SugarCRM sorts out Customer Service

SugarCRM does a great job handling reader inquiries for parade.com.

Since implementing Sugar, anytime a reader reaches out online, Sugar’s helping organize and expedite responses to everything being sent.

UPDATE: The folks at Sugar created a case study around our work.

The “system” used to be a block box: there were some mailto links to which readers could send notes to “Ask Marilyn,” or Walter Scott or Tech Support. Sometimes readers got a response, sometimes not.

With the new Sugar system, readers who send notes get a response via the web upon sending, a confirmation via email, and follow-ups once the support team(s) address whatever the issue or comment was.

Every customer contact is accounted for, readers know where they are in the process, and the support groups have much better tools to handle the volume.

It’s been working great, and the majority of the benefits – reporting, using the feedback to improve products (online and print), the chance to turn these readers into repeat customers – haven’t yet started. We’ll continue to add more intelligent workflows, alerts and response templates as real-world examples point the way.

In stark contrast to other platforms we’ve encountered, Sugar itself continues to be a more flexible and friendly product for end users, developers and clients purchasing it.

By Steve McNally

I build products, teams and business lines that blend publishing, marketing and advertising technologies for global brands and startups.