Customer Care, Support and Service

Abstract

Until recently, most systems suppliers distinguished between the different non hardware elements of the relationship with customers — software, maintenance, customer support, pre sales service. Today, suppliers face a problem, in that some customers prefer to deal with suppliers on an integrated basis, while others prefer to separate clearly between different aspects of systems supply. The latter still want to buy all the different elements separately. For this reason, larger suppliers usually have to allow both these ways of working with customers to co-exist. For example, separate departments will exist for hardware and software sales, customer service and the like. But they will work together in special teams to deliver an integrated proposition to customers who require it.