5 Ways to Have Poor Customer Support

Have short hours
Have long wait times (bonus points for bad hold music)
Have tiered support: "I can't help you with that"
Give but one point of contact (email)
Have people who don't know your product support it

How does Sonlight stack up to these?

Short hours: We do have limited hours. Some would say that they're standard, but that doesn't mean I don't get frustrated when someone tells me I can contact them during normal business hours... between the time I start and stop working. But with our many support options, I don't know how big of a deal this is... I ask for your thoughts below, so please keep reading.

Long wait times: I had to wait for a while to get through once. But I usually get help from Sonlight pretty quickly. And I've been very impressed with how fast I get someone via Chat. (Yes, I've chatted our Customer Relations team many times.)

Tiered support/Tied hands: Sonlight rocks this. Our incredible customer support people have the power to help you. Granted, they can't give you up to half the company, but do they have the authority to act on your behalf (so be nice <smile>).

Only email support: Nope. Not at all. Sonlight offers you phone, email and chat support. More than that, we've also got the Forums and Facebook, not to mention this blog, if you want to get opinions from customers who are currently using Sonlight.

Scripted answers: I used Sonlight when I was kid, but I don't have much experience teaching with it yet. But I can point you to the veteran homeschool moms who do have a ton of experience. Sonlight's Advisors are here to answer your questions about Sonlight and help you select the best program for your family. They'll look things up for you, but they won't be reading a script. This is personalized help based on years of experience at it's finest!

What say you? Have you been frustrated by Sonlight's hours? Do you find we get to you promptly on the phone and via chat? Have you been "wowed" by CR's ability to resolve your issue? Which is your favorite: Phone, email, chat, Forums? Have you chatted with an Advisor?

We say we have world-class support and strive to "wow" you each time you contact us. I'm curious: Do we live up to that?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father