Step 7: Support Your CRM System
Support for your CRM system is the next area that you need to be concerned with. Do not underestimate the impact of excellent support. This can greatly impact the success of your CRM system. You should have a support plan that describes the levels of support your company offers to system users, the hours of operations of the support function, and the procedures to escalate a support issue that may not be easily resolved. Thus, for example, your support plan needs to define who is your company's first-tier support (e.g., an internal help desk, an 800 number, your boss, etc.), who is your company's second-tier support (e.g., your systems administrator or IT department), and who is your company's third-tier support (e.g., the CRM software vendor). Your support plan needs to clearly describe the international hours of operation for your support or help desk—is it seven days per week and 24 hours per day, or is it five days per week and eight hours per day? Your plan also needs to describe the role of your systems administrator.
Increasingly, companies that are implementing CRM are turning to third-party CRM support companies to provide support for the system. Companies like C3i in New York specialize in this area and offer a full line of training and support services, including a “hot spare” program that guarantees delivery of a ready-to-use replacement PC computer in the event that your PC breaks or is stolen. Whether you create your own support function, default to support by your CRM software vendor, or use a third-party support company, take the time to lay out a clear, comprehensive support plan. There is nothing worse than being in the field, logging on to the CRM application, and getting stuck because of a support issue.