Customer service is a vital part of any company’s success, right? So why does it seem that you just can’t find it anymore? There is no shortage of articles online about the worst companies for customer service, and it always seems to be some of the biggest, seemingly more successful companies out there.
I have a small business owner friend on Facebook who posted frustration one day about his struggles with customer support at Quickbooks. I was surprised because I had never really heard many complaints from other people I know who use Quickbooks. Never one to miss an opportunity, I reached out, but I got to thinking. I doubt he is the only one experiencing problems with his accounting software, so I did what we all do these days, I “googled it.”
Come to find out there is a consumer affairs site that has a page listing 327 complaints just about customer support from Quickbooks. Don’t get me wrong, I have been in business long enough to know that any business providing a product or service cannot make all people happy all of the time. However, it does say something when the complaints seem to focus on a small number of issues, over a fairly extended period of time.
I went back quite a few pages, as far back as complaints issued in early 2012. Keep in mind that is a little over two years. To find consistency in the type of complaints over a two year period is a sign of problems, at least it is in my mind.
There are numerous hints of language barriers, apathy on the part of the representatives, and being erroneously charged. It’s even worse that the person calling support with an issue seems to know more about the software than the so-called “expert’ providing the customer support. For these types of problems to persist for two years or more is really inexcusable.
There is a number of accounting software sites online these days, and many of them, like Quickbooks, offer a great value to small business owners. At least they are until you need their help or you grow beyond what the software can handle. When that happens, it can get quite expensive for a company to simply manage its finances. Plus these products tend to be standard, meaning that the capabilities are what they are, no matter what business you are in.
If you are a business owner and any of this sounds familiar, you might want to consider a software package that can be built to custom fit your company’s needs. Contact Structured Management Systems, Inc. for an assessment of your current system and how our EnergyElite suite of accounting software can streamline your back office procedures.
