Helpware

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior manager of partner success at Headspace Inc, but I’m leaving the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Helpware?

We hired them to support our small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). We’re trying to automate, so we brought on Helpware to support those organizations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Helpware has reps that support our SMBs, and they're fully embedded in our organization as far as technology. They automated and documented our onboarding. Helpware also works with our CX support team, so they brought forward some ideas to me that had worked on that other team.

What is the team composition?

We work with five reps, and we also have a manager who oversees everything.

How did you come to work with Helpware?

They started working with our CX team. Additionally, one of our senior directors had previously worked with Helpware at his previous company. I wasn’t part of the initial conversations.

How much have you invested with them?

For the year, we would’ve spent between $90,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Initial implementation began in March 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’re an awesome organization to partner with. We had clear expectations in terms of revenue targets and they exceeded them. In their first quarter, they were right on-par with if not performing better than our previous rep.

When we first engaged them, we were expecting them to at least perform at 55% net retention, and they’ve exceeded that for two quarters going into their third in the 70% range. Helpware has performed well.

How did Helpware perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent. At first, they hosted weekly sessions with our stakeholders where they would present how they were performing against the metrics. We did that for about six months, and they now present a biweekly review. 

They present on how they’re performing on their retention, how the sales reps are doing, and how many outreaches they’ve done. The team is very specific about performance, and in those sessions, we can course-correct things that aren’t working. There’s been some turnover on their team, but the manager was there to cover for the reps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication is impressive. The team has been excellent. Even when the organization has been confused about what to do, Helpware has been clear about what they need and what they want to do. 

They document everything and send follow-up emails after every single one of our calls. It’s been great working with them, and they’ve accelerated some of our slow decisions. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go in with some clear expectations on how you need them to perform. For example, we had 12 months’ data on how we needed them to perform. We knew our KPIs, so it was easy for us to communicate on performance. Because we had that bar set, it was just a matter of Helpware reaching and exceeding it, which they were able to do. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our team is on a mission to help communities reopen responsibly during the COVID-19 pandemic without compromising privacy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Helpware?

Primary Customer Support Services.

What were your goals for this project?

Establish a Tier 1-3 Customer Support Program that supports users and provides quick feedback to our company.

SOLUTION

How did you select Helpware?

We reviewed several 3rd Party BPO options using an RFP format. Helpware was 1 of 2 of the finalists before we selected Helpware as the partner of choice.

Describe the project in detail.

With our app, anonymously check symptoms and receive clear guidance for you. Feel confident that the places you need to go are accessible to you and follow public health guidelines. Generate a pass to get in quickly without sharing personal health data. The app is designed to help communities reopen responsibly.

What was the team composition?

Our company is a volunteer Non-Profit Startup with about 20 Full Time Volunteers and a large handful of part time volunteers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

With Helpware's support we've established live Tier 1 Customer Support across email and chat channels. We've been constantly improving the Support Model since the project inception.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

At the beginning the clarity of roles and communication was low but overtime we found a good working model with the Helpware Team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Helpware has a great track record of working with startups and they were willing to take a risk on a small Non-Profit startup.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Helpware bills for the following months estimated charges to improve its cash position. For small startups that are cash reliant this can be a challenge.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Rocket Resume, a web site where users can build a resume in less than 10 minutes. We also provide other services around helping people get jobs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Helpware?

We needed help with customer support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

 They’re basically handling all of my customer support, including fielding emails, and handling in- and outbound phone calls. Before them, we didn’t have any support. They also helped with the hiring and training process so our new call center agents were up to speed on my product. It was the full white glove treatment for rolling out customer support.

They use Zendesk and interact with our payment processor dashboard to cancel subscriptions and issue refunds when appropriate.

What is the team composition?

They have a very big team. I would say I've interacted with 15 people at some point or another.

There’s a training team, and onboarding team, a continuous improvement team, a sales team, and the  CEO was involved briefly.

How did you come to work with Helpware?

I found them on Clutch. I selected them because my business is small, but is growing rapidly. They had the option of a single call service agent so we could start small and scale as needed. Once I want a second agent, they will find and train them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $2,400 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2020 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’ve exceeded expectations. Once we agreed to the deal, they had an agent hired in two weeks. Now they’re handling all of my customer support issues. They created a schedule and a plan and they always hit their deadlines.  

How did Helpware perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. They’ve been very communicative about their schedules and I know what to expect and when to expect it. They hit every aspect of those expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are so many people involved in the onboarding, so it went smoothly. It was quick and efficient.

