Frustrated with Bad Tech Support
by Dr. Michael Failla, D.C.
After years of having to deal with the customer service departments of insurance companies, most doctors and their staffs have grown numb from having to navigate through a series of “Press 1 for this,” or “Press 2 for that” computer animated call centers. Collectively, we are all tired of being shuffled from one impersonal system to another. This experience is only compounded when we are having difficulty with our computers or software, since there is a sense of helplessness and a stagnation of all productivity when our systems are down.
The technology industry is notoriously bad at providing good support for many of their users. In an article in Consumer Reports, many of the larger technology companies were out shined by smaller companies in providing solutions to their problems in over 30 percent of the cases. The major frustrations these people faced came from long hold times, repeating information over and over to multiple representatives and the high cost of support per hour.
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One study stated that 85 percent of customers said that they would stop using a company’s product after a bad experience with a call center. |
One study stated that 85 percent of customers said that they would stop using a company’s product after a bad experience with a call center. As professionals and business owners, we don’t have time to waste on the phone with strangers or, even worse, automated systems attempting to correct a problem we are struggling with. Nor do we want to have the time of a staff member being expended in this manner.
In the past, lousy and impersonal service may have been forgiven because the number of options that customers had were fewer, so they made do and suffered through it. However, in this age where we need our problems solved yesterday, quality customer service is an expectation, not just a luxury. Any software company that you deal with today should make it a part of their corporate culture to have resources available to overcome support issues. It should be the norm that your software is backed with:
1. Informative newsletters summarizing software features so that you can get regular pointers and tips for trouble shooting.
2. Online Webinars for live demonstrations of how to utilize your program.
3. Dedicated trainers and customer representatives that are assigned to you so you get to speak with someone live that you are familiar with.
4. Reasonable fees for updates and support, since one problem can easily run up an exorbitant bill.
As with any purchase you make for your office, it is important to do your homework about the quality of the product and equally imperative that you research their customer service record. Larger companies may be more impersonal, while smaller companies may be under staffed, which can lead to frustrations in the future. Since changing vendors takes a significant investment of time and effort, it is important that you form a relationship with a company that you can trust.
Dr. Michael Failla is the President and Co-owner of Integrated Practice Solutions, the makers of ChiroTouch. Dr. Failla graduated from Life University College of Chiropractic in Atlanta, Georgia, and went on to run a highly successful chiropractic office in Seattle, Washington, for 25 years. Dr. Failla sold his practice in 2007 and continues to promote health and wellness by helping chiropractors run streamlined and successful practices with more time for their patients and less time with their paperwork.