Transitioning Your Customers to Orderspace

Most people do not enjoy change. Especially when they have become used to working in a certain way, and have incorporated it into their daily habits and routines. Even changes that are 100% positive are sometimes met with resistance. This can make life very difficult for businesses looking to modernise and streamline their processes because nobody wants to upset their customers.

Our clients report overwhelmingly positive feedback from their customers; however, occasionally there are cases of buyers who are reluctant to move away from their old systems of faxing, phone calls and spreadsheets. If you find yourself in this position or are concerned this may be an issue in the future, read on for some ideas.

1. Communicate
   I think this must be the most used word on our blog! Communicate with your customers, give them timescales, tell them why you are moving to an online order processing system. And most importantly explain the benefits they will enjoy from using the software. In other words; What's in it for them.

Things like; quicker turnaround times, fewer mistakes, better visibility of inventory levels, faster, easier and more convenient ordering, easier payment etc. Depending on the system you are moving away from, there will probably be many more improvements. Let your confidence show, Orderspace will truly make life so much easier for your team and your customers.

2. Reassure and Support
   Orderspace is exceptionally intuitive and user-friendly, and we are on hand to offer help at any stage. Let your customers know that if they need any assistance with the software, they will be very well looked after.

3. Ask for Feedback
   Let your buyers know that their opinion matters. Ask for feedback, and listen to any concerns they raise. If they request changes or new features pass the feedback onto us so we can look into it.

4. Measure
   Our clients tell us they take more orders, of a higher value using Orderspace. Put metrics in place right from the start so you can measure the difference. Look at things like average order values, turnaround times, % of mistakes and any other areas you are looking to improve. Ask your customers to rate their experience and share this data so they can see how well the new system works.

5. Take Your Time
   If you have a lot of customers, you might consider inviting them to OrderSpace in batches. This will allow you to test the water and be able to handle any queries that arise effectively.

6. Pick Your Battles
   If you do end up with a customer who refuses to use the new system, and you don't wish to force the issue, you can of course still enter their orders into Orderspace yourself. This will allow you to keep everything in one place and still enjoy the efficiency of the order processing system. Hopefully, in time the customer will have a change of heart!

Further Reading:
Transitioning to an online wholesale ordering system
What is B2B e-commerce?
5 Things Orderspace will and won't do for your business