[00:00:00] Laura Johns: I’m so excited for this episode of the Know, Grow, and Scale podcast. Today, I’m chatting with my friend Erin Rohner. She’s a client journey extraordinaire, an expert in all things related to making sure your clients feel taken care of. And we know in the world of managed service providers (MSPs) and IT businesses, sometimes we get so knee-deep in the work that we neglect the most important thing—our current clients and customers.
Erin, thank you for being here today. I’m really excited to have you. Even though your background is in the marketing agency world, I’ve experienced firsthand your expertise in the client journey because I’ve been a client of yours! I think making clients feel good about their partnership and feel appreciated is universal.
Erin Rohner: I agree!
Laura: Let’s jump right in. Can you give us a summary of your experience in agency life and client experience, and then we’ll dive into tips for managed service providers and IT companies on how they can serve their customers better?
Erin: Sure! I’ve worked in customer experience in the outsourcing agency world for about 10 years. I started out working by myself, building a department from scratch. At the time, I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I focused on the question: What would I want to see as a customer? I built from there. Over time, I trained customer experience reps, helped build client journeys, and tackled client retention. I also moved into consulting, where I helped agencies build out their customer experience (CX) departments and train their customer service managers (CSMs).
I’m really passionate about it, and I love helping companies understand that client experience isn’t rocket science—it’s about being proactive.
Laura: Exactly. I love that. And I do want to draw a distinction here between different roles: a project manager or account manager versus customer experience (CX). In smaller businesses, especially MSPs, there’s often a sales handoff straight to account management. Can you explain the difference between those roles and what CX means?
Erin: Sure. On a basic level, CX is everyone’s responsibility, even if you’re not client-facing. It’s important for every team member to keep the client in mind because, without clients, there’s no business. Customer experience is about making sure the client is happy and feels cared for throughout their journey.
Account managers and project managers typically ensure the work is getting done—from point A to point Z. But CX goes a step further. It’s about listening actively to your clients and understanding what they’re saying (and not saying). You can have the best fulfillment, but
without a strong CX, it won’t last. It’s a “yes, and” situation—you need both great fulfillment and CX for long-term success.
Laura: So true. What would you say are the most critical touchpoints in a client journey, and how can MSP or IT business owners ensure they’re covering those?
Erin: Two big ones come to mind: onboarding and customer lifetime.
Onboarding is more than just gathering information. It’s the period where you need to make sure the client feels valued and listened to. It’s not just about getting them up and running, but also ensuring they’re comfortable and happy with the process. The way I teach it is to think: how long until the client would be willing to give you a referral, participate in a case study, or leave a positive review? That’s your onboarding period. You need to be super attentive during that time.
The second is to understand your customer’s lifetime with you. Look at the typical point where clients leave and start adding to the client journey before that point. What can you do to retain them? Is it an upsell? A check-in? Education? Whatever it is, you need to address it before the typical exit point.
Laura: Onboarding is something we’re currently revamping. It’s such a critical time, and you can easily get buyer’s remorse from clients. What are some of the common pitfalls you see businesses make during onboarding?
Erin: Buyer’s remorse is inevitable. One common pitfall is that businesses get into a rhythm with their established clients and throw new clients into that same flow without giving them the attention they need. You need to treat new clients like babies—they need more attention at first. You might need to talk more, have more face-to-face time, and leave space for their questions.
Another pitfall is not listening enough. We’re the experts, so we have a lot of information to share. But it’s important to listen, especially in the beginning, to understand why they left their previous provider or what their big goals and worries are. If you’re not listening, you miss out on building a real connection.
Laura: Absolutely. How do you make sure that not just you, but your entire team, hears what the client says and implements it?
Erin: Good CRM systems and technology help a lot. AI tools can even take notes during Zoom calls, which is a great resource. But having handoff calls and documenting everything in your CRM is critical.
Beyond that, it’s important to make sure whoever is interacting with the client—whether it’s an account manager or CSM—takes five minutes before a call to review the client’s notes. That way, the information is fresh, and the client feels like they’re being heard and valued. Personal touches, like remembering if the client recently had a baby or something personal, go a long way in building trust.
