When purchasing complicated software systems, it is important not to over look the service you will receive after the purchase is complete. Making sure you have good technical support service from your software partner should be a key portion of your purchasing decision. Here are a few things to look for from your software partner.
Onsite Software Installation
Many software products are sold off the shelf and are easily installed by the end-user. However, some complicated business-to-business software systems might require onsite installation. If you are buying a complicated system, make sure your software partner offers onsite product installation. This software partner should also be able to offer onsite training during production installation.
Easy to Understand Online FAQ
Sometimes you may just be looking for a quick software question. An online FAQ is a great way to find what you are looking for. Make sure that your software company offers an online FAQ. This FAQ should be easy to find on their website and should offer quick and simple solutions to basic software questions. It may also contain ‘how tos’ like “how to run a report’ or ‘how to merge groups’, etc.
Timely Response
Whether you’ve put in a service ticket, left a voice mail or emailed your technical support team, you should receive a timely response. A good software support team should explain their response time before you purchase your software program. Maybe they offer a response within 24hours but only Monday through Friday. If you know that before you purchase your software, you will know not to expect a call on Saturday.
Free Technical Support
Not all technical support is free. Only complicated business-to-business software systems come with free technical support. If you are spending a lot of money on this software, make sure you have at least one year of free technical support.
Access to Speak to A Person
In today’s world of automation, it can be difficult to get a live person when looking for technical support. A good technical support program should include access to live people. It does not necessarily need to be 24/7 but access to a human is key. Some business-to-business software companies offer 8 AM EST to 8 PM EST technical support. This allows companies on both sides of the US access to technical support during their normal work day.
Purchasing software systems can be complicated. Knowing what you need in good technical support service is vital and can help make your decision an easier one.