the Tech dashboards serve as a central hub to organize your day and responsibilities.
Key widgets across both dashboards include:
Ready to Engage: Your primary worklist, dynamically organized by the Next SLA Event Due Date, ensures you're always working on the most important tasks.
Service Calls Scheduled: Keeps Techs aware of scheduled client engagements, reducing the need to check external calendars.
Waiting Tickets: Shows tickets awaiting client, parts, or material, moving them out of your active worklist but keeping you aware.
Other widgets may display overall open tickets, critical tickets, client responses, out-of-office peers, and project tasks.
These dashboards provide a multi-dimensional view, replacing the need for multiple browser windows and manual ticket searches, allowing Techs to grasp all necessary information at a single glance. For the dashboards to be effective, it’s crucial that the information displayed is trusted and accurate, reflecting correctly configured automation.
Tech Dashboard Lunch n’ Learn
The adoption of dashboards signifies a shift from a reactive, break/fix model to a proactive, data-driven environment, aiming to disrupt less than 10% of the promises made to the Clients.
Techs are responsible for working the right next ticket, being aware of all scheduled client interactions, and keeping track of all assigned tasks. Dashboards organize this crucial information, filtering out unnecessary "noise" while providing "nice to know" data like team PTO or company-wide critical tickets.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Techs just naturally gravitated to new working processes (habits) like leveraging the dashboards? Dream on. The old work habits are too deeply engrained in the Culture and Tech Heads. It takes at least a Lunch n’ Learn with management a) pointing out what is in it for them, b) providing a clear understanding of expectations, c) explaining it is the easiest way to improve performance d) showing that it will lower their stress level, and e) painting the picture of the Zen Work Environment (something that adrenaline rush junkies resist).
When to Escalate
The decision to escalate a ticket should always be guided by what is best for the Client. While some Techs escalate too quickly or hang on too long, a good rule of thumb is to work on a ticket for approximately 45 minutes. If you gain traction and have a resolution plan, continue working. However, if you're still researching and clueless after 45 minutes, it may be time to escalate. It’s important not to automatically escalate or say, "this isn't in my wheelhouse," as challenging yourself with coaching can foster skill growth. When escalating, aim for the least amount of disruption to other team members.
Escalations
There are three types of escalations:
Cold Escalation: Simply assigning the ticket to someone else and disengaging. This is not a good client experience and is discouraged.
Warm Escalation: You reach out to the escalation resource, explain the need, and add a note to the ticket. You remain the primary resource, own the client relationship, and update the client. The escalated engineer addresses a specific problem and hands it back, allowing you to complete the ticket. This is also an opportunity for the higher-level Tech to mentor you.
Hot Escalation: Occurs while the Client is on the phone. You are honest with the Client, put them on hold, and use instant messaging to bring a mentor onto the call. This provides a great client experience and offers real-time mentoring.
Note: The warm handoff with mentoring is often the preferred approach as it fosters Tech growth while ensuring Client needs are met efficiently.
On-Hold
Placing a ticket on "on hold" should be done judiciously. It pauses the SLA clock, but this should not be the reason for its use, as clients prioritize "mean time to resolve" over your internal SLA metrics. Missing an SLA is actually a good thing as it highlights underlying process issues that need fixing.
The only truly legitimate reason to use "on hold" is when client engagement is needed, but they are unavailable, and their return time is unknown.
This status requires a future due date and temporarily removes the ticket from your dashboard to keep your worklist clear, returning it to your "Ready to Engage" widget on the specified date.
Service Coordinator Help Needed
To streamline communication for non-billable work, Techs can use the "Service Coordinator Help Needed" speed code within a ticket note. The speed code automatically populates a User Defined Field (UDF) and a message format, prompting the Tech to specify the type of non-billable work needed (e.g., checking for parts). This action triggers a flag on the Service Coordinator's dashboard, making them aware of the request without direct interruption. The entire exchange is tracked directly within the ticket notes, ensuring a clear, written record.
Note: This is a UDF, not a Status; thus, allowing the Tech to retain ownership and continue working the Client request, while the Service Coordinator runs down the non-billable work
Waiting Client
The "Waiting Client" status (often referred to as "Waiting Customer") also pauses SLA clocks and is used when ticket progression is outside of your control. While it broadly covers waiting for Clients, vendors, or parts, it's primarily for waiting on the Client. Setting this status sends an automated notification to the Client with a banner, including your summary notes detailing what was done, next steps, and what is needed from them. The ticket moves to your "Waiting Client" widget.
If your MSP doesn't have a Service Coordinator or "three strikes and out" automation, the responsibility falls to the Tech to proactively follow up (as non-billable work) to avoid tickets from stagnating. In general, this responsibility to retain ownership and follow up with the Clients is not intuitive to Techs. Their mindset is more long the lines of “I have notified the Client that I am waiting on them, it is their responsibility to get back to me.” While from an MSP Owners point of view this is not the case, butting heads with the Techs is also not the solution. Hiring a non-billable, administrative support person (SERVICE COODINATOR) for the Team is!
Client Responded
When a client responds to a ticket, it's considered an "aged" ticket by design, and due to the "next SLA event due date" automation, it will automatically appear at the top of your "Ready to Engage" widget. This is intentional, as the system prioritizes quick engagement on client responses.
One Last Note:
After completing any ticket, Techs should perform a "periscope up" – reviewing their dashboard – to immediately identify and address any crucial tickets, ensuring timely and effective follow-up. Even though SLA clocks may have been paused, when they are released, the tickets are now the most important to act upon.
Summary and Next Steps
For MSPs, optimizing Tech performance involves creating a structured and efficient work environment through comprehensive processes and tools. Advanced Global's strategies include effective communication protocols for client engagement and disengagement, automation tools like time entry speed codes, and centralized Tech dashboards for task management. Training sessions help echs adopt new processes, while clear escalation protocols and proper use of ticket statuses ensure a smooth workflow. Additionally, streamlined communication for non-billable work enhances support efficiency, ultimately reducing client calls, fostering trust, and promoting a proactive, data-driven work environment.
For questions or requesting more information on this or any other Operational Problem-Solving Solution for MSPs, feel free to contact Steve at Info@AGMSPCoaching.com