Industry watchers say that organizations change their customer support tools every five years on average. Whether it’s a gentle migration or a more painful rip-and-replace, changing a business-critical system is never as simple as you’d like. It’s also expensive, even if the ultimate goal is to save money. And let me repeat: Companies are going through this every five years.
Of course, there are plenty of legitimate reasons you could decide to change their customer support tool. Maintaining an in-house legacy system may have become too expensive. Perhaps the vendor is no longer supporting or upgrading your current solution. Maybe after a round of consulting and training expenses, it’s become clear the existing tool really can’t address your needs.
But before rushing into selection process for the next support system that you’ll wind up abandoning in five years, why not stop and examine the selection process itself. A little up-front investment could lead you to a customer support solution that will last for much longer.
As you’ve learned, planning ahead can extend the life of your new customer support solution. Need help getting started? Flip through our new guide below.
