The Production Shop Ticket

This week, I had to go to the car dealer for a new battery on my car. This wasn’t where my trip started, though. It was a classic case of not knowing what the issue was and not being able to do the proper assessment.

I parked in the driveway and went to roll the windows up. That was when all power went out. It was noontime and 92 degrees outside. My dog was in the back of the car. With automatic door locks frozen, this became the first challenge. Once we pried him out, I noticed the next issue. Pointed forward, there was no way to get a tow truck to my car and the car couldn’t go into neutral.

I went through a long process of troubleshooting by myself. My dealer was of little assistance, as they recently joined a call center and the person I was speaking to wasn’t local anymore. I finally called the parts department, knowing they were on-site, and got through to the person I needed. Eventually, we determined it was the battery and got it started so I could take it in, but the process of determining the issue and lacking the true help I needed really had me stranded.

The customer support commitment

This is where I thought about our own customer support and how we interact with customers. Being a software company, it would be typical for us to have a 1-800 helpline and a ticketing system. Call with an issue, get a recording or a person to take your information, and give you a ticket number. The chances of you speaking to an individual in the software companies you deal with are teensy. (Yes, the smallest of the small.)

Until CIMx.

When we founded this company, we made a commitment to service. Our first tag line was “customer-driven solutions” and we stood by that. In the last 26 years, we have never had a ticketing system or a help desk. We wanted to be different and better. The combination of those two is challenging, time-intensive, and costs more.

When you have an issue on the shop floor, the last thing you need or want is a help desk to tell you that you have a unique identifier for your complaint / issue. What you need is help. Right then.

I ask you to think about the software vendors (shoot, just about any vendor) that you do business with today. How many of them can you call and talk to a person that can either help you immediately or take a note and get back to you with an answer? Maybe I should just ask you how many of them will provide you with a human, as my recent experiences had me stuck in a self-help loop with FAQs long before even getting to that call center that isn’t helpful at all and perhaps not even located in the U.S.A.

top-rated Mes support for you

CIMx customers all have dedicated help teams. With a central point of contact on our staff, you talk to a live human when you call or write to us – one who knows who you are and how you use our tools in your shop. Recently, we were rewarded with "Top-Rated Capability for Vendor Support" by InfoTech Research Group - SoftwareReviews, 100% of our customers reported that they were highly satisfied or delighted with our vendor support.  We are proud of this recognition of our years of dedication to making sure you get the answers that you need.  

As I think about the service that I receive through the vendors that I deal with, both personally and professionally, I have noted that this level of service is declining rapidly through almost all industry verticals. As it’s more challenging to find people and the economy is more of a challenge, it’s easier for vendors to turn a blind eye to service or limit what they provide.

We’re committed to doing it differently and better. If you want software tools that are industry-leading and customer service that is first-rate, ask us about how we service our customers and experience the difference yourself. Click here to engage.