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Unfortunately, too many of us have had experience with “Customer No Support” (to borrow a phrase from Clark Howard) or, even worse – Customer Offshore Support. Here are some things to look for before purchasing a software product. 

          It is a given that you are going to have questions as you incorporate a new software system.  How quickly and effectively those questions are answered is of vital importance. Will the person on the other end of the phone treat you with patience and professionalism, or will you be made to feel like an idiot? 

          Before making any software purchase, you should give just as much scrutiny to the company as you do to their product.  What kind of customer service and technical support can you expect?  Because customer support so strongly influences customer satisfaction, here are a few things to consider:

Cost of Support –

     How much will you be charged to get your questions answered?  Some companies charge per phone call, others charge annual fees, others might charge you by the minute.  If a company appears to “nickel and dime” you for technical support, you should be cautious.  Costs can add up very quickly.

Type of Support –

     Is there a live body that can help you?  Some software companies do not offer phone support.  You e-mail your questions and eventually they respond to your e-mail.  This is obviously a very slow and ineffective way to receive help.

     One way of getting a feel for customer support is to visit each company’s website, and see where they refer customers to for support. If they do not publish a telephone number to call for support, you should be wary.  If a number is listed, call it and see how long it takes to reach a live person on the other end of the phone line.

     Does the company seem to encourage or discourage calls for help?  Are you penalized (financially or otherwise) for requesting assistance?  A company that genuinely cares about its customers and has confidence in its product will welcome your questions.

Turnaround Time -

     What is the response time?  How quickly is your phone call returned by a member of the customer support team?  How long will it take to solve the problem or receive the help you need?  One way to gauge this is to talk with other customers, and ask them what their experiences have been.  An important factor contributing to turnaround lies in the complexity and design of the software purchased.  If a system is poorly designed, or overly complex, it will take a longer time to solve issues and fix problems.

Quality of Support –

     How knowledgeable is the person on the other end of the phone line?  Do they have a solid understanding of not only their software but also the floor-covering industry?  Many flooring professionals have met with great frustration when trying to receive customer support from QuickBooks or other generic accounting programs, because the person answering phone calls has no experience with the unique aspects of the floor-covering industry.

Kindness Goes a Long Way -

     You and your software provider are partners, and you should always be treated respectfully.  That may seem overly simplistic, but one of the most common complaints of dealers is that they called for help and were treated like an imbecile.  If the person on the other end of the phone line cannot explain things in straightforward, “real-person-language”, if he or she is arrogant, patronizing, or impatient, you need a different software system.  You should never feel it is an imposition to request help.  Customer support truly should “support” you in your goals of success.