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Pay-Per-Call For Customer Support/Monthly Calls?

Topics relating to managing people and relationships

GetShitDone

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I run a B2B Marketing Agency.

Before I scale my agency, I need to delegate lots of tasks that are making me work "in" my business instead of working "on" my business.

One of these things is Account Management (Customer Email Support/Customer Monthly Phone Support)

I've recently gotten my Phillipines-Based Virtual Assistants to manage all customer support via email.

However, when it comes to customer support via monthly phone support - I need to delegate this to someone else US-based.

After receiving a customer's monthly report from my virtual assistant, this individual would be doing a monthly 1 on 1 call with each customer to give them a verbal run-down/report on how everything went for that month.

Their job is to communicate how everything is going, install confidence in the client, and most importantly convince them to stay for another month.


I don't want to pay thousands a month to some call centre to do this, I just want to hire one remote person to handle all of my clients' monthly 1 on 1 calls that I can pay per call.

How much should I expect to pay-per-call I get someone to do a monthly 1-on-1 call with each of my retainer-based clients?

PS
: I would get someone from my existing team to do this, but I have a 100% remotely based freelancer team that services my clients. - I'm paranoid that my clients have a higher chance of being poached by the freelancers if a direct relationship via monthly calls is established between my freelancers and my clients. Therefore, I'd like a non-biased outside person to do this.
 
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Andy Black

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I run a B2B Marketing Agency.

Before I scale my agency, I need to delegate lots of tasks that are making me work "in" my business instead of working "on" my business.

One of these things is Account Management (Customer Email Support/Customer Monthly Phone Support)

I've recently gotten my Phillipines-Based Virtual Assistants to manage all customer support via email.

However, when it comes to customer support via monthly phone support - I need to delegate this to someone else US-based.

After receiving a customer's monthly report from my virtual assistant, this individual would be doing a monthly 1 on 1 call with each customer to give them a verbal run-down/report on how everything went for that month.

Their job is to communicate how everything is going, install confidence in the client, and most importantly convince them to stay for another month.


I don't want to pay thousands a month to some call centre to do this, I just want to hire one remote person to handle all of my clients' monthly 1 on 1 calls that I can pay per call.

How much should I expect to pay-per-call I get someone to do a monthly 1-on-1 call with each of my retainer-based clients?

PS
: I would get someone from my existing team to do this, but I have a 100% remotely based freelancer team that services my clients. - I'm paranoid that my clients have a higher chance of being poached by the freelancers if a direct relationship via monthly calls is established between my freelancers and my clients. Therefore, I'd like a non-biased outside person to do this.
Sounds like an account manager role?
 

GetShitDone

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Sounds like an account manager role?

Hey Andy, thanks for your reply!

Yes, it's an account manager role - however they're only required for the monthly 1 on 1 calls.

So, I want to know how much would be fair to pay them per avg. 30 min call (instead of paying them an hourly rate on standby, etc).

I also want to perhaps pay them a commission for each client that signs on for another month to motivate them.

PS: What is your approach and how often do you do your "1 on 1s"' with your retainer clients for your agency?
 

Andy Black

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Hey Andy, thanks for your reply!

Yes, it's an account manager role - however they're only required for the monthly 1 on 1 calls.

So, I want to know how much would be fair to pay them per avg. 30 min call (instead of paying them an hourly rate on standby, etc).

I also want to perhaps pay them a commission for each client that signs on for another month to motivate them.

PS: What is your approach and how often do you do your "1 on 1s"' with your retainer clients for your agency?
Is it more than just a 30 min call with a client though? Will the account manager need to know what the plan was for that client and how things are going project wise. How much time will they spend preparing for each call, and staying on top of each client project?

Do you have a project manager? Would it make sense to get the project manager to speak to the clients?
 
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GetShitDone

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Canada
Is it more than just a 30 min call with a client though? Will the account manager need to know what the plan was for that client and how things are going project wise. How much time will they spend preparing for each call, and staying on top of each client project?

Do you have a project manager? Would it make sense to get the project manager to speak to the clients?

Let’s say 60 min (30 min max call + 30 min to prep via the monthly report that contains everything they need to know)

Hiring a project manager later, not yet. Probably in a month or so.

For now, need this solution.
 

Andy Black

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Davidla

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In my remote agency I tried to solve this with a part time person doing account management (2hrs/day), and it didn't work.

Customers/projects were higher touch, and things were delaying and not getting done because he wasn't able to get actual 2hrs/day work done. So he was just a very nice and friendly space holder :)

What solved the challenge for me was just having a strong ops person/account manager full time, who is now taking care of all of this and customer are happy.

Most importantly, he is providing value to the clients during this call because he knows his stuff, comes up with ideas, and takes care of their implementation. this is a huge point in keeping customers happy and long-term, which is also a key for profitability.

This just not something an hourly "support" person is ever going to be able to do.

Unless you are offering a "productized" service where there is very little interaction with customers...

Even then, I think it would make sense to have one key person at min half time position to take care of this, as it is still a key function.

Here's some math to consider from an ROI perspective.

if a monthly client is $500/month - what kind of retention are you seeing when you are the one doing it v.s. outsourcing?

Here's an example:

You: 5 month average LTV @ $500 = $2,500

Hourly: 3 month Average LTV @ $500 = $1,500

Team member: 5 month average LTV @$500 = $2,500
*Ideally you can find someone who can do it as well or better than you.

Now say you have 10 clients

--> You: $25,000 (pay yourself)
--> Hourly: $15,000 (lose $10,000 and pay hourly person)
--> Team: $25,000 (pay team member)

Is the $10,000 saved going to earn the salary for the team member? Can you start with the team member half time? (I wouldn't recommend less than half time).

Numbers/cases will change significantly depending on your LTV, monthly charges and amount of clients.

In other words..

If you have a low amount of clients, then this isn't a problem that needs to be outsourced.

If you have many clients, would make sense to hire someone to the team anyway.

If you are in between..I'd say hang in there until you can bring someone into the team even half time.
 
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