Customer support for associations is one of the most important aspects of a vendor partnership with them. Associations rely on event management software to plan, manage, and ensure their conferences go off without a hitch. If anything goes wrong, knowing that qualified support is just a call or click away is an expectation, and often a big selling point during the procurement process.
The opposite is a waking nightmare.
Imagine enduring months of onboarding a system that suddenly fails on day one of your event, or customer service that suddenly goes dark once onboarding is complete. Live chat is offline; when you call, the AI chatbot doesn’t understand your issue, and you’re stuck on endless hold or handed off to a ticketing queue when what you really needed was a real person.
Your app may have all the bells and whistles you need to manage a successful event, but a poor customer support experience can negate all the positives and end up costing you time, money, and reputation.
Why Does Customer Support Matter When Choosing Event Management Software?
Customer support is often the difference between a successful software experience and one that leaves staff frustrated and struggling at critical times.
When it comes to customer support, many software providers are self-serve, with additional support for a fee. This is often fine for simpler solutions. But for more sophisticated systems, the absence of the human element can lead to missed opportunities and, sometimes, implementation failure.
Association events are high-stakes. They happen on a fixed date in front of hundreds or thousands of members, and there is no “do-over.” They also operate with smaller, lean teams, meaning there may not be a dedicated IT department to step in and troubleshoot issues or manage complex configurations.
At association events, planners, admins, and education managers are responsible for overseeing the event tech on the day, often in addition to numerous other responsibilities that require fast response and resolution.
Without easy access to support, the workload can quickly become a bottleneck. With it, staff can be confident they have an expert in their corner when needed and can focus on enhancing the attendee experience rather than endlessly chasing technical problems.
As associations expand their use of technology, the importance of customer support increases. Modern association event management systems rely on interconnected systems that combine registration, abstract management tools, CE tracking, mobile apps, virtual event environments, livestreaming technology, and integrated AMS. If any one of these systems fails to do its job, it can cause issues that ripple downstream, impacting attendees, exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, and association staff.
All things considered, when choosing event management software, customer service should rank highest of all vendor evaluation criteria. It should never be an afterthought.
The cost of poor support is quantifiable through missed deadlines, disrupted check-ins, staff stress, and lost revenue opportunities, not to mention poor experiences for those attending or working at the event.
What Happens When Event Tech Support Fails?
Though glitches will happen, the ability to solve the problem and get back on track quickly is paramount. Without dedicated customer support, attendees and exhibitors may become frustrated. If the problem persists or remains unresolved, it may damage the brand.
There is also an opportunity cost associated with poor support, without which staff may spend valuable time searching for answers, waiting for responses, or trying to solve issues on their own. This is time that could be better spent engaging with members, strengthening sponsor relationships, or planning new programs.
Support should enhance the team’s capabilities and help them optimize their resources, not take them away from what’s most important.
These examples are typical scenarios at association events:
- Delayed response or payment processing delays during a registration crunch
- No live help when a session feed drops or A/V connections fail
- Generic help articles that don’t align with association workflows
- Site crashes or frequent timeout errors
- Real-time data sync issues
- Password or login issues
Any of the above issues can lead to a poor user experience, which reflects directly on the association. If support is unavailable, problems won’t be resolved quickly, making it much more challenging to engage and retain attendees.
Unfortunately, the impact often extends beyond the event itself. Attendees caught up in the difficulties may not return the following year. Sponsors and exhibitors might question the value of the relationship and choose to invest elsewhere. Speakers who experience unresolved technical issues may not want to participate again and will likely relay their experience to their peers.
As you can well imagine, a seemingly minor technical snafu can have a long-term impact on the member experience, affecting retention and future revenue generation.
For associations running events, the quality and accessibility of their support team are key factors they rely on, as the impact of unresolved technical issues can be felt for months, and perhaps years, to come.
What Should Associations Expect From a Support Team?
Association event management software support teams are much more than your average vendor or IT help desk. They should be seen as a strategic partner with niche domain knowledge, a team of experts you can rely on to help you succeed.
