Proactive service

What does it mean to be proactive in customer service? The goal is simple. Customers do not want to have to tell you there is a problem. To get there is long and often elusive. Understand your support process. Take the time to truly understand what causes customer support problems and then fix those problems.

Most of the time an enterprise customer is calling because a service is down. They want it back up — fast. I have never known a customer who wants to follow a support process that inconveniences them, such as collecting log files. They want you to know the issue, and your credibility is at stake. Focus on proactive. You may find out that it improves your customer care metrics and support process at the same time.