Mobile Beacon
Increasing access to critical communications services across the U.S.
Mobile Beacon provides high-speed, low-cost, mobile internet access to the nonprofits, schools, libraries, and healthcare organizations that provide vital services to millions of Americans every day. Through this broadband service, organizations have an essential tool to fulfill their missions, maximize their philanthropic impact, and offer more and better services to the communities they serve.
Challenges
- Online purchase form and subsequent workflow were buggy and presented a poor user experience, resulting in long lead time to close incomplete orders and a persistent strain on Customer Service staff to gather additional information needed to process the order.
- Little insight into how or why users abandoned the online cart.
- Renewing service plans was a manual, time consuming process, which resulted in monthly billing falling behind.
- A national nonprofit partner that works in large volumes with Mobile Beacon needed real time data exchange to maintain up to date information, and the manual processes could not keep up with the pace that data changed, resulting in reconciliation and customer service challenges.
Solutions
- Sales Cloud was customized to accommodate specific workflows for purchasing hardware and service plans.
- A brand new, fully automated renewal process and front end form were developed.
- Subscription data from external cellular companies is added daily and assigned to relevant records.
- PCs for People, a sales partner, can report sales activity through a custom API.
Results
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Faster order processingSales Cloud was customized around Mobile Beacon's specific hardware and service plan workflows, reducing the manual effort needed to close orders.
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Stronger renewal ratesA fully automated renewal process and new front end form, paired with Pardot reminders, removed the need for manual staff activity and has positively impacted renewal rates.
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Real time data across partnersDaily subscription syncing and a custom API for sales partner PCs for People keep records current without manual reconciliation.
Implementing Salesforce and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (formerly Pardot) was a game-changer. Customers can now place initial orders and renew easily online, and automated reminders have increased our renewal rates while allowing staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
Project Highlights
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Custom purchasing workflows
Sales Cloud was configured around Mobile Beacon's specific processes for purchasing hardware and service plans.
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Automated renewals
A brand new, fully automated renewal process and front end form removed manual work from the renewal cycle.
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Daily subscription syncing
Subscription data from external cellular companies is added daily and assigned to the relevant records.
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Partner API integration
A custom API lets sales partner PCs for People report sales activity directly into the system.
Project Summary
Mobile Beacon provides high speed, low cost mobile internet access to the nonprofits, schools, libraries, and healthcare organizations that serve millions of Americans every day. Its previous online order system made it difficult for customers to finalize purchases, creating long lead times and straining Mobile Beacon’s customer service team, while the renewal process remained manual and reporting lagged behind. Fíonta worked with Mobile Beacon to improve the initial order form and build a new renewals form with automated functionality in Salesforce Sales Cloud, giving the organization a system that manages orders, renewals, and sales data in real time.
Outcomes
Mobile Beacon now processes orders and renewals of mobile hotspots without manual activity from staff. Orders and renewals flow through online forms and Salesforce workflows, sales data updates in real time, and Pardot powered renewal reminders trigger automatically based on a set of rules. Staff have been freed up to focus on higher value, mission centric work, and renewal rates have improved as a result.