The best event tech vendor support will include pre-event onboarding, day-of availability, and post-event follow-through as core features. They should not be add-ons or challenging to access.
When assessing an event management solution, use these tips as a checklist. Associations have unique concerns, so it’s critical to work with a vendor that understands the nature of the work and can provide the expertise you need when you need it.
Ideally, support teams should also demonstrate a proactive mindset.
How does this play out in the wild? Rather than simply responding to tickets as they arise, they should be supporting associations by anticipating potential issues before they become problematic. For example, they may recommend workflow improvements, identify configuration issues during implementation, share experiences gleaned from other events, and support association staff in preparing contingency plans for event-day operations.
Bottom line, the best customer support teams are invested in the outcome. Proactive support is more sustainable for everyone, as it reduces the volume of help calls and sets event staff up for success.
How Does Eventscribe’s Support Model Differ From Other Event Tech Vendors?
Eventscribe, Cadmium’s event management solution, stands out from the pack for many reasons, not the least of which is its customer support model.
Support is available before, during, and after every event. Eventscribe support staff understands association workflows and can provide critical expertise to support CE tracking, AMS data, and abstract submission workflows.
With 25+ years of experience serving associations and nonprofits, Eventscribe has established a reputation for its dedication to customer success.
This level of experience matters a lot. Association events are markedly different from commercial events and conferences. They have unique concerns and requirements, like managing speakers, coordinating learning content, tracking CE credits, and integrating with AMS systems, all of which require specialized knowledge.
Eventscribe’s support team understands these nuances because its focus is solely on associations and nonprofits. Rather than having to explain industry-specific terminology or workflow needs to a generalist support agent, association staff can work with experienced professionals who deeply understand the context and can respond appropriately.
One long-time customer described Cadmium’s support as “incredibly helpful.” They said that even as the product and the company grew, customer success remained a priority.
“Cadmium always goes the extra mile to ensure issues are addressed promptly and followed up on.”
This is illustrative of a company that always puts the customer front and center. At Cadmium, there is no alternative. We understand who we serve and continually strive to serve them better. |
Is Eventscribe Support Available During a Live Event?
Day-of availability is one of the most prevalent pain points associations face. Issues need to be solved quickly to avoid delivering a poor experience, and organizers need to trust that help will be there if and when needed.
Eventscribe’s technical support team is available to assist with any issues before, during, and after events, walking associations through their biggest challenges with grace and authority.
Peace of mind is priceless for association event organizers. Live events have so many moving parts, and even the best-laid plans can face unexpected challenges. Support should feel like an extension of your team, and knowing that dedicated help is there when you need it lets you focus on delivering a stellar experience for attendees and vendors rather than stressing over technical issues.
Does Eventscribe’s Support Team Understand Association Workflows?
Many event tech vendors offer generalist support. Where they fall short is in understanding the unique nature of association and nonprofit event workflows.
Eventscribe is purpose-built for associations; hence, the support team is deeply engaged in the association and nonprofit event management world. They understand the CE tracking cycle, abstract submission review processes, AMS data synchronization, and the pressures of managing a large conference with a small staff.
This is a meaningful differentiator, as it ensures the association has relevant, considered support when it matters most.
This level of expertise proves its value when complex issues arise. Support agents who understand the landscape will ensure their guidance aligns with the association’s broader goals, rather than offering generic advice.
What Does Eventscribe’s Support Look Like Across the Event Lifecycle?
There are typically three phases of the event lifecycle: pre-event, event day, and post-event. Eventscribe provides dedicated support at each stage and everywhere in between, covering the entire event cycle from pre-event planning to post-event data analysis.
Eventscribe’s task-based system is a support tool in itself. The structured dashboard moves users through each step. Thanks to its intuitive workflows and simplicity, support calls are reduced.
Because guidance is built into the platform, most tasks are completed the first time correctly, boosting team confidence, reducing friction, and minimizing the learning curve. Staff are empowered to work independently, but know they still have access to expert assistance when needed.
- During the event, support experts are always on hand to answer questions and solve technical issues.
