Automating Processes to Increase Efficiency
by Citrix Online

According to an Online Customer Respect Study of Fortune 100 Companies released by CustomerRespect.com (a division of International Ventures Research), the majority of Web sites don’t offer an auto-response function to notify customers that their communication has been received and will be acted upon. This is surprising, as auto-response messages are remarkably easy to implement, yet powerful when it comes to managing the growing flood of email support requests. When writing an auto-response message, try to make it informative. Here are a few suggestions for when and how to use auto-response messages:

• Acknowledging Receipt -- Auto-responses are useful for acknowledging the receipt of a support request and outlining basic service level agreement (SLA) points such as giving an estimate as to how long it will take to respond. This approach addresses the customer's expectations. However, make sure that you meet the promised time frame for when the user can expect a personal response from a support representative. If the request is received on a Friday afternoon or holiday, you won’t be able to respond within 24 hours. Therefore it’s better to say “a support representative will contact you within 1 business day” rather than promising a 24-hour response time.

• FAQs -- Auto-response messages can be useful in answering customers’ frequently asked questions (FAQs). However, be aware that this one-size-fits-all approach won’t always work. Handling FAQs with an auto-response message often won’t provide a complete answer to the question asked. And if the customer has asked multiple questions, it’s likely that one or more will go unanswered and the customer will have to contact you again.

• Closed Cases -- Follow-up communication after a support case is closed greatly increases customer satisfaction. Here’s a remarkably simple yet powerful tip: After a call is closed for seven days, verify that the problem is resolved by automatically sending the customer a personalized message from the support representative who handled the call. Your customers will be amazed by your thoroughness and concern.

And last but not least, don’t measure the success of your email support by the number of messages your automatic system has sent per hour. What matters to your customers most is the quality of your response.

About Citrix Online
Citrix Online, a division of Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTXS), offers the leading Web-based access, support and collaboration software and services. The division offers Citrix GoToMyPC®, the easiest-to-use solution for remote, secure and managed desktop PC access over the Web; and Citrix GoToAssist™, the most secure, reliable and powerful solution for Web-based technical support and customer collaboration. Citrix Online products are used by more than 4,000 companies worldwide, including Cisco Systems, Siemens, Intuit, Cablevision and Microsoft Business Solutions. The division is based in Santa Barbara, California, and is on the Web at www.gotomypc.com, www.gotoassist.com and www.citrix.com.