Choosing the right Installation Company CRM system can help define the way you run your business, but only if you are given the right training and support, according to Business Pilot’s MD Elton Boocock. We report.
A recent blog on a Microsoft sub-site coined the term ‘underused software syndrome’, which is where people feel that they are not using their business tools to full effect simply because they don’t know what they are capable of.
A related term is ‘shelfware’, which is software that sits on the shelf because it isn’t used.
It is difficult to put a cost on underused software because it is difficult to measure what you don’t know. However, according to a recent study by US firm 1E, each computer in every office around the world has just under £200 of unnecessary, unwanted, or unused software on it.
For window installation companies looking to become more efficient, not getting the right training and support can be off-putting when choosing software. Whiteboards and spreadsheets are still commonplace because why change what you know works, even if it is very basic?
Business Pilot was designed and developed by Cherwell Windows’ Jim and Ryan Breslin, and Thames Valley Windows’ Ryan Schofield, alongside software developer Elton Boocock. Customer training and customer support were vital pieces of the jigsaw when the cloud-based Installation Company CRM system and business management tool was rolled out, and remain central to the operation today.
Business Pilot was designed by installers for installers,” Elton says. “And it continues to be run with real users in mind. For this reason, support and training is built in to Business Pilot – to ensure that everyone is making the most of the benefits it offers.
Elton explains that every new subscriber to the cloud-based software gets a comprehensive overview of the system, along with tips and advice to get you started. The company also arranges regular ongoing training days, so that learning is an ongoing process, and not something that is front-loaded and forgotten about.
“We talk to our users all day every day, so we can see how they are using Business Pilot to its full potential,” Elton says. “We often pass on some of these examples to new users, so they can see what the software is capable of.”
Elton says that this is where many software providers stop their free support, and that companies are then left to figure out the rest on their own. It is unsurprising, therefore, that software often becomes shelfware as it isn’t used to its fullest potential.
“Business Pilot is the result of extensive market research, after we couldn’t find a solution that met our needs,” Elton says. “As a result, every element is designed to help your installation business run as efficiently as possible, allowing the user to track an order from quote through to delivery, while collating all the relevant documents and managing the various teams involved in that installation.
“For example, we recently released an update that allows different employees to see dashboards related to job function. So, if you work in sales, you’ll see your appointments for the day on the left-hand side of your screen. You’ll also see your sales summary and where you are against target; information that you need, not your colleague in ops.”
Business Pilot’s Help Centre sits front and centre of the home page on its website, and is accessible from directly within the system alongside a live chat function, so support is on-hand when you need it.
“We introduced the live chat function so you can talk instantly to our technical team right from within the system,” Elton says. “Help is always on hand, and there is no need to go hunting around for email addresses and phone numbers. And we often get a solution over to you the same day.”
Within the Help Centre, users can find details on every new software update, including the one listed above. This way, every existing user is kept up to date with Business Pilot’s developments, and are not left behind.
The Help Centre also contains several videos in the Knowledgebase section, which give users detailed run-throughs of some of the key functions. These sit alongside a comprehensive list of FAQs which is the result of hundreds of conversations between Business Pilot’s customer support team and installation companies from the across the UK.
Elton explains that right from day one, co-founders Jim and Ryan Breslin, and Ryan Schofield, have been hands-on with Business Pilot’s development, and still offer solutions to questions that installations companies may have.
“We understand that the window and door industry is all about people,” Elton says. “Why should that sentiment stop at the software tools you use to run your business? This means that even if you have a specific question about Business Pilot, we have installers on hand to give you no-nonsense business support. In fact, we are the only system that has active installation companies involved in the day-to-day running of the business. This real-world experience means that we are so much more than a software provider.
“And thanks to our people-first policy, Business Pilot users are more successful because they get to use all the tools the CRM and business management tool offers. We actively help you to make full use of your investment, so you can sell and install more windows more efficiently.”
If you don’t feel your current Installation Company CRM system is supporting your business properly, then put Business Pilot to the test. You can do that through the Free Trial without any commitment up front.
