A look at the qualities AV clients value most in a technology partner

If you want to know how a client feels about the job you’re doing, the easiest course of action is just to ask them. But sometimes the feedback comes unsolicited. And in the case of ClearTech Account Manager Maxwell Brown, it arrives in droves. 

We sat down with Max to talk about his approach to providing great service. It was a relatively short conversation – he was busy tending to his clients – but revealing nonetheless. “It comes down to thoughtfulness, follow-through, and really thinking on their behalf,” he says. 

Echoes ClearTech president Christina De Bono: “I can’t tell you how many clients have contacted me to share their positive experiences with Max. They respect his knowledge, but what it really boils down to is the fact that they trust his judgment. And that involves a whole lot more than just technical expertise.” 

To be clear, however: Max marshals formidable expertise. Though still in his mid-thirties, he has been in the AV industry for 18 years and holds both a CTS and CTS-D certification. But it’s not so much how much knowledge he wields, but how he brings it to bear in a way that generates such strong client satisfaction.

“It’s really important to listen to the client, not just to understand what technical problem they’re trying to solve, but to get a sense of what’s important to them, how they prefer to be communicated with, and what keeps them up at night,” explains Max. “Knowing that, I can tailor the amount of information I provide.”

For example, “I have a client who manages technology at a financial institution, and he’s a person who tries to anticipate every question a higher-up might ask before he goes into a meeting with them. He wants to understand everything about the system so that he’s confident when presenting to the firm’s decision makers. Accordingly, I spend as much time as it takes to gathering all the technical data he needs to have a real command of the subject matter. For him, it all comes down to confidence, so that becomes job number one for me.”

That combination of knowledge and thoughtfulness has earned Max “trusted advisor” status with his clients. “The term is something of a cliché,” says De Bono, “but in Max’s case it fits to a tee. Clients appreciate the depth of his thinking, and they can immediately discern how well-intentioned his responses are. No one ever feels pressured by Max because they know his objective is to support them.”

Max isn’t alone in exemplifying a “trusted advisor” persona. “This is something that’s integral to our culture,” explains De Bono. “You have to be 100% focused on what your client needs and how best to serve them. That’s the secret to forming lasting relationships. And let me tell you, a business rises or falls based on the quality and longevity of its client relationships.”

Also important to Max and his colleagues is the importance of being available to clients when needed. “There’s no value to my knowledge if I’m not there to share it,” he says. “It’s important to be as responsive as possible. After all, you never know when a technical issue might arise. But more than that, accessibility inspires further trust and confidence, and ultimately that’s the currency of our business.”

ClearTech’s Director of Technical Service on how service improves AV ROI

Collaboration technology enables modern business, and in that sense it’s difficult to place a value on your AV spend. But look a little closer and a host of metrics present themselves – and almost all of them are influenced by the quality of service you receive from your AV partner. 

“Our job isn’t just to recommend and deliver the best technology to connect people, it’s to ensure that you’re well-served by your AV investment,” says ClearTech’s Director of Technical Services, Adam Mejia. “How reliably does it perform for you? How well versed are you with its capabilities? How does it advance your strategic objectives? Those are the questions we keep top of mind when crafting our service offerings.”

For Mejia, service is fundamental to providing real value to clients. “It’s what elevates AV from being just another category of overhead to becoming a catalyst for growth and a real competitive edge. Adam explains how ClearTech delivers on the service front, and what clients have to say about it.

How would you characterize ClearTech’s service offerings?

Adam: You could break them down into three categories. First, there’s break-fix, which is an integrator’s boots-on-the-ground response to service requests. An issue arises, and we’ll dispatch a tech to troubleshoot and resolve it. 

Then there’s preventative maintenance, which is also onsite. This involves regular testing of the AV infrastructure to prevent a client from discovering a non-functional system at 7AM right before a critical event or meeting. 

Remote monitoring, which we call ClearTech Connect, falls under the preventative maintenance umbrella. It uses technology to continually monitor the working status of all the equipment on a network. If a performance issue is discovered, a tech can be dispatched to fix it, an alert can be issued for the client to follow up on, or in many cases the problem can be addressed remotely. ClearTech Connect is offered as a monthly subscription, and it’s a great way to ensure maximum uptime and keep 24/7 tabs on mission-critical systems.

The third category of service involves the deployment on full-time on-site technicians. They’re able to provide break-fix and preventative maintenance, but that’s just the beginning. Because they’re on premises and are intimately familiar with the client’s needs and infrastructure, they’re able to meet a wide variety of needs. 

It seems like on-site deployments can make a lot of sense for large-scale enterprise-level clients.

Absolutely. Having someone full-time on-site is not a small expenditure, so typically it’s going to be an enterprise that takes advantage of this service. But at the same time, our customers have found that it provides a lot of value. 

How so?

Well, for one thing, an on-site tech can cover a lot of ground. We had a technician who met the needs of a 12-story headquarters with maybe 100 AV-equipped spaces. Another technician was responsible for 30 to 40 regional sites. For an operation that size, if you call for break-fix service a few times a month, those costs add up. Moreover, you might not have the same person coming out each time, and response times can be variable. For c-suite folks who want problems fixed an hour ago and need a lot of personal attention, an on-site deployment can be invaluable. 

There’s a lot to be said about the level of familiarity an on-site tech develops with a client, especially one with complicated technology and an overworked IT department. 

How do you ensure that you send the right person for a full-time on-site deployment?

We start by looking for senior-level techs who have a robust knowledge both of AV systems and IT. They begin by working in a non-fulltime capacity alongside people who already know the client environment, so that when they’re on their own, they have comprehensive knowledge of the client’s infrastructure.

What’s just as important is that we hire for more than just technical skill. We want people who also have true professionalism, great people skills, proven responsibility, and an intolerance for leaving anyone hanging. They also have to be well organized, good communicators, and good representatives of both our and the client’s brands. 

What do clients say about the value that on-onsite techs bring to their organization?

The feedback we get is uniform. They understand that their organizations are spending probably hundreds of thousands of dollars on AV, or more, and that it’s simply a given that a large infrastructure of complex equipment will have multiple points of failure. As equipment wears out, it fails. When it’s misused or improperly maintained, it fails. So just from the standpoint of having someone at the ready when problems occur, the clients see significant value. Uptime is essential, and on-site techs give you more bang for your buck. 

Consider, too, that by having an AV professional come to your business, work with your team, and get a full understanding of your technology infrastructure, not only are you better positioned to solve and prevent problems, but you also have someone to help ensure you use your equipment to its full capabilities. 

What else can an on-site tech do for you?

Ours spend a fair amount of time providing support for events. From executive briefings to town halls, broadcasts, and hybrid events that require careful AV orchestration, we can help plan, stage and operate the gatherings. The result is a lower chance of technical glitches compromising a high-stakes event and a higher likelihood of pulling off a production-quality execution.

Another thing: Because our techs are immersed in the environment, they can often help the client improve workflows, enhance room utilization, and guide technology upgrades. After a while, that support person turns into a long-term advisor. Combine that with their utility as a liaison between the AV integrator and the internal IT teams and there’s even more value.

At any given time, ClearTech will have a number of ongoing on-site deployments. They’re a good measure of the kind of people we hire and the sort of culture we’ve built because the only way you can offer this service is by backing it up with a strong and functional organization.