Which AV Manufacturers and Distributors Provide the Best Customer Training and Support?

By Kirsten Nelson
( Systems Contractor News )
published

Which AV Manufacturers and Distributors Provide the Best Customer Training and Support?

Every time you drop a dollar bill into the jar on the counter, you form a tacit agreement with your barista: "To Insure Proper Service" (TIPS). According to one account from cultural mythology, that acronym originated in the 1930s, when American consumers left tips on the table before the meal started. Today we expect proper service, and we leave a tip after we've received appropriate treatment. But how do you insure proper service when there are no tips involved?

  • As the AV industry continues to shift and evolve, service has become increasingly important. With similar goods available from numerous vendors, the differentiating factors lie in the sales, shipping, training, service, and support transactions around the specification and acquisition of equipment.

SCN is launching its Stellar Service Awards to recognize the manufacturers and distributors that go above and beyond with their customer programs. From this year forward, we will salute the businesses that elevate their interactions to a higher degree of satisfaction. Our panel of integrator and consultant judges evaluated who was most likely to insure proper service, and chose our inaugural winners from entries submitted by manufacturers and distributors. Here is our first class of SCN Stellar Service Award winners. You can look to these companies for top-notch treatment.

SCN's 2014 Stellar Service Award Winners

Best Use Of An Afternoon
(Best Online Training)
Symetrix

The Number You Have On Autodial
(Best Tech Support)
Middle Atlantic

The Ultimate Reputation Saver
(Best Warranty Program)
Biamp

Sales Support You Can Believe In
(Best Sales Operation)
Chief

Best Excuse To Leave The Office
(Best In House Training Program)
RGB Spectrum

The Closest Thing To Teleportation
(Best Shipping/Freight Policy)
Crestron

The Dealer Portal You Want To Keep Going Back To
(Best Website Dealer Portal)
Extron

Frequent Buyer Smiles
(Best Dealer Rewards Spiff Co Op Dollars Dealer Trips etc.)
Crestron

The Most Shareable Online Sales Collateral
(Best Online Product Demos Sales Collateral)
Vaddio

The Distributor Difference
Best In-House Training Program
Synnex Pro AV Summit

Best Online Training
Stampede Online University

Best Sales Operation
Capitol Sales Engineers

Kirsten Nelson
Kirsten Nelson is a freelance content producer who translates the expertise and passion of technologists into the vernacular of an audience curious about their creations. Nelson has written about audio and video technology in all its permutations for almost 20 years; she was the editor of SCN for 17 years. Her experience in the commercial AV and acoustics design and integration market has also led her to develop presentation programs and events for AVIXA and SCN, deliver keynote speeches, and moderate and participate in panel discussions. In addition to technology, she also writes about motorcycles—she is a MotoGP super fan.