Laura: Yes, I always appreciate when my doctor asks about my kids by name—it makes such a difference! Let’s talk about different strategies for small vs. large clients. Does the client journey change depending on the size of the client?
Erin: The feeling should be the same for every client, no matter the size. No one wants to feel like they’re a second thought. However, the reality is that you can’t provide the same level of attention to every client in the same way. For example, you’re not going to fly out to visit your smaller clients quarterly like you might with executive-level clients.
You can segment your clients based on packages or levels and create a tailored journey for each. But ultimately, everyone should feel taken care of. Focus on making all your clients happy, and then, as your packages scale, you can add in extra touchpoints for higher-tier clients.
Laura: That’s a great way to look at it. We also want clients to come to us when they need additional services or an upsell. How do we make sure they understand everything we offer without feeling pushy or salesy?
Erin: Education is key. From the start, you want to educate your clients on everything you offer, and you can automate a lot of that through emails or newsletters. That way, they know you offer the service, so they don’t go elsewhere.
The second part is building trust. If a client trusts you, they’ll listen when you suggest something because they know you have their best interest in mind. It becomes less about selling and more about serving when there’s trust.
Laura: Right, having that trust helps when things aren’t perfect. For example, MSPs or telecom companies deal with outages or service disruptions. How do we make sure that when those things happen, we don’t lose trust?
Erin: That’s when you have the opportunity to shine. Don’t go silent during issues or outages. Be proactive—communicate with your clients, let them know what’s happening, and reassure them that you’re taking care of it.
The worst thing you can do is go silent. If you do, your client will think you don’t have things under control. But if you communicate openly, the client will remember that during tough times, you were there for them. Those moments build loyalty. Just like in our personal lives, we remember who showed up during hard times.
Laura: Yes! It’s hard to sell “relationship-building” until the client experiences it. But once they feel it, that’s when they really stick with you. This has been great, Erin. Is there anything else you’d like to add? For example, if a business owner hasn’t focused on client experience before, where should they start?
Erin: I would say start by putting yourself in your client’s shoes. Ask yourself, If I were a client of my company, what would I need and value? Then look at your operations from a customer’s perspective. Are there any bumps, dips, or confusing points? What can you tweak to make the client experience smoother?
Erin: Once you’ve walked through the process from the client’s perspective, start small. You don’t have to overhaul everything at once. Maybe begin with your onboarding process or your first 30-60 days with a client. Look for those moments where you can be proactive and show that you care. And don’t forget about current clients while you’re working on bringing in new ones. Oftentimes, those who’ve been with you the longest need attention too—they deserve the same level of care you give to new clients.
Laura: Yes, and retention is so much easier than acquisition! If you’re keeping your existing clients happy, that can lead to referrals and organic growth.
Erin: Exactly. Retention and referrals are the low-hanging fruit that businesses sometimes forget about. Your current clients are your best advocates, and if they feel valued, they’ll sing your praises to others.
Laura: Before we wrap up, can you tell us about any tools or resources you recommend for businesses looking to improve their client experience?
Erin: Absolutely. A good CRM system is crucial—it helps you track client communication and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Tools like HubSpot or Salesforce are great, but even something simpler like a Trello board or Asana can work if you’re just starting out. The important thing is to have a system in place where your team can access client notes, track tasks, and follow up consistently.
I also recommend investing in feedback tools—whether that’s simple surveys or something more robust, like Net Promoter Score (NPS). This helps you gauge client satisfaction regularly and address any issues before they become bigger problems.
Laura: That’s great advice. Erin, this has been such a valuable conversation. I know our listeners are going to walk away with so many actionable insights. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us today.
Erin: Thank you, Laura. It was a pleasure being here!
Laura: For our listeners, if you’re looking to improve your client journey and retention, take Erin’s advice to heart. It doesn’t have to be complicated—just be proactive and always put your clients first. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Know, Grow, and Scale. We’ll see you next time!