- After the event, the Eventscribe team provides support to ensure accurate CE credit fulfillment, content distribution, and post-event data analytics.
How Does Eventscribe Help Associations Prepare Before an Event?
Admins can access implementation support and on-demand training before the event to train and orient staff. The pre-event window is critical, as it’s where good support can prevent most day-of problems.
A successful association event is often the product of thorough preparation. During implementation, the support team will help the association configure and tailor their workflows, test the user experience, validate reporting structures, and ensure everybody understands how to achieve their goals.
By addressing these concerns well in advance of the first event, we reduce the likelihood of unpleasant surprises on the day.
Eventscribe pre-event support includes:
- Onboarding
- System setup
- AMS workflow configuration
- Training on abstracts/submissions
- Content collection
What Happens After the Event? Is Support Still Available?
Post-event support is often overlooked, and you won’t typically see it mentioned on many vendor sites.
But for associations, the work doesn’t end once the event is wrapped up.
Post-event reporting, ensuring CE credits and accreditations are fulfilled, content distribution, and event data analysis help to determine the success of the event, so these must be treated with as much gravity as any other event activity.
Post-event support helps associations maximize the value of the data and content generated by the event and ensure an enduringly positive member experience.
Eventscribe’s post-event support includes:
- Access to reporting, analytics, and troubleshooting for these functions.
- Continuing education credit tracking.
- Content repurposing in Elevate, Cadmium’s learning management system for associations.
Support staff will always follow up on any unresolved issues that arise during the event and will not leave any situation unresolved.
How Do Associations Evaluate Customer Support When Comparing Event Tech Vendors?
Now that we understand how critical customer support is for association event management solutions, let’s discuss how to determine whether a vendor can deliver.
When comparing event tech vendors, associations need to look past vendor marketing to find hard evidence of a vendor’s support capabilities. Proof can be found in testimonials, third-party reviews, case studies, retention rates, service-level commitments, and peer referrals. The ultimate goal is to understand not just how support is provided under normal conditions, but also how the vendor performs in a crunch situation.
Certain questions must be posed, but more importantly, it’s how you interpret the answers. Be aware of potential cost implications and consider how the vendor’s service-level policies will affect staff time and the efficient execution of the event.
- Is support an add-on or included?
- Do you have dedicated contacts or a ticketing queue?
- What’s the response time during a live event?
- Is the team familiar with AMS and CE workflows?
The answers to these questions are need-to-know, as they tie directly to finance and event efficiency, and ensure the association has the dedicated domain expertise they should expect from a specialist provider.
What Questions Should You Ask an Event Tech Vendor About Their Support Model?
Use these questions during demos and vendor evaluations to understand what support will look like after onboarding:
- What support channels are available, and how are they staffed? Determine whether support will be provided through live chat, phone, ticketing systems, dedicated account specialists, or other channels.
- Will we have a dedicated point of contact? Understanding your relationship is essential to ensure expectations are met.
- Do you have a response time guarantee? Request service-level agreements (SLAs) to establish a baseline.
- How do you handle onboarding? Strong support models go beyond troubleshooting. Ask about resources for admins, staff, volunteers, exhibitors, and members.
- What day-of-event support is available? Clarify whether the vendor provides real-time monitoring and on-call support (vs. ticketing systems), and whether this requires an extra fee.
Lastly, ask them to share performance metrics and to request references from associations similar in size and scope to yours.
Why Associations Choose Eventscribe, Cadmium’s Event Management System
Customer support, for associations, may be one of the most consequential features of an event management system.
And while software features tend to be replicated or matched by competitors, the true differentiator is customer support.
All-in-one event management systems, like Eventscribe, provide the kind of value that only a platform purpose-built for associations can deliver. Its task-based workflow, AMS connectivity, and integration with Cadmium’s suite of solutions provide associations with the foundations, while dedicated support focuses on association success before, during, and after the event.
In the words of Mark Pack of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE), “what really puts Cadmium over the top is their people. Their responsiveness and genuine willingness to help go above and beyond all expectations.”
Request a demo to learn more about Eventscribe, Cadmium’s event management system, today.
