Exceptional Customer Support Leads to Greater Adoption, Use, and Value of Policy Management Software
Even the best-built software is of little value if no one in your organization knows how or wants to use it. Software vendors that take the time and the effort to establish thoughtful, expansive support services are able to deliver greater value and longer-lasting results than those with just bare-bones offerings.
Policy management software evaluation must go beyond the bells and whistles of the solution itself and examine what life will be like post-implementation to see if it is the right fit.
Not all policy management software solutions are created equal. This is reflected in how the vendor approaches the user experience both pre- and post-implementation. Here are a few key considerations when evaluating a policy management solution vendor.
- Is the policy management software solution built for healthcare-by-healthcare experts?
- Does the policy management software offer a user-friendly, intuitive website to minimize user confusion and maximize the adoption and ongoing use?
- Does the policy management software have user role-based access and security?
- Does the software vendor provide various support options including an expansive knowledge base, live multichannel (phone, chat, email) support, and convenient support hours?
- Does the vendor offer trainings, working sessions, user adoption tools, and consultation to ensure success?
- Does the policy management software vendor provide strategies for keeping training and support resources up-to-date and aligned with customer needs?
A positive customer support experience can make or break an investment in a high-value resource like policy management software. Software vendors taking a customer-centric approach to support have built their engagement around these best practices:
Empathy
One of the most powerful tools in a customer support toolbox has nothing to do with software or computers. It is the ability to understand the frustration and pain a user is experiencing when they submit a help ticket. Putting yourself in the customer’s position makes it easier to establish rapport, guide them through the resolution, and turn a potentially negative use case into a positive experience that keeps them engaged and using the system as they have been trained.
Extensive internal knowledge base
Few things are more off-putting than calling in with a question only to be met with a wrong answer or none at all. Successful customer support teams also support each other, making available research, troubleshooting tools, and other resources, like weekly team meetings and recorded calls, accessible, to review appropriate and most effective responses. These resources help team members maximize their abilities to resolve customer issues quickly, properly, and for good.
Continuous improvement processes and ongoing training
A well-educated and informed support staff creates a well-educated and informed customer base. Policy management software vendors who emphasize continuous and updated training for their support teams boast better adoption rates, greater customer satisfaction, and deliver higher ROI for their customers.
Ongoing training should also extend beyond the internal support team to the customer’s team as well. Specifically, employing a “train-the-trainer” model—in which the vendor trains the customer’s administrators and internal training staff—is essential for protecting against knowledge gaps and improving users’ efficiency and confidence in using the various tools at their fingertips.
Strong service level agreements
The value of answers to questions is directly proportional to how long it takes to get an answer. The most in-depth explanation in the world is not worth much if it is delivered several days (or weeks) after being asked.
Successful policy management software vendors mandate faster response times—often within minutes—to customer questions. The quicker time to resolution alleviates a user’s pain sooner, compelling them to keep using the system to its fullest capability and convincing their coworkers to do the same. Rapid response has the added benefit of eliminating costly and time-consuming re-training on system basics.
In the next blog in the series, we will talk about a holistic approach to policy management.
MCN HEALTHCARE
Regulatory Compliance Solutions for Healthcare Organizations,
Including Policy Management Software, Policy Library Templates,
StayAlert! – Regulatory Alert System, Learning Management System, and Contract Manager