Technology is well established as the high-octane fuel driving companies to go the distance to improve worker productivity, achieve operational efficiencies and to stretch the limits of innovation. But even the most sophisticated software can't help organizations meet these lofty goals on its own. It takes a lot of hands-on TLC to keep the software engines running smoothly. That's why companies shouldn't overlook the customer service piece when they're evaluating enterprise software.
Think about the fact that in both consumer and enterprise circles, customer experience has become one of those "next big things." Delivering a top-notch customer experience goes hand in hand with a dogged focus on customer service and support, yet many large enterprise software vendors seem to be missing that piece as part of their DNA.
According to Harris Interactive, 86% of consumers quit doing business with a company because of a bad customer experience and 89% turn to a competitor following a poor customer experience.
From Left to right (first row): John Dos Santos, Myra Spengler, Patricia Heubach (back row): Glenda Betit, Paul Greenbeck
Yet not every enterprise software company is giving customer service adequate attention. Helpdesk International (HDI), an independent professional association and certification body for the technical service and support industry, recently released its top 50 elite players, and Synergis Software was high on the list. Ranked #8 on HDI's CSAT Elite 50, Synergis' support team was recognized for outstanding technical service based on 630 customer satisfaction survey submissions gathered by the HDI Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Service, an independent tool tracking and trending customer satisfaction from year to year.
Synergis customers using the Adept Engineering Data and Document Management software gave high marks to the support organization's responsiveness and commitment to customer satisfaction:
"Any time I might have an issue … it doesn't stay an issue for long," said Phil Money, design engineer at Gyrodata, a leading technology provider in the global oil and gas industry.
Others were impressed with how quickly Synergis customer service representatives were able to get to the root of a problem and bring businesses back online:
"[Customer support] was able to quickly identify my various issues and direct me on the actions needed to resolve them. On a personal note, I have several years of experience working in Customer Service and with different IT Support roles. I am continually impressed with the professionalism and customer service attitude that I receive from the Adept Support Team."
Admittedly, customer service and support lacks the sex appeal of major product enhancements, but that doesn't mean it's not equally or more important. After all, what good is some new fancy feature if the main system is down and your business is stalled?