To me, I really appreciated that I can scale my business with Helpware. On top of that, they were affordable and were competitive when it came to cost. The value we get for our money is off the charts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they’re accustomed to working with people who have customer service experience. We had zero experience before this so I needed them to set up everything. There was some training that I had to give that I was completely unprepared for. I’m the only one who can explain my business to them, but if the process was more formalized, it could have gone a lot smoother. It was uncomfortable for me, but if I had an outline of what I needed to explain, it could have been easier.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend Helpware. Trust them because you’re in good hands.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Statecraft simulations leverages technology to help demonstrate course concepts, achieve an engaged classroom, and save time using the most innovative and effective digital political science teaching tools in the world. With Statecraft Simulations your class is transformed into an immersive, unforgettable learning experience!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Helpware?

Customer support for students utilizing our software

What were your goals for this project?

To have fast and helpful support to ensure that students and instructors were gaining the optimum experience.

SOLUTION

How did you select Helpware?

Found them in a web search and they seemed highly recommended.

Describe the project in detail.

Supporting students as they navigate our simulation software offering technical help, gameplay advice, and strategy recommendations and tips.

What was the team composition?

5 day a week staff with backup answering emails 12 hours a day.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Team quickly learned the system, built a solid support ticket plan, and was proactive and super helpful how they answered tickets and made themselves available.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Very well planned onboarding plan and sessions designed to clearly communicate and get everyone on the same page.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are experts in customer support. They try to take our system for supporting our customers to the next level.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have not worked with them long enough to find any, but for now I am super pleased with my experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

SportsEngine is a sports management technology platform that's used by youth and adult organizations throughout the country and into Canada as well with multiple platforms underneath this pretention umbrella. And I'm the director of customer support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Helpware?

We were looking to expand our hours of live coverage.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They function and have been trained the same as our support teal. They assist customer with technology needs while building sports registrations. They do not do live conversations because we only do scheduled calls and do not have an inbound line.

What is the team composition?

I have two points of contact. We currently have four contractors and are looking for a fifth.

How did you come to work with Helpware?

I did research online and talked to colleagues about companies they’ve worked with. I heard great feedback on Helpware, and they’ve worked with NBC Universal, who owns SportsEngine, so I know they were vetted in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

Our annual contract is for $130,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2019 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Receipts are at 100% for the month of May. So far, everyone who has worked with them has given them five stars, and that’s incredible. They’re keeping up with our expectations. Volume is lower than normal due to COVID-19, but they’ve still me our expectations.

How did Helpware perform from a project management standpoint?

We use a joint slack account to communicate throughout the day. Any questions they have, they’re quick the jump on and reach out to us. Whenever we need anything, it doesn’t matter what time it is, they will jump on a phone to connect with us and ensure we’re on the same page.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re constantly asking to grow. They’re not complacent and are always looking for additional things to do. They ask for they can assist us further. We greatly appreciate the fact that they’re forward-thinking and driving results constantly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear, set firm deadlines, and have a very detailed training outline and point of attack to onboard the team. It has been helpful for us to use onboarding materials that we’ve consistently used for our internal team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Visiture helps eCommerce companies grow their brand online and increase their bottom line. We do this through an omni-channel marketing approach that incorporates web design, CRO, best-in-class development, Google Shopping campaigns, content marketing, social ads and more. As SVP of Sales, I am responsible for our new client acquisition, =go-to-market strategy and overall revenue growth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Helpware?

Visiture hired Helpware to augment our internal sales and marketing efforts. Helpware has been instrumental in helping us to craft personalized, relevant messaging for our prospective clients, through various email campaigns. Additionally, Helpware has taken on various other projects to save our team time and resource, and all have been very successful.

What were your goals for this project?

Our overall goal in partnering with Helpware was to create an extension of our small sales team while keeping costs low and quality high. The idea was that Helpware would assist with the more manual, time-intensive tasks.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found Helpware through online research.

Describe the project in detail.

Email sequence project (ongoing): Helpware uses several online tools to find specific organic google search effectiveness for the websites of our prospective clients. They take screenshots and build customized prospecting emails. We've won some great clients using this approach!

Sales deck project (ongoing): Helpware uses several online tools to help us create customized sales demo decks for our prospect meetings. They are able to take 90%+ of the work off of our plate! Helpware has assisted with numerous other projects, and all have been completed in time and with high-quality output.

What was the team composition?

