| December 2004 - Issue 5
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Dear Valued Customers,
 As we close yet another year, it is time to reflect back on the friends and customers
who have attributed to our success.
The staff at Kerr Consulting & Support would like to thank you for your dedication and on-going loyalty. We are grateful for your business and will continue to
cherish the relationship that we have built together.
Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday and may the New Year be filled with Success and Prosperity!
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 It is a proven fact that the average company looses about
25% of their customer base each year. The number one reason for this loss is COMPETITION! With competition only a click away, it is more important then ever that you provide the best possible customer service to your clients.
To begin, you need to make sure that your company has a Customer Service Policy and that everyone, not just your customer service department abides by it. It is equally important that you make sure
that each of your departments are connected to a single database and can view all communication with customers. There is nothing more frustrating to a client then having to explain an issue more than once to an organization.
We invite you to take 1-hour out of your day to view ACCPAC CRM. This powerful customer service tool will put you on the right track to accomplishing your customer service goals. You've earned them, don't
lose them! Instead, gain and retain loyal customers with ACCPAC CRM™ and increase your bottom line. You'll instantly begin:
These free online web seminars are conducted by ACCPAC CRM Experts. They are designed to be informative and interactive. You'll preview a thorough overview of ACCPAC CRM and be able to ask important questions about your own
business model.
If you've been considering CRM or if you've been looking for a way to enhance your overall customer service then call us today to attend one of these FREE one-hour online product seminars!
CRM Online Seminars
December 9th - 2:00 PM December 16th - 5:00 PM December 22nd - 2:00 PM December 30th - 2:00 PM
Boost your bottom line! Call us at the number below to register!
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Important Support Plus Reminder!
If you've let your support plus lapse you have until December 24th to renew without having to pay reinstatement fees. You can also save an additional 5% when you purchase a 2 year plan!
Support plus offers you the following benefits:
Upgrades and updates for the term of your contract at no charge. Notification by e-mail when service packs are available for download E-Newsletter Bi-monthly (every other month) specifically focused on providing up-to-date information on the latest product features and enhancements in addition to tips and special promotions. Online account access to update your contact information, participate in forums and to join user groups.
Call today for a personalized quote.
Offer expires December 24, 2004.
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Tips to help your Company Excel at Customer Service!Define a Customer Service Mission Statement
This should define overall objectives, and provide a guide for employees. This mission statement and philosophy should extend from the bottom to the top of your organization. Once in place, you should measure your employees
against it to see if they are meeting the statement objectives.
On-going method of measuring your success.
This might include random sampling of customer service calls, customer service surveys, suggestion box, telephone or online web surveys. You should take every opportunity to ask your "customers" how they perceive the level of
service they are receiving. You should change your procedures or focus based on their feedback.
Develop recognition programs.
Consider providing incentives, rewards and other motivation for employees who excel at customer service.
You should always be looking for ways to improve your customer service
Don't be satisfied if no one complains. There are always ways of reducing paperwork, reducing waiting time, or providing more information for customers. Seek out your employees suggestions on how to do the job better.
Provide training to your employees so they're equipped to handle customers and situations.
It does no good to set standards and evaluate employees, unless they've been given the necessary training. Seek out private trainers or companies in your community that set the standard for customer service, and ask them to train
your employees.
Problems should be perceived by the employee as an opportunity
Promote the organizations objective of solving problems. Naturally, there are legal and procedural limits to what an employee can do. However, they should be empowered to perform as many tasks and take as many actions as possible
to help solve the customers problem. If they cannot, there should be a standard method of referring the caller to another department or a supervisor who has the authority or skill to solve the problem. Employees should not believe that they
are merely "call-takers," but rather problem solvers.
Courtesy should be paramount.
You should establish standard phrases and words to use when dealing with customers, and all employees should be required to adhere to their use. "Please," "thank you" and "You're welcome" should be foremost among the words that
employees use. You should also establish procedures for transferring calls, taking messages, and other handling telephone calls. For example, announce all transfers, never put someone on hold without asking permission, "bridge" all transfers,
recheck callers on hold after each 60 seconds, hang up after the caller, always identify yourself first when calling a customer back, and be sure to use the caller's name.
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A
These Live Webinars are conducted by ACCPAC experts using intranet "WebEx" technology and a voice-line for conferencing. ACCPAC understands addressing all customer questions is critical, therefore demonstrations are generally followed by an
open question and answer session.
