Written by PCRx is a managed services technology company out of Midlothian, Virginia, providing computer networking and security installations, technology procurement and repair, cloud-based back-up services and more.
When their business was transforming to a managed services platform two years ago, they knew they needed a solution that would give them visibility and insight over their jobs, customers, and data. It was about being smarter and more efficient, which also made the search for a system that was scalable equally important. Read on below to see how they transitioned from spreadsheets to having a full-fledged solution. What they learned was that it wasn’t as scary as they had thought!
Life in the dark
“My company was a mess. It was me trying to wing it with an Excel spreadsheet and making a mess of everything. I wasn’t able to be organized or account for anything. I also wasn’t able to see what I had done for customers before. I was in the dark really.” shared Eric Strickler, Business Owner of PCRx.
When his business transformed to become a managed services platform, Eric knew his team needed to readily know what work had been done for a customer and for every piece of machine they worked on.
“When you [start to] charge a monthly rate [to customers], it’s necessary sometimes to demonstrate your value.”
With mHelpDesk, Eric found he was able to quickly go in and at a granular level, drill down on a ticket or service and understand all the work that have been done, and then share that with customers. He now had the latest information on a customer or their equipment on the fly.
Easy from the get-go
Similar to how service pros who are coming from pen and paper or Excel spreadsheets feel, Eric shared that it was daunting to think about transitioning to software, but he knew it was necessary so they forged ahead and looked at a lot of different platforms.
He shared, “mHelpDesk is not on the radar of most computer repair companies. Most companies are looking at ticket system software. It’s unfortunate because that software is horrible for scalability.”
Ultimately it was mHelpDesk’s ease of use and scalability that won Eric over. It’s also what’s gotten them to stay with mHelpDesk.
“Jumping in with mHelpDesk, I was able to build my entire system out on the fly. I put it in my basic information to start, and as we started new jobs, we’d just add them in.”
Eric pointed out, “One of the biggest obstacles to small to medium-sized business owners is the idea that we’re going to have to stop what we’re doing to really build out a system. mHelpDesk worked out really well. You build as you go.”
Gaining more than just organization
“The most important thing with mHelpDesk is the organization and the information… the fact that I’m able to have all my customers’ information at my fingertips.” This was a necessity, he shared, as his business and staff continued to grow.
“We can send our staff to a customer location and they don’t have to call me to ask for the wifi code or the password for the service. They’re all in the customer notes in mHelpDesk.”
With the team’s easy access to customer and job information, Eric gained back a lot of his time.
“mHelpDesk has freed me up. It’s given me more time to focus on making more money, which is the important thing. I’m not wasting time on frivolous projects, and when I do have to get involved, I have the time now.”
Automating their regular communication to customers through mHelpDesk’s custom automated emails and notifications was also key in saving time.
“Nobody likes to do tickets. Being able to create emails that automatically go out after customers select a service has really freed up our time from having to call people, leave a message and so on.” shared Eric.
With mHelpDesk’s custom automated email templates, Eric and his team have been able to personalize the messages they’re always sending out to customers, instead of writing and sending out those messages one by one.
Keeping customers happy
For the PCRx team, taking their customers’ experience to the next level was crucial as they transitioned to a managed services company.
“When we went to managed services, a lot of previous customers came back to us and they grew to have high expectations. We send a lot of communication to customers, so automated email updates were important.”
With mHelpDesk’s automated emails, PCRx customers now received fast, real-time communication, like when their equipment had arrived and when work started on it.
Eric also shared the importance of having a database that was easily accessible and searchable.
“We always get phone calls from customers like, “You know that computer you fixed for me? It never worked and it’s been such a short time.” But then, we’ll look it up in mHelpDesk and it’s been like 2.5 years!”
Easier invoicing and billing
Another mHelpDesk feature that has improved improve day-to-day life for the PCRx team? Automated invoicing and the integration with PayPal, which was an immediate selling point for Eric.
“We’ve got a link in our invoice emails to PayPal or for customers to enter their credit card. Our customers love it!” he shared.
In talking about the emails that go out to his customers, Eric continued, “Our company hasn’t generated a piece of paper in 5 years! We have no more file cabinets! [Customers will pay through the invoice email] or text us pictures of paper checks.”
Then and now
In reflecting on life before mHelpDesk and where they are now, Eric gives hope to business owners who have shyed away from software or automation solutions.
“Imagine pivoting your business to a new direction–for us, it was managed services–and then taking on new software… I did both at the same time! It seems like a lot, but the ease of mHelpDesk’s interface makes it possible! It’s a big part of why we’ve been so successful. I love this platform!”
Ready to make life easier for you and your team?
mHelpDesk organizes and manages your jobs, customers, estimates, invoices and more, to help you win customers’ trust and grow your business. Schedule a free demo of mHelpDesk today!
Last modified: April 15, 2019
