Your Online Portal Can Do More
By Rich Rutigliano, PriMediaWhen your online customer portal links with your enterprise software, users can view their account information, delivery and transaction histories. Chances are, you will also integrate an online credit card payment gateway, so those same users can make payments to their account by credit card and have it written back to their accounts.
If that’s all your customer portal does, you are missing out on features that will enhance your operations as well as the customer experience. PriMedia, an experienced Customer Portal Developer, can enhance your portal in ways you may never have imagined. Let’s look at some of your other options.
Your customer data provides you with a wealth of information that can be used to personalize the customer experience. Your client facing portal should be able to place custom online messages, ads and coupons based on plan status and payment, delivery and service histories. Similarly, personalized marketing, by way of automated emails and text messages, can target customers to enroll in or upgrade their automatic delivery, service plan and budget plan programs, or alert will-call customers when it is time to place an order. Once these communications systems are set up, you will be able to send company news and promotions to your entire customer base, or filter your distribution list based on account data.
Taking this trove of information further, the data available can be integrated with a points-based loyalty plan, which rewards customers for every dollar spent. A points-based system can offer much more than traditional plans that promise discounts towards equipment upgrades the homeowner may or may not need. An integrated program can match those offered by major credit card companies, gas stations and airlines, with rewards including account credits, product discounts, or third-party items ranging from electronics and jewelry to home furniture, travel vouchers and event tickets.
On your sales side, your customer accounts can be integrated with your lead tracking system. Location and other information for existing customers who are considering additional services or equipment can beauto-loaded once the account is identified. New customers can be tracked from intake to close, and, and your reps can convert these leads to new accounts with a few keystrokes. (More on new account creation below!)
Adding EFT transactions to your gateway offers customers another payment option, and automated billing programs can deliver invoices and statements without your staff spending a week or more printing and mailing to your entire client list.
Volatile fuel prices, whether caused by international geo-political upheaval, federal policies or commodities markets, can wreak havoc with price protection programs. The lag time between mailed offers and received agreements could leave you with a below-cost agreement. An online price protection enrollment system reduces that risk with real-time account specific pricing and gallon requirements for capped, pre-pay, or fixed or other plans; price expiration periods; hedge account alerts; and digital contracts.
We discussed new accounts that were set up by your staff through lead tracking. However, today’s consumer is very often looking at providers outside of office hours. With new customer enrollment software, these visitors can set up their own account; undergo an instant credit check, enroll in delivery, service, budget, price protection and other plans; and have all the new account created in your enterprise software, subject to your authorization, while you sleep!
PriMedia’s proprietary applications for these enhanced portal features are currently in use by multi-state retailers as well as independent dealers. Our developers are continually enhancing the functionality or creating new systems, all geared to making your business grow.
PriMedia’s proprietary software includes inVue Account Management and More, PricePoint Real Time Price Protection Enrollment, NCE New Customer Enrollment System, OnPoint Loyalty Rewards Marketing, PossiBill Bill Presentment and Payment, LeadPro Lead Tracking, TextPoint Mobile Text Communications, ServicePoint Contract Enrollment and WPO Web Presence Optimization, among others. For more information on integrated customer portals and these enhanced features, and please contact PriMedia at 800-796-3342 or www.goprimedia.com.
