Warm, proactive approach to client satisfaction sets Via apart
Via believes so much in helping clients succeed that Via has a dedicated Chief Client Officer and Client Success Manager.
“We believe it’s our job to help clients to be successful in their roles through using our SaaS platform,” says Lisa Stern, Via’s Chief Client Officer. “We don’t wait until they have an issue or a problem. We take a more proactive approach by thoroughly onboarding them and providing ongoing trainings and so much more.”
Via Global, our flagship study abroad software solution, is at the heart of Via’s product line. The tool connects Education Abroad offices with travelers well before they apply. Via Global simplifies study abroad so that the workday is easier for clients. Travelers love Via Global, too, because it’s intuitive, visually appealing, and very easy to use.
Our other software solution, Via Travel, is attractive to clients who want to manage and track every student and every traveler. Via Travel helps them do that through an interactive map, comprehensive reporting, advisories and alerts, and so much more.
Vanessa Escoto, Client Success Manager at Via.
Via works with small private to large public institutions, Ivy League schools to community colleges, top senders to one-person offices and providers. Every client is important, no matter the size, says Lisa, Via’s Chief Client Officer.
When Via was looking to hire a new Client Success Manager, we looked for someone who had the talent to build client relationships—someone who would take the time to understand client needs, roles, and responsibilities in order to help them make the most of Via’s products. Via found that person in Vanessa Escoto, who was named Via’s Client Success Manager in January 2022.
“We’re building something together with our clients”
In her role as Client Success Manager, Vanessa, who is fluent in Spanish and studied Japanese as well, facilitates and maximizes client success by empowering clients to reach their full potential using Via’s software. She does that through product training, user research, and by providing reliable client support.
“The approach we take is very warm compared to other companies that focus more on the product and generating income and not on building relationships,” Vanessa says. “That’s the number one reason people connect with us and stay with us. We involve them in the process of evolving our products by listening and responding to their questions, concerns, and ideas. We take their feedback seriously. They know they’re being heard. We’re building something together with our clients.”
Via mission matches Vanessa’s passion for study abroad
Vanessa loves bringing her previous training and client relations experience to grow the Via community and position Via as a powerhouse in higher education.
“I was so incredibly lucky to find a company where my unique path in study abroad resonated with the company culture and mission to empower global experiences,” Vanessa says. “When I told my family about my new job with Via, they said, ‘Wow, that’s a perfect fit for you!’”
Vanessa, who was born and raised in Miami, Florida, studied international relations at Florida International University. It was during her time at FIU that she participated in a year-long immersion program in Kyoto, Japan.
“I was always interested in learning about people, cultures and different ways of living,” she says. Vanessa took Japanese in high school and wanted to continue to grow her proficiency in the language in college.
Vanessa, bottom left, at the top of Mount Fuji in Japan!
“During the year I studied abroad in Japan, I formed lasting friendships with people from all over the world, many of whom I’m still in touch with 15 years later. They’re some of my closest friends.”
In addition to practicing her Japanese, she also climbed to the top of Mount Fuji to watch the sunrise. Ultimately, Vanessa decided to finish her bachelor’s degree abroad and chose Leiden University College, The Hague, Netherlands.
Both international experiences prepared her to be resilient and develop her skills as a problem-solver, she says.
She draws on all of her experiences at Via, where she focuses on building business frameworks that support client needs. That’s particularly crucial as clients return to mobility after being shut down during the pandemic.
“I want to make our clients’ day-to-day work more efficient so they can empower global experiences like those that left a lasting, positive impression on me,” Vanessa says.
Via impresses clients with agility and responsiveness
Vanessa and the Via team are succeeding in helping clients feel seen and heard. In fact, It’s our customer service that sets Via apart, according to clients like Elana Kranz at the University of Chicago.
Japanese sweets from a cooking class Vanessa participated in while in Japan.
“We really love working with the Via team,” she says. “They are responsive, knowledgeable, solutions-focused, and friendly.”
AJ LeBlanc at UMass Amherst echoes that sentiment. UMass switched to Via in late 2021 after tiring of frustrations with their previous software provider.
“We really feel like we have a voice and that our opinion matters to Via,” AJ says. “Our opinions, our feedback, how we use the product, where we find successes and challenges—everyone we’ve interacted with at Via legitimately wants to know and wants to make it better.”
Christine Trinidad at Michigan State University calls Via “extremely agile and responsive.”
“They hear what we say. They ask us questions. I definitely see Via as the 12th man on our team.”
Via’s overall focus on client success is genuine, Via’s Client Success Manager says.
“We really care,” Vanessa says. “We’re always looking to make our clients’ daily workflows better. We take any support requests very seriously. Our clients know and appreciate that.”
Adds Lisa, Via’s Chief Client Officer: “We’ve built Via by being warm and communicative and being there for our clients. They know we hear them and that we’ll work to resolve any issue they have. Our clients feel supported because we’re there for them.”
Let’s Connect
Powering global experiences for #everystudent and #everytraveler is what we do every day at Via through a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that’s focused on Traveler Relationship and Risk Management. Via is constantly innovating our software solutions based on feedback we receive from our partners in international education—people like you! Let’s connect to see how Via can help you.