Identifying True, World-Class Support
So you just bought a piece of technology to streamline your business and fatten that bottom line. Congratulations! Business owners who enthusiastically embrace technology are positioning themselves to succeed in the face of vigorous competition, now and in the future.
But to take full advantage of the benefits technology has to offer, you need to use it to its fullest potential. Achieving this is more than a matter of great software and hardware. You need an overall solution that includes a team of professionals to help you when you have a question about how something works or what to do when a feature or function seems to be acting up.
You need a world-class support team that can get your issues resolved now! before inefficiency starts to drain your profits.
Problem is, everyone will tell you their support department is the best, and that can be confusing when you are evaluating new technology. Fortunately here are some qualities that can help you identify true, best-of-class support:
- Speed — Many C-store customers need 7×24 support for their POS and pumps while Back Office solutions usually only require a Monday through Friday response. With a Quality Back Office C-store vendor, you should expect to work with a technician within 3 to 4 hours.
- Humans, not Robots — When you encounter a problem, you don’t want to wander through a maze of phone recordings; you want a real, live human being, and an expert at that! A seasoned support professional asks the right questions and pinpoints specific issues, taking time with you to make sure everything is solved. They don’t recite generic solutions and they aren’t in a rush to get the next call started.
- In-house, not Outhouse — Outsourcing technical support is more popular than before, but that doesn’t make it an optimum solution. Technology companies that put their own support departments under the same roof as their developers and quality assurance professionals create an unparalleled advantage for users. In-house staff lives and breathes the product. Technicians can walk across the floor and get straight answers from those that build it. It’s the kind of interaction that creates an expertise greater than the sum of its parts and creates true customer satisfaction.
- Experience — Best-of-class companies don’t view support jobs as disposable entry-level positions. They value their staff because they know the longer they remain with the company, the more experience they get and the better equipped they are to address the thorniest of problems in a minimum of time.
When you’re shopping for technology, ask questions that shed light on the supplier’s support philosophy, because good technology is always part of a total solution that also includes world-class training as well. If a company’s support lacks any of the above qualities, you’ll have a difficult time seeing the efficiency gains you expect, whether it be from a camera, a POS, a C-store back office system, or whatever else you are about to invest in.
Remember, a product is only as good as its support!
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