HOW QAS MAKES PROGRESS
QAS Uses DataDirect SupportLink Pre-Sales to Simplify the Evaluation and Embedding Process
When QAS found that DataDirect drivers resolved many problems they and their customers had experienced with the database vendor ODBC drivers, the company turned to Dat aDirect’s European SupportLink team of presales technicians to explore integration of DataDirect Connect for ODBC drivers with their QAS QuickAddress Batch.
QuickAddress Batch is address database correction software that standardizes, verifies, and prunes redundancy from corporate address records of customer contact databases. Any marketing or sales organization will testify that ongoing data integrity is paramount to customer and prospect relationship management. The reliability of the data – and the ability to access it from multiple database platforms – is a key differentiator to QAS. DataDirect Connect for ODBC provides sleek, clientless access to all supported databases from both Windows and UNIX platforms.
DataDirect SupportLink pre-sales technicians worked closely with QAS during the evaluation and branding process. "We got to know DataDirect’s engineers very well," says Duncan Fawkes, a development team leader at QAS.
This relationship continued once implementation and testing continued at the company’s headquarters in the UK. Today, Duncan makes good use of SupportLink OnLine – DataDirect’s SupportLink utilities for "help yourself" customer support. "Normally I first consult the KnowledgeBase and the Frequently Asked Questions for information," he says.
If the Web site lacks a solution, Duncan uses email as the first line of support contact and to open a case. "It’s just so convenient," he says. "I explain myself and get a quick reply. I find this approach gives the techs an opportunity to look into an issue with a bit more depth, so the answers tend to be well thought-out. We just drop them an e-mail and they get back to us very quickly."
"The technicians there have been extremely helpful," Duncan adds, "even setting things up over at DataDirect to replicate some performance issues we had on a couple of platforms in order to find a solution. That’s certainly going beyond the call of duty for your customers."
