Having started out as a software developer, we now believe in the collective strength of forward-looking service providers, law firms and clients. Accordingly, we define the term Support: more than just a helpline for users. We are significantly expanding our online support so that help is available whenever and wherever you need it. The launch of the HSP Community has opened up new opportunities for our partners. We now have a new member of staff on board whose sole focus is on helping you become even more successful: our Customer Success Manager, Samuel Königshoven. Together with our Support Manager, Julian Rumkowski, he will be presenting the various initiatives that hsp is working on.

What are the key factors for good customer support? First of all, Julian emphasises just how important good customer support is. No matter how good a product is, there should be channels in place to receive and process individual requests. This starts with providing a response as soon as someone submits an enquiry or seeks help. This should happen within the first 24 hours; at hsp, Julian and his team aim to respond within no more than 3 hours. Afterwards, the enquirer is always asked whether their issue was resolved. They are also asked to provide feedback and leave a review.

Furthermore, respectful interactions on a personal level are always valuable. For example, one hsp customer was particularly pleased that the support team remembered him. Julian says that, even with many cases arising over the course of a year, it is always important to recognise the people behind the enquiries. This is a key part of showing appreciation and building customer loyalty.

Wide range of ways to get in touch

hsp has a support website through which you can get in touch in a variety of ways. Everything is covered, from the traditional helpline to email and live chat. The Opti.Tax programme offers a special feature: you can contact support directly via live chat, thereby avoiding a change in communication medium. This feature offers significant added value, particularly for quick enquiries. Every enquiry is logged in the internal ticketing system and processed. Anyone who has registered with the hsp Community enjoys additional support benefits. There is a dedicated menu item for support, where all associated support tickets are stored. The status of a ticket is displayed in the overview.

Every Monday of the month from 4 pm, a support meeting is also held with one of hsp’s consultants or the managing director, Paul Liese. Problems are discussed and solutions presented. You can access the meeting via the hsp Community. Another key area is helping people to help themselves. As the support team’s capacity is naturally limited, hsp has published a comprehensive FAQ section online. A vast number of topics are covered in detail there, whether relating to software solutions or processes. Julian and his team ensure the content is always up to date.

At this point, Julian says that the quality of the support is more important than the speed of the response.

The top three issues that Julian deals with in support:

1: Installation and integration of the software, migration of the system and implementation of updates

2: Help with projects: Where do I enter information, and how do I create a project?

3: Interfaces: How do I get data into the programme? What interfaces are available?

Support for tomorrow

How will support develop in the future? Julian once again mentions self-help. The aim here is to expand the range of services on offer and broaden the options available. The integration of AI – for example, in the form of a chatbot – plays a major role in this. In addition, the range of support videos is to be expanded.

Furthermore, the support of the future is set to extend far beyond the software itself. Even today, there are already many initiatives aimed at providing hsp’s target groups with technical support. In future, these collaborative activities are set to be further developed.

Next Friday on „hsp live at 11“, we’ll be welcoming Viktor Rebant and Ricarda Hieber to discuss the topic „The transformation of tax practice“.“