How to Retain MRR Clients & Get 100% CSAT

A satisfied and loyal customer base is the foundation of any successful technology business. While customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys and reports provide valuable insights, what happens when your CSAT scores fall below expectations? More importantly, how do you improve them to ensure long-term customer retention?

There are several tactics to retain the Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) customers you have, get additional MRR from existing customers, and minimize customer churn.

Send reminders, even if you’re the one waiting for a response

One of the most common reasons for unresolved tickets is a lack of customer response. When an agent requests additional information from a customer and doesn’t receive a reply, the ticket often remains open indefinitely, creating backlog and inefficiencies in your service desk.

To avoid this, automated workflows can be implemented to send follow-up reminders at key intervals. These automated messages keep the customer engaged and ensure that unresolved issues don’t linger.

• Initial Reminder: A follow-up email can be sent after a set period, prompting the customer: "Hey, just following up—is this still an issue?"
• Second Reminder: If there’s still no response, another email can notify them: "If we don't hear back, we'll auto-close your ticket in two days."
• Final Notification: When the ticket is auto-closed, a final email informs the customer: "Your ticket was closed due to no response. If the issue persists, just reply, and we’ll reopen it."

By leveraging automation services, IT/MSPs can reduce manual follow-ups, improve ticket resolution times, and maintain consistent customer communication—all without increasing the workload on service desk agents.

Watch your Cadence of Contact

Automated email workflows are a powerful tool for maintaining engagement and ensuring follow-ups. However, timing matters—too many emails can frustrate customers, while too few may leave them feeling ignored. Striking the right balance is key to effective communication and positive customer experiences.

Rather than assuming more contact equals better service, IT/MSPs should tailor outreach based on customer preferences and engagement history. Sending daily emails may seem proactive, but for many clients, it quickly becomes overwhelming. Instead, analyze past interactions to determine an optimal cadence—one that keeps customers informed without causing inbox fatigue.

Ensuring that email workflows are properly configured to align with client communication preferences helps build trust and maintain a seamless customer experience. By setting up smart triggers and response-based automation, MSPs can personalize interactions while avoiding excessive follow-ups, keeping customer engagement both effective and non-intrusive.

Keep Messaging Consistent

Regardless of how many different technicians, departments, or support channels a customer interacts with, the experience should feel seamless. Every touchpoint represents your brand, so maintaining a consistent tone and communication style is essential to building trust and professionalism.

In addition to uniform messaging, having a standardized approach to documenting support tickets ensures that both customers and internal teams have a clear view of all relevant details. Every ticket should include:

• Customer details for easy reference.
• Issue description to outline the problem clearly.
• Troubleshooting steps taken and corresponding timestamps.
• Involvement of third-party vendors, if applicable.
• A concise technical summary for quick understanding.

This level of structured documentation keeps internal teams aligned and allows technicians to quickly assess the latest time entry to determine what’s been done and what still needs to be addressed. By implementing workflow standardization, MSPs can ensure that every technician follows the same process, reducing miscommunication and improving service efficiency.

Utilize Different Media

Get creative with how you engage customers. If an email isn’t enough to explain an issue, record a quick demonstration video instead. Sending a short, personalized message like, "Here's a quick two-minute video to walk you through XYZ," can make complex topics easier to understand.

Taking the extra step to provide visual explanations not only enhances clarity but also builds trust and goodwill. Customers will appreciate the effort, making them more likely to stay engaged and satisfied with your service. Simple gestures like this can strengthen relationships and improve overall client retention.

Know the Whole Story

Before you engage with a customer, be sure you’re up to speed on the issues. Read the ticket in its entirety and fully understand their complaint before you respond. If you don't understand the issue after reading the ticket, you can say something like: “I understand this is what you're reporting, but could you give me a little more information on that so I’m clear?”

When there’s a problem, the customer wants to be heard and helped. Having your team ask them multiple times for the details of the issue can be really frustrating and make them feel overlooked. Think about the issue from the customer’s perspective and what you’d like your support experience to be if you were a customer. Then, try to deliver that level of support.

Put Yourself in the Customer’s Shoes

True customer service is about meeting customers at their level and ensuring they feel understood. As a technician, it’s easy to forget that not everyone has the same technical knowledge. To create a better experience, avoid jargon-heavy explanations and instead, simplify your communication without being condescending.

You can often gauge a customer’s knowledge level by how they ask questions, but when in doubt, a thoughtful approach works best. A simple phrase like, "I’m sorry if you’ve already tried this, but have you checked XYZ?" shows that you’re helpful, not dismissive. Taking the time to explain things clearly and patiently makes the customer feel like more than just another ticket in the queue—it strengthens trust and fosters positive, long-term relationships.

If There’s a Problem, Address it Quickly

Having a structured process for addressing negative feedback is crucial for maintaining strong customer relationships and high CSAT scores. While handling complaints may not be the most enjoyable task, taking ownership and resolving issues quickly can prevent dissatisfaction from escalating and even turn frustrated customers into loyal ones.

When a problem arises, reach out directly and listen to the customer’s concerns—sometimes, the issue stems from a simple miscommunication. A proactive approach shows commitment to customer success. If the problem is fixable, assure them that you’re working on a solution, explain the steps being taken, and ensure it gets resolved as efficiently as possible.

Consistently applying these customer service best practices will not only help retain MRR clients but also improve overall customer satisfaction and brand reputation. A responsive, customer-focused approach builds trust and keeps clients engaged for the long term.

Turning CSAT into Long-Term Client Loyalty

Delivering exceptional customer experience is about being proactive, responsive, and consistently exceeding client expectations. By implementing these strategies, MSPs can retain MRR clients, improve CSAT scores, and build stronger long-term relationships. Every interaction is an opportunity to reinforce your value, build trust, and enhance service quality—key factors in driving sustainable growth.

At MSP+, we specialize in helping MSPs optimize their client experience strategies, streamline operations, and implement automation that enhances customer interactions. Whether you need customized workflows, improved service delivery models, or expert guidance on retention strategies, our team can help you build a scalable, customer-centric process.