Not happy, Jane

After upgrading my computer recently, I spent some time getting it all running smoothly again. My internal administration includes a register of software and activation keys. So you'd think it would be reasonably quick & easy to reinstall, yes? (Hmm, can I hear you laughing?)

Most software reinstalled without a hitch, but with a few exceptions. The hitches included Passphrase Keeper (PPK) (a wonderful program that safely stores that multitude of
passwords we all need), the well-known compression utility, WinZip, & a large well-known supplier's.

I downloaded the latest versions of Winzip and PPK, and could use them, but only as evaluation versions. Within one day of my emails, both were registered & fully functional again, thanks to the exceedingly rapid & personal response from both firms. Free upgrade to Passphrase Keeper. Winzip offered the previous version free, or a discount on the latest. Since I bought it in 1996, with free upgrades ever since, paying for the latest version felt very fair.

Wish I could say the same with the other program I've been using for some financials. Let's call it 'SlowIt'. The reinstall process was cumbersome, ill-designed, time-consuming and frustrating.

I had to locate the original disk (from 4 years ago!) and install that and then register it. Which meant phoning them for a code. And only then could I install the later upgrade on top.

Major problem: the upgrade wouldn't install, and kept aborting.

And only one of the 5 separate people I had to talk to (because of course, none of them would wait on the 'help' line) sounded in the least bit interested. I finally gave up, after having spent close to half a day on installing, uninstalling, reinstalling, not to mention waiting on the
call line, and their 'solution': the problem had to be at my end, so I was to phone (again!!) for technical support. At $4.50 per minute.

And all this for legal software, that I've already paid for.

The point? My experience with the strongly customer-focused companies was excellent. It wasn't just their products, it was also the people involved, and the fact that someone had thought through the process, and made it work smoothly.

And so I'll not just keep supporting their products, but I'll tell others, readily buy something else from them, and also sent them unsolicited testimonials, telling them how happy I was.

And SlowIt? I've decided to ditch that program -it's always been problematic - and find an alternative.

I wonder if you have thought recently about what your customers' experience really is? And even better, if you've done anything about it? (And I don't mean those silly 'tick the box here' forms that none of us ever do.

I've written about customer satisfaction before, probably will again. The ISO 9001 Standard makes it a primary focus - it's as fundamental as that.

The Standard says you must have effective arrangements to communicate with your customers, including customer feedback & complaints. You also have to 'monitor information relating to
customer perception as to whether [your organisation] has met customer requirements'. Simply put, know or find out, what they think. Did they get what they wanted?

I wish I had a dollar for every person who's told me that 9001 makes you have customer satisfaction surveys. It doesn't.

And I promise you, the phrase 'customer satisfaction survey' does not appear anywhere in it. But you DO need to know if your customers perceive you as having met their requirements.

Because if you haven't, at the very least you'll lose customers.

At worst, you could lose much more.

I'm looking forward to a trouble-free, non-IT dominated period ahead.

Hope yours is good also.