At some point, most businesses need technical support to assist with questions about their systems or applications. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) without full-time, on-site IT support, vendor-provided customer service is crucial. However, many SMBs discover that their UCaaS plan doesn't include the level of support they need only when they require assistance.

Charging for technical support began in the 1990s as personal computers became more complex, requiring increased training, staffing, and infrastructure support. Today, with the proliferation of technical applications in businesses and consumer environments, fee-based customer assistance has become the norm.

UCaaS Customer Support Models

Most Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) providers now include customer support fees in their subscription plans rather than charging separately. However, the level and availability of support can vary based on the pricing tier. For instance, an entry-level plan may only allow chatbot support and access to an online FAQ, while a premium subscription may provide unlimited customer service.

For SMBs working with UCaaS providers that primarily service enterprise customers, their entry-level plan may meet their technical requirements, such as cloud calling, call queues, and video conferencing, but fall short in customer support. This leaves them with two options: upgrading to a higher-priced tier of service or considering on-site technical support, with the former typically being more cost-effective.

When selecting a UCaaS plan, businesses should carefully consider their support needs to ensure they have access to the level of assistance they require. When choosing any new technical product, system, or application, it’s important to fully understand what level of service the vendor will provide.

FluentStream’s Approach to Customer Service

FluentStream, uniquely focused on serving the SMB community, understands that customer service can be invaluable in navigating challenges and achieving efficiency and productivity. So, we make it easy. Our customers have access to our US-based customer support team, available 24/7 every day of the year. We do not upsell clients by dangling the customer service carrot, nor do we charge a separate fee for support.

Our free customer service offering includes:

• 24/7/365 availability
• US-based support agents
• A dedicated support person for each customer
• Online Knowledge Center with tutorials and how-to guides
• Voice Operations Department for complex VoIP and network issues

Our award-winning support team comprises full-time, US-based FluentStream employees. Comparatively, larger UCaaS providers outsource or automate as much of their customer support process as possible, contributing to NPS (Net Promoter Score) numbers ranging from -10 to 20. FluentStream, on the other hand, has achieved an average NPS of 41 and a CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) score of 97%. Our customer-centric approach has fueled our continued growth, landing us on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America for seven consecutive years.

To learn more about our customer support services, visit www.fluentstream.com/support/ and contact us to discuss how we can support your business communication needs.