Hallmarks of High-Performing Companies 2023
The Importance of Quality Support

Note: This report is part of a KLAS series diving into the factors that drive HIT vendor excellence. Data shared below was collected in the last 12 months across all provider-focused software market segments KLAS measures (does not include services or payer solutions).

Phone/Web Support Augmented with Proactive Elements Is Essential to Addressing Issues & Stabilizing the Customer Experience

Common Beliefs about Quality of Phone/Web Support Don’t Always Match Reality

The quality of phone and web support is often primarily associated with and judged by reactive characteristics. While quick reaction times and problem-solving are fundamental factors to successful phone and web support, vendors who focus solely on these factors miss opportunities to differentiate themselves from competitors. Even the most responsive support teams will struggle to meet customer expectations if those teams aren’t empowered and set up for success through proactive monitoring capabilities and customer-centric metrics.

To Deliver Timely Resolutions, Support Teams Must Be Responsive & Empowered to Solve Problems 

Customers want to be heard as quickly as possible by vendor support teams, and many vendors offer various channels for customers to easily contact support (e.g., direct phone numbers/emails, web portals/ticketing systems, dedicated customer representatives, chatbots). Highly rated vendors provide exceptional responsiveness and resolve problems within a reasonable time frame; resolutions usually include fixing the core problem and any other underlying issues that may cause later complications. Respondents note that responsiveness is less beneficial when the support teams don’t offer effective solutions to problems. Customer satisfaction is also affected by the availability of support outside of regular business hours; providing 24/7 support is helpful to healthcare organizations, especially since many aren’t in the same time zone as their vendor’s support teams.

High-performing vendors recognize the importance of competent, accessible support resources in driving quick resolutions and customer satisfaction, so they focus on doing more than just developing knowledgeable, expert support teams—they emphasize empowering teams to use skills to really drive results. Empowered support teams need strong internal training to help them effectively troubleshoot issues, understand they are trusted to escalate challenges, and be able to marshal cross-functional resources to solve customers’ problems. Empowered support teams who have needed knowledge also reduce customer frustration because customers don’t have to be bounced around several times before reaching someone who can help them.

“I really like the vendor’s customer service. The vendor’s people are willing to work with us. If the initial person we contact can’t help us, then they will always get us to a person who can. The vendor’s support people also do a good job of following up with us to make sure that things are still working. We can call the vendor and get ahold of someone right away. The vendor’s people are quick to respond to us and to fix our issues. They are also really good at giving us a heads-up about the system’s upgrades and any issues that the system might be having.” —Manager

Customer Perception of Service Improves When Vendors Share Knowledge & Ownership of Problems

In terms of improving customer perception of executive involvement and proactive service, vendors who involve a dedicated relationship representative—whether it is an account executive or customer support manager—in the phone and web support process are likely to have a better customer experience than vendors who don’t. Dedicated relationship representatives can report known issues to customers, provide updates on unresolved tickets, and follow up on resolutions. Customers want relationships with support staff, especially when that familiarity prevents them from continually re-explaining their organization’s nuances. Unfortunately, many customers who work only with general support staff can experience inconsistent quality, which prevents them from accessing timely solutions and leaves them feeling like a number on a spreadsheet. Staffing shortages and growing customer bases are two significant barriers vendors face when trying to preserve support continuity for customers; vendors encountering these challenges often resort to a tiered support model. To help maintain customer relationships while using this tiered model, some vendors create support teams that work only with certain customers in order to build rapport and limit the number of steps customers have to take to get support.

A vendor’s ownership of customer problems also affects respondents’ perception of executive involvement and proactive service. Customers want their vendors to feel the same urgency that they do, to own the problem by proactively ensuring it is fixed, and to not charge them additional fees for fixes. Vendors can further illustrate ownership by avoiding pointing the finger at customers and other vendors; customers prefer vendors who will partner with them and solve the problem, regardless of its source.

Both Vendors & Healthcare Organizations Play a Role in Determining the Effectiveness of Support

While vendors are primarily responsible for the execution and effectiveness of customer support, both vendors and healthcare organizations can share ownership of the support process and related challenges to promote mutual success.

About This Report

Each year, KLAS interviews thousands of healthcare professionals about the IT solutions and services their organizations use. For this report, interviews were conducted over the last 12 months using KLAS’ standard quantitative evaluation for healthcare software, which is composed of 16 numeric ratings questions and 4 yes/no questions, all weighted equally. Combined, the ratings for these questions make up the overall performance score, which is measured on a 100-point scale. The questions are organized into six customer experience pillars—culture, loyalty, operations, product, relationship, and value.

This report (part of a KLAS series diving into the factors that drive HIT vendor excellence) focuses specifically on whether healthcare organization customers feel their vendor provides quality phone/web support and how vendors can be successful in this area. Data was collected in the last 12 months across all provider-focused software market segments KLAS measures (does not include services or payer solutions).