At ADD Systems, the goal of customer support is to help you run your business as efficiently as possible. To get the inside scoop on customer support’s role here, we sat down with Linda Carrer, Software Support Manager; Dawn Woodhead, Software Support Supervisor; and Tommy Strazi, Customer Service Manager, all of whom have been with ADD Systems for over 20 years.
Their Philosophy
Tommy says the support team tries to live by this quote from a plaque on his desk:
A customer is the most important part of our business. The customer is not dependent on us – we are dependent on him. He is not an outsider in our business – he is a part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him – he is doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so.
Dawn Woodhead and Linda Carrer
What Makes A Great Team
As any manager knows, keeping a team motivated is crucial for their success. When asked how he motivates his staff, Tommy says he regularly tells his staff how much he appreciates them – “it’s always good to hear from somebody that you’re doing a good job.” Tommy says that he also shares positive survey responses with his team and they sometimes have group lunches and partake in other group activities. Linda and Dawn echo these thoughts. In October, they celebrate Customer Service Week with their team with fun team-building activities. Linda also stresses that positive reinforcement is important for the development of the team. She says, “positive feedback is a great way to keep people motivated.” Dawn says another way to keep a team motivated is by asking for their opinions on things they find important. For example, ADD Systems has a monthly meeting where members of the support team can participate as part of the Support Improvement Committee and provide suggestions on how to improve the department, and the company. Motivation, however, is only one factor of a great team.
Linda, Dawn, and Tommy all agree that another key factor of a great team is teamwork. Tommy says that a team cannot succeed if everyone is working as individuals; a successful team is always collaborating and bouncing ideas off of each other. Dawn comments, “no one person can know everything. Teamwork is us working together for our customers’ benefit.” Linda adds that it is important for the members of the team to get along with each other and work to each other’s strengths. She says, “I think comradery is the biggest thing we have going for us. Everyone feels that they’re important.” These qualities are what separates ADD Systems’ customer support from the rest.
Melanie Wolf
The Challenge
One of the biggest challenges faced while working in customer support is keeping up with the constant evolution of the software and industry trends. Dawn explains that “you have to be constantly at the cutting edge.” Linda adds that in order to succeed in customer support, one must be an attentive listener and effective communicator.
Patrick Moore
What Keeps Them Going
While it is important for Linda, Dawn, and Tommy to motivate their teams, we wanted to know what motivates these leaders, too. According to Linda, her favorite part of working in customer support is watching the new customers grow and teaching them how to use the software in a way that best fits their business. Dawn and Tommy enjoy the satisfaction they receive from solving the customers’ problems. As Tommy puts it, “the main goal is to get the customer up and running so that they can be productive. If they succeed, we succeed!”
Left to Right: Mandy Hagans, Linda Hull, Sandy Brown, Larry Lenthe
What They Want You to Know
Our final question for Dawn, Linda, and Tommy was to name the most important things they want people to know about the ADD Systems support team. Tommy says the support team at ADD Systems is “the team that’s going to follow them into the future.” Once the sale has been made and the software has been installed, he explains, the support team takes on the role of partner to the customer; the support team is there to make sure that customers are using the software to their advantage so they can further advance their business. Linda wants people to know this about the support team: “Everyone puts their heart and soul into the job because they truly care about the company and the customers, and doing the best by them.” All of this is why we believe our customer support team is one of ADD Systems’ greatest assets.
Who You Gonna Call?
Our Customer Support team works hard to keep ADD Systems’ customers operating as efficiently as possible, but they don’t work alone. Our Training, Hardware Support, and Operations teams, along with members of almost every department here at ADD Systems, are dedicated to supporting you and your business. No matter where you are or what you need, with four offices and several remote employees, you can count on ADD Systems to be there to help.
We truly value all of our customers and we hope your customer support experiences at ADD Systems have lived up to this standard.
Have you had an exceptional customer support experience? Feel free to share it in the comments!
Cheryl Maloney says
Miss working with you all!! You are a great team