We have 3 dedicated, professional, talented Helpware staff (full-time), in addition to a fantastic project manager!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

As I mentioned, through Helpware's efforts, we have won multiple clients and saved our team countless hours of manual, time-intensive tasks, buying them time to focus on selling.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective workflow. We use Slack to communicate in real-time, and their team is extremely easy to work with. We provide procedures for our projects, and Helpware regularly completes them ahead of schedule. We have regular meetings with our project manager to stay in sync.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Professionalism, communication and results!

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company develops and delivers an online cloud-based software products to a large individual and corporate user base

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Helpware?

We hired Helpware to manage our customer support pipeline. In addition, we also contracted our customer billing and subscription services (Back office administration) to Helpware

What were your goals for this project?

• To establish better communication channels with our customers
• To improve overall customer satisfaction
• To improve the efficiency of our subscription/billing support pipeline

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We started this process with a simple search on the internet and made a list of companies. We contacted each of the companies and interviewed our five favorites. The client satisfaction history was a major factor for us

Helpware had a fantastic record of successful projects so we engaged them on a trial basis. They did not disappoint so we continued to expand the contract.

Describe the project in detail.

We have live chat and email coverage 5 days a week. Helpware manages all emails and chat messages related to billing and technical issues. Novel or difficult technical issues are escalated to our development team.

What was the team composition?

We have 2-3 agents that rotate based on availability. We have managers for training and quality assurance, which helps us to maintain a great standard of support

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our customer satisfaction scores continue to increase month-on-month

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Really good. We have bi-weekly meetings where we discuss any issues with the support pipelines. The Helpware team maintains a constant connection with myself and my team through Slack

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their commitment to client and customer (our customers) satisfaction. Their impressive track record of organization stands out.

Are there any areas for improvement?

-

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the customer experience assistant manager for Dastmalchi. Here at Dastmalchi LLC, we own and operate a collection of lifestyle, beauty, and wellness brands ideal for the every day consumer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Helpware?

We were looking to Helpware to provide customer support services for all customer inquiries including order status, refunds and exchanges, direct and 3rd party replacement orders, as well as provide product education for troubleshooting our consumer products and devices. We specifically needed help tackling a high volume of customer inquiries, as we were suddenly receiving an influx of live chats and emails, we wanted to ensure we responded within a certain amount of time. We lacked the resources to conduct support in-house at the time.

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking to add additional support to provide quick and efficient responses for all customer inquiries as our engagement was growing quickly. We needed a support staff to provide exceptional and personable experience to our customers while also providing product education on our devices to help assist with all customer opportunities.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We connected with Helpware through a recommendation from our CEO.

Describe the project in detail.

Helpware began assisting with a variety of incoming customer requests we had through Zendesk. Throughout time we've transitioned to another CRM platform, Gorgias. The team has built dedicated tasks within team roles to keep in order for us.

Their agents then took on responsibilities such as responding to our high volume of incoming support tickets via email, answering incoming calls for all brands and multiple channels, such as retail, wholesale, and marketplaces. Helpware also assists us with tracking and reporting product defects to our product development team as well as handling disputes across a variety of payment gateways to avoid charge-back fees and fight fraud.

What was the team composition?

The size of the team has changed over time, we've had a support staff of up to 8 agents for our peak months and as small as a team of 3. Regardless of staffing, Helpware has continued to establish roles, tasks and responsibilities as needed to assist with the customer service department.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our first reply times have improved, as well as our total resolution times are down to just over an hour. Helpware's team lead, Charley, has provided constant coaching and direct communication with us to create a strong partnership within our customer service department. Thanks to their internal procedures and overall productivity, incite and attention to detail, Helpware has shown reliability and high-quality work.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We've developed a strong communication between both customer service teams as well as an effective work flow. For any processes that are in need of a clearer understanding or expectation, the team is vocal and open with communicating to deliver the best outcome. Otherwise, Helpware operates independently and continues to improve our positioning.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Helpware has provided continuous support helped build proficient processes, and developed open communication in our customer service department. Each team member is thoughtful with their time and attentive to our requests.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We don't have any that come to mind. We're pleased with the partnership we've grown with Helpware throughout our time together. Their quality and attentiveness has exceeded our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide outsourced custom software services, specializing in Salesforce and UI/UX. We work with small and medium sized organizations with different levels of experience dealing with custom software. Our mission is to help identify and deliver solutions that provide measurable value first and fast while iterating towards an organization's strategic goals. My position is the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Helpware?

