By TRAXERO
Video pickup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEoUtNsFiPQ
It’s undeniable that software is a critical business requirement for towing, recovery, and roadside assistance professionals in the modern age. While it is possible to run your business using pen and paper methods, to truly unlock your full business growth opportunity, you need the proper digital tools to handle the heavy lifting.
Having the right software in place will help you organize your daily operations while reducing errors that cost you money or customers, ensure you are billing and collecting payment on the hard work you and your team have already completed. It also allows you to monitor your business performance and report on the data that matters most in order to find areas to increase revenue, reduce expenses, and maximize efficiency.
When exploring the right software options for your business’ needs, it is just as important to select the right vendor as it is to choose the right application. In fact, rather than simply being a vendor, your software provider should act as your partner.
We get it, change is hard!
New technology can be intimidating, especially when it affects your entire business operation and all your employees. Even the process of considering and evaluating software options can be daunting and leave you questioning if you are finding the right solution for your business’ unique needs.
That is where your software partner should put you and your team at ease and give you confidence that you are finding the exact solutions needed. But that’s not to say they should just sell you on a product; your potential partner should ask questions to fully understand your business and guide you to the solution that best aligns with your business functions and needs.
And once you have found the right solution, it is important that your software partner makes it as easy as possible to onboard your new business tool and continually work with you to ensure you are maximizing its use.
Onboarding and support set the tone
Now that you have selected your new software, executed the agreements, and been assigned your Customer Success Manager, your journey really begins.
Your Customer Success team should provide you with a roadmap of what training will look like, the roles from your company that should be involved in each session, and how long the process will take to complete before you and your team are comfortable enough to take complete ownership. Sure, you can jump right in and try to use your software, but why not let experts who have built the product and know it inside and out show you the ropes?
This onboarding time is also a great opportunity to establish a relationship with your primary contacts for Customer Success and Customer Support and allow your team to feel empowered to ask questions and ensure their individual roles are set up for success by using your new software.
Demand continuous innovation
Beyond your initial onboarding and ongoing support, you should expect and demand your software partner to provide nonstop innovation. Whether that is integrating the latest technological advancements or simply listening to your feedback and implementing change based on user requests, a flexible and responsive partner can be the catalyst for success and business growth.
When you can do your job better, safer, and more efficiently, you will exceed your customers’ expectations, which is always a recipe for success.
Your partner is a source of knowledge
A true partner will not only empower you with their software to run your business, but they will also provide you with ongoing resources to bring the industry together to continue learning and advocating for one another.
The towing industry certainly can be quite competitive, but more often than not, professionals across this industry enjoy coming together to share stories, help one another deepen their knowledge, and celebrate the common bond of being roadside heroes.
Our industry trade shows provide perfect opportunities to gather and swap stories in person, but those are limited to a few times per year, and it is difficult and expensive for your entire team to also participate. This is where your software partner can be the facilitator of additional opportunities for the industry to collaborate, especially digitally through webinars, social media communities, and on-demand content like videos and articles.
But remember, a partnership is a two-way street
While you want to always hold your software provider to a high standard, it is important to remember that a true partnership goes both ways.
To maximize your training, you need to make your team available for sessions, ensure everyone remains engaged, and encourage your team to ask questions constantly. You and your employees should try to build and maintain a strong rapport with your Customer Success and Customer Support teams. When you know your partner well, they will be just as invested in understanding your business and guiding you to maximize the output of your software.
Like anything in business and life, the more effort you put into it, the more you will take away, and that will be critical to the growth and long-term success of your business.
