Research and Development Specialists Ltd (RDS), a company that specialises in helping firms to navigate the HMRC tax incentive, has just unveiled a comprehensive upgrade to its CRM system that it hopes will increase transparency and ease of use for new and existing customers.
The company has introduced a new customer service hub, a £50K+ project that is totally unique to RDS and was completed by IT development firm Code Galaxy, which RDS has also commissioned to design and build a new website. The brief for the RDS Client and Partner Hub was to streamline internal processes, saving time for those on both ends of overseeing an R&D claim. Each and every RDS customer can now access their claim at any time of day and get a real time view of the stage/progress of the claim.
Other new features include increased options for communication, including a new voice notes facility, and a project tracker so that a client’s claims along with any supporting evidence are all conveniently accessed from one centralised location.
Mark Joyner, CEO for RDS explains more about the new RDS Client and Partner Hub:
“Time is always the main obstacle that potential clients cite as a reason for not wanting to initiate an R&D claim, that and uncertainty over the scheme’s legitimacy or whether they are eligible. That’s why clarity and streamlining processes were both high priorities when we initiated this development.
“The RDS hub has been created as a tool to give our clients full access to every stage of the process. It allows them 24/7 control over their claim, and they can see instantly anything we require from them. Transparency to us as a business is key and since 2017, we’ve always written reports and documented the process, but as you can imagine when servicing hundreds of clients that process can become really time consuming, the new hub solves that in an accessible, centralised tool that can be accessed in real time, any time of day.
“I see it as the equivalent to internet banking when it first launched for our clients, that’s what we’re trying to do within the R&D world; 24-hour instant access, mobile activated control.”
Roy Quick, Sales Manager for RDS added: “We’ve always prided ourselves on how transparent we are in handling a company’s R&D claim, we give clients full disclosure and final sign off at every stage and we believe ourselves to be an industry leader in this aspect.
“I think the thing I’m most proud of about the hub is that we’re bringing client control into the 21st century by even enabling voice notes as an option in how they communicate with us. Removing any call centre-like queues or having to write lengthy emails to us. It’s making us as a company much more accessible and allowing us to provide an even better experience and service. The Hub is an environment where clients can upload everything easily and be in the knowledge that their information is safely stored for when it’s needed.”