Operations and assisting with account management. Our company is guided by processes when we provide services. These processes ensure requests are tracked and prioritized, converted to action items, and reported back to the customer. This transparency is highly valued and it could become difficult for project resources to self manage.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were as follows:

• Centralize collection of tasks and hours
• Report to customers on services performed at a task level on a weekly basis with inclusion of budget impact.
• Documentation of processes
• Iterate on improvement of processes
• Automate task capture and reporting on a continuing basis

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was impressed with their organization during the sales process. Their service offering and price was considered to be of great value with low risk if it did not turnout well.

Describe the project in detail.

The project started out without specific tactical requirements because we planned to adapt to the strengths of the person we onboarded. Our new colleague proved to be very capable of handling the initial tasks and we found ourselves falling behind on developing and iterating improvements - my fault alone. She quickly became a valuable member of the team assisting with project task tracking, project summary and billing reports, and documentation.

Eight months ago we expanded our team with a local operations lead and a full-stack developer from Helpware. Since then, with this additional help, our processes have improved at a much faster pace. We have implemented new task and hour tracking systems. Automation has been introduced to facility vendor and client management. Most importantly, there is now a process in place to ask, plan, and execute on "What can we improve next?"

What was the team composition?

The team is a project assistant and a full stack developer. They work primarily on non-billable operational or strategic tasks. The project assistant will act as a project manager on internal mini projects designed to evaluate or deliver incremental improvements. The developer helps us with tool automation and our web presence.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

1. Moved from Harvest time tracking to Everhour. Moved from monthly, high-level, reports to weekly reports of time per task (or story) and feature per customer
2. Moved from Trello to Asana, Integrates with Everhour, Able to report on time/cost per period as well as time/cost per deliverable
3. Automatically create internal tasks from customers task management system
4. For customer with no task management system we now provide a board for their tasks
5. New main website. New process website that explains how we operated internally and externally

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We are a remote business so it has been easy to make them as part of our team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have found two spectacular people who have been a pleasure to work with. They have been very helpful in addressing any of our concerns. It feels like there is a team behind our people. It's probably because there is.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There always are for everyone. I think having some more templates for customers who haven't used these type of outsourced services before. During the start, once I realized that our new team members could do much more than we anticipated, I couldn't assign tasks fast enough. That could also lead to up-sells.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a single person consulting firm that provides business strategy services relating to digital transformation and business transformation, which includes executive level coaching as well as project management and strategy development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Helpware?

As a single person firm with a broad spectrum of services much of our work is bespoke and I needed help with my back office administration and internal support services such as web design and presentation development as well as the delivery of client services. This scope has grown as my Helpware team (I hired one person, but have three working with me on a regular basis, not including the staff augmentation specialists that we bring on board, such as graphic designers) has proven itself.

What were your goals for this project?

Simply my goal was to off-load work that I do not need to perform myself, but this has transformed into building my whole business around their support. I can focus on building my business and not performing the back-office activities. The goal has transformed from supporting my business to generating value for my clients through this partnership.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I evaluated several vendors and based upon cost to value ratio, I felt this was the best option. What blew me away was that I was talking with the customer success manager and not a sales team. I always hated being handed off from sales to account management. In talking with the head of Customer Success, I was able to have my questions about business processes addressed in the initial conversation.

Describe the project in detail.

They have help me design and build my complete new brand design and collateral. Also working on our social media campaigns and larger marketing strategy. We did this while also formalizing the process and will be rolling out a digital agency solution to our clients as a result. Along with other critical partnering tactics I am building my business around their support. They are open to working with me and really understand that as I grow, they will grow, too.

What was the team composition?

We have an associate assigned to us, plus a customer success manager and a project manager. I am in touch with the head of customer success as well on a regular basis, and we all work together. While only the single resource I have contracted is dedicated to me, I have full access to the other two resources as project requirements require. Additionally, as we need resource, we bring them on board on a gig basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

I have been able to re-brand and build marketing materials as well as develop new services to bring to market. The current goals have obviously expanded in scope from the original, but that is due to the level of support and capability of my Helpware team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

As I mentioned there are multiple levels of oversight with the ability for constant feedback.. Helpware has their own project tools, into which I have full visibility and in fact am held accountable by the team when I need to be. We are truly a team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I can ask for assistance and if they can provide it they will. I had a need for a client and I did not have the time to fit it into my schedule, and My Team was able to pull someone in to help out so we could secure the gig. I won, Helpware won, and most importantly, my client won! They are responsive and attentive. They understand how to make this work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are always areas for improvement, but when I bring up my concerns they are addressed immediately, which is the key. Obstacles are a part of life, the question is what we do with them. My Team understands what to do with them and we work together to make sure we get it done.