“Press or say ‘one’ for technical support. Press or say ‘two’ for billing. I’m sorry…I didn’t understand you.” Artificial intelligence is transforming industries large and small, but nothing compares to the human touch (or a human voice) when AV customers need immediate assistance.
Commercial Integrator asked David Spence, Customer Service and Technical Support manager at Datapath, about the science and art of AV customer service in 2018.
As the AV ecosystem becomes more software-enabled and projects grow in scale, exceptional customer service has become a critical factor for integrators and managers making buying decisions.
The days of quick VGA hook-ups are done; AV stakeholders want to partner with vendors that will support them in the field and long after project completion.
We also asked him what makes Datapath’s support strategy unique.
Commercial Integrator: What separates good service from great service?
David Spence: Good support involves ensuring that the specific issue is fixed quickly. Great support comes from working directly with customers and ensuring that we fully understand the goal, and then collaborating on the entire solution.
Being responsive and receptive to feedback, and then following that up with internal actions and continuous improvement, should be something that any great support team strives for.
“Good support involves ensuring that the specific issue is fixed quickly. Great support comes from working directly with customers and ensuring that we fully understand the goal, and then collaborating on the entire solution.”
CI: What excites you about AV customer service in this industry?
DS: I enjoy customer support in all forms and I have worked in many industries. However, the AV industry is unique as it provides a far wider selection of installations and setups.
I really enjoy seeing the finished products and the satisfaction of knowing that we have helped in whatever way towards spectacular visual displays. Each project is an opportunity to see incredibly clever usage of our technologies.
CI: How is Datapath positioned to respond to the many unique challenges of AV integration?
DS: Datapath is a fast growing and dynamic company—that allows us to quickly respond to new challenges and opportunities.
Our sales and support team work closely with our engineering and product management teams to ensure we are all working together towards anything that arises.
We have many systems and processes in place that assist and allow us to be proactive as well as responsive.