ACCPAC Advantage Series |
December 28, 2004 - 1:00 PM - ACCPAC Advantage Series
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ACCPAC Project & Job Costing |
December 20, 2004 - 4:00 PM - Project & Job Costing Overview
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ACCPAC CRM - Customer Relationship Management |
December 9, 2004 - 2:00 pm - Excel in Customer Service with ACCPAC CRM |
December 16, 2004- 5:00 pm - Excel in Customer Service with ACCPAC CRM |
December 22, 2004 - 2:00 pm - Excel in Customer Service with ACCPAC CRM |
December 30, 2004 - 2:00 pm - Excel in Customer Service with ACCPAC CRM |
ACCPAC HR Series - Human Resource Solution for ACCPAC |
December 8 2004 - 12:00 pm ACCPAC HR Series Overview
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December 21, 2004 - 12:00 pm ACCPAC HR Series Overview
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January 5, 2004 - 12:00 pm ACCPAC HR Series Overview
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ACCPAC Exchange - EDI Solution for ACCPAC |
December 6, 2004 - 12:00 pm - EDI for ACCPAC |
ACCPAC eTransact - The ecommerce solution for ACCPAC |
December 9, 2004 12:00 pm - ACCPAC eTransact Overview |
What's new in Advantage Series 5.3 |
December 16, 2004 1:00 pm - What's new in Advantage Series 5.3 |
ACCPAC CFO - Financial Optimizer |
December 9, 2004 12:00 pm - overview of ACCPAC CFO |
December 21, 2004 12:00 pm - overview of ACCPAC CFO |
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Start times are listed in Eastern time zone.
Contact us at the number below or visit our website to register
Advantage Series 5.3 Q&A What modules are available in Advantage Series version 5.3 now?
All Enterprise Edition 5.3 modules (with the exception of Inter-company Transactions) are now available. (English only. Additional languages sets will be announced at a later date).
Have there been any changes made within the applications themselves?
Yes. Please review What’s New in Advantage Series 5.3 for details on application changes.
Are there any changes to the minimum system requirements for Advantage Series 5.3?
Yes. Advantage Series 5.3 requires Pervasive.SQL V8.6, if you will be deploying on a Pervasive database. Please note that Pervasive 2000i is NOT SUPPORTED. If you are on an older version of Pervasive, you may choose to upgrade to Pervasive.SQL
Version 8.6 or another supported database. If you are on Pervasive.SQL version 8.1 can upgrade to version 8.6 at no additional cost. The upgrade is available via the download available from Pervasive at:
http://www.pervasive.com/support/updates/v8_sp2.asp
What do I need to know about the other supported databases, such as Oracle and IBM DB2?
The System Manager 5.3 supports all databases (IBM DB2, Pervasive.SQL, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle). Databases must be purchased separately, with the exception of the ‘server and three-user’ copy of IBM DB2 that is included with all Advantage Series
editions.
Does Advantage Series 5.3 provide integration with 5.2 modules?
System Manager 5.3 will work with 5.2 applications.
General Ledger 5.3 will work with:
Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Project and Job Costing 5.2.
G/L Consolidations and Intercompany Transactions 5.1.
Accounts Receivable 5.3 will work with:
Accounts Payable 5.3 will work with:
Does Advantage Series 5.3 integrate with other ACCPAC end-to-end applications?
Please see the complete compatibility listing for all end-to-end solutions.
What about support for previous Advantage Series versions?
With the release of 5.3, and in keeping aligned with corporate product support guidelines (current version and immediate prior version) we will retire the English version of Advantage Series 5.1 as a supported version with the exception of Advantage
Series Payroll 5.1. Of course, no sales or support are provided on any version prior to 5.1 either.
Will my ACCPAC Options products work with Advantage Series 5.3?
Options products are being updated for compatibility with 5.3. Please review the Compatibility Matrix for the most current information. Of course, most
existing Options products are client/server-based applications and are not designed to run over the Web.
When will the 5.3 upgrade be available to SupportPlus plan clients?
Activation codes for Enterprise Edition will be available to all current SupportPlus plan clients in November 2004.
What about Crystal Reports?
With this release, Advantage Series will support Crystal Enterprise 10 Express to support Windows 2003 Server. If required, Crystal Reports may be purchased separately for clients that wish to design their own reports. For additional information on
Crystal Enterprise and Crystal Reports, see the Reporting Q&A.
Can I still purchase Advantage Series 5.2?
Effective December 31, 2004, Advantage Series 5.2 can only be purchased for clients who meet one of the following criteria:
New clients needing ACCPAC solutions not available/compatible with version 5.3:
Current clients requiring additional applications. For example, client requires additional LanPaks or requires ACCPAC solutions at a new location.
New clients requiring a third-party solution not currently compatible with Advantage Series version 5.3 (proof of purchase for a third-party solution is required). ACCPAC provides Development Partners a 90-day grace period in
which to make their products compatible with our version 5.3.
Clients using language overlays not available in version 5.3
If you require Advantage Series 5.2, please contact us prior to December 31st, 2004.
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Contact Us
Please select the location closest to you or contact our corporate office below.
Kerr Consulting & Support Offices:
Corporate Office:
25510 McDonald Rd.,
The Woodlands, TX 77380
Phone: 281-364-8783,
Fax:281-296-0805
info@kerr-consulting.com |
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