Construction Software Vendor Offers Something Completely Different
HOUSTON TX, June
24, 2009: Hundreds of construction professionals
throughout North America have experienced a
unique form of customer support from a construction software vendor: free help sessions in or near the
customers’ cities. Instead of the
customer traveling to the software vendor’s city, the vendor in effect comes to
the customer—at no charge to the construction company.
It’s not cheap for Houston-based construction software
developer HCSS (www.hcss.com) to offer those
sessions—which it calls “Helpinars”—but the company believes
it’s worth it. Since launching the
program in late 2007, hundreds of executives, estimators, project managers and
office personnel have attended more than 25 Helpinars throughout the
United States and
Canada. By year-end, more than 25 Helpinars—devoted to HCSS’s field
management, resource management, estimating and other products—will have taken
place in 2009 alone.
HCSS implementation and support specialists—typically five
to seven per Helpinar—have traveled
from Houston to conduct the sessions in cities
from Vancouver BC to Miami and San Diego to Boston.
HCSS believes that the free, travel-to-your-customer sessions are unique
not only among construction software vendors, but also in the entire software
industry. Given the expense and
time that HCSS devotes to the Helpinars, the company is often
asked: Why?
“Admittedly, it does sound unusual for a software company
to travel at its own expense to your city for the sole purpose of helping you,”
said Mike Rydin, HCSS president.
“But there’s a reason behind it:
Helpinars help us illustrate
our commitment to customer service and contribute to the HCSS goal to develop
high-quality software products that make construction companies more efficient
and knowledgeable. The sessions
help customers use those products as effectively as possible, and also educate
our employees about how our customers use our products.
“HCSS employee travel and preparation for the Helpinars is not inexpensive,” Rydin
continued, “but being available to our customers in their local areas—where it’s
convenient for them—is priceless.”
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Average attendance at an HCSS Helpinar—typically held in a hotel
conference room—is 30 people; the
largest event has drawn 65.
Attendees represent almost all construction-company job titles, including
executives, project managers, estimators, office and financial staff and IT
personnel. HCSS employees are
available to individual companies in pre-arranged 60- to 90-minute time slots to
answer questions, address issues, explain new ways to use HCSS products or
demonstrates what’s new.
Besides existing customers, Helpinars have also attracted customer
prospects. HCSS plans to offer Helpinars indefinitely, and is
currently planning 2010 events.
For InformationFor information about HCSS Helpinars, contact HCSS at
www.helpinar.com,
www.hcss.com,
info@hcss.com or 800-683-3196.
July 1, 2009
Construction Software Vendor Offers Something Completely Different
HOUSTON TX, June
24, 2009: Hundreds of construction professionals
throughout North America have experienced a
unique form of customer support from a construction software vendor: free help sessions in or near the
customers’ cities. Instead of the
customer traveling to the software vendor’s city, the vendor in effect comes to
the customer—at no charge to the construction company.
It’s not cheap for Houston-based construction software
developer HCSS (www.hcss.com) to offer those
sessions—which it calls “Helpinars”—but the company believes
it’s worth it. Since launching the
program in late 2007, hundreds of executives, estimators, project managers and
office personnel have attended more than 25 Helpinars throughout the
United States and
Canada. By year-end, more than 25 Helpinars—devoted to HCSS’s field
management, resource management, estimating and other products—will have taken
place in 2009 alone.
HCSS implementation and support specialists—typically five
to seven per Helpinar—have traveled
from Houston to conduct the sessions in cities
from Vancouver BC to Miami and San Diego to Boston.
HCSS believes that the free, travel-to-your-customer sessions are unique
not only among construction software vendors, but also in the entire software
industry. Given the expense and
time that HCSS devotes to the Helpinars, the company is often
asked: Why?
“Admittedly, it does sound unusual for a software company
to travel at its own expense to your city for the sole purpose of helping you,”
said Mike Rydin, HCSS president.
“But there’s a reason behind it:
Helpinars help us illustrate
our commitment to customer service and contribute to the HCSS goal to develop
high-quality software products that make construction companies more efficient
and knowledgeable. The sessions
help customers use those products as effectively as possible, and also educate
our employees about how our customers use our products.
“HCSS employee travel and preparation for the Helpinars is not inexpensive,” Rydin
continued, “but being available to our customers in their local areas—where it’s
convenient for them—is priceless.”
Average attendance at an HCSS Helpinar—typically held in a hotel
conference room—is 30 people; the
largest event has drawn 65.
Attendees represent almost all construction-company job titles, including
executives, project managers, estimators, office and financial staff and IT
personnel. HCSS employees are
available to individual companies in pre-arranged 60- to 90-minute time slots to
answer questions, address issues, explain new ways to use HCSS products or
demonstrates what’s new.
Besides existing customers, Helpinars have also attracted customer
prospects. HCSS plans to offer Helpinars indefinitely, and is
currently planning 2010 events.
For InformationFor information about HCSS Helpinars, contact HCSS at
www.helpinar.com,
www.hcss.com,
info@hcss.com or 800-683-3196.