Comments on: Note to self: customer success matters most http://www.successfactors.com/blogs/business-execution/note-to-self-customer-success-matters-most/ Execution is the Difference. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:42:47 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.successfactors.com/blogs/business-execution/note-to-self-customer-success-matters-most/comment-page-1/#comment-96 Anonymous Mon, 02 Oct 2006 16:51:52 +0000 http://10.50.0.97/wordpress/workforce-performance/index.php/note-to-self-customer-success-matters-most/#comment-96 Everything I read in the September 11, 2006 entry is absolutely on the mark. If anyone is looking for a job and is a software account manager or even an IT professional, be forewarned to stay far away from Softscape. I had the absolute horror of working at this awful company and saw firsthand the insanity from the management team. It's a smoke and mirrors operation. It's difficult to sell a software program when it doesn't exist. The only pleasure derived from working at Softscape, when I did, was getting to know some quality people who felt the way that I did. The insanity hit an apex in early 2001 and I believe it continues in cycles as they blow through staff. The company's association with several Connecticut state agencies was it's bread and butter for awhile through 2001. If you recall, Governor Rowland was in office and the company lobbied his IT Chief to get a leg up on any competition in the state. We know what happened to Rowland. They also plucked Terry Borjeson from his state position in CT to further entrench themselves in the multi-million dollar gravy train know as the State of Connecticut. There were several tense meetings with other government agencies from Indiana who were continually displeased with the product that Sofscape created. Instead of having productive problem solving meetings, the brass at the company would try to gloss things over and offer the customer an expensive lunch. I truly believed then that the poor reputation would finally catch up to the arrogant indifference that the company had towards existing customers. Needless to say, Softscape was by far the worst company I had ever worked for. Everything I read in the September 11, 2006 entry is absolutely on the mark. If anyone is looking for a job and is a software account manager or even an IT professional, be forewarned to stay far away from Softscape. I had the absolute horror of working at this awful company and saw firsthand the insanity from the management team. It’s a smoke and mirrors operation. It’s difficult to sell a software program when it doesn’t exist. The only pleasure derived from working at Softscape, when I did, was getting to know some quality people who felt the way that I did. The insanity hit an apex in early 2001 and I believe it continues in cycles as they blow through staff. The company’s association with several Connecticut state agencies was it’s bread and butter for awhile through 2001. If you recall, Governor Rowland was in office and the company lobbied his IT Chief to get a leg up on any competition in the state. We know what happened to Rowland. They also plucked Terry Borjeson from his state position in CT to further entrench themselves in the multi-million dollar gravy train know as the State of Connecticut. There were several tense meetings with other government agencies from Indiana who were continually displeased with the product that Sofscape created. Instead of having productive problem solving meetings, the brass at the company would try to gloss things over and offer the customer an expensive lunch. I truly believed then that the poor reputation would finally catch up to the arrogant indifference that the company had towards existing customers. Needless to say, Softscape was by far the worst company I had ever worked for.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.successfactors.com/blogs/business-execution/note-to-self-customer-success-matters-most/comment-page-1/#comment-95 Anonymous Mon, 11 Sep 2006 18:39:10 +0000 http://10.50.0.97/wordpress/workforce-performance/index.php/note-to-self-customer-success-matters-most/#comment-95 Softscape has a lot of problems. They are losing customers due to the fact that they have difficulty at implementation. Also, customers are not happy because they are billed for everything, including bugs. Several of the products that they are advertising, such as their HRMS, do not exist. They are trying to get a company to buy it based on a few beta screens and then use the customer's money to pay for building it. There are also a lot of problems internally. Softscape appears to hae serious cashflow issues and is having difficulty making payroll. They were over a month late paying 2nd Qtr commissions. In order to save money they fired salespeople just before they were due to be paid and then stiffed them on their commissions. Six salespeople are owed more than $75k. There is a class action suit coming because of it. This will be the third suit from former salespeople in just over a year. The owner walks around the office saying "I hate salespeople, I wish I didn't have to have any". He is getting his wish. The enire inside sales team has turned over, none of the group has been their more than 5 months. Most of the outside team has turned over as well, with only one rep having more than a year's tenure. The IT department has had a lot of turnover too. Suffice it top say that the majority of employees are unhappy and looking for new jobs. The only thing keeping Softscape afloat is their overseas business. They are not winning enough new business in the US to keep them profitable here. They are losing customers almost as fast as they can replace them. Upper management has been spending a lot of time visiting the overseas operations. I believe that most of the IT work is going to be moved to the Thailand office with just a skeleton crew kept here in Wayland. I wouldn't be surprized to see them either sell the company or downsize it drastically. Otherwise mismanagement is going to drive them out of business in the next year or so. Softscape has a lot of problems.

They are losing customers due to the fact that they have difficulty at implementation. Also, customers are not happy because they are billed for everything, including bugs.

Several of the products that they are advertising, such as their HRMS, do not exist. They are trying to get a company to buy it based on a few beta screens and then use the customer’s money to pay for building it.

There are also a lot of problems internally. Softscape appears to hae serious cashflow issues and is having difficulty making payroll. They were over a month late paying 2nd Qtr commissions.

In order to save money they fired salespeople just before they were due to be paid and then stiffed them on their commissions. Six salespeople are owed more than $75k. There is a class action suit coming because of it. This will be the third suit from former salespeople in just over a year.

The owner walks around the office saying “I hate salespeople, I wish I didn’t have to have any”. He is getting his wish. The enire inside sales team has turned over, none of the group has been their more than 5 months. Most of the outside team has turned over as well, with only one rep having more than a year’s tenure. The IT department has had a lot of turnover too.

Suffice it top say that the majority of employees are unhappy and looking for new jobs.

The only thing keeping Softscape afloat is their overseas business. They are not winning enough new business in the US to keep them profitable here. They are losing customers almost as fast as they can replace them. Upper management has been spending a lot of time visiting the overseas operations. I believe that most of the IT work is going to be moved to the Thailand office with just a skeleton crew kept here in Wayland.

I wouldn’t be surprized to see them either sell the company or downsize it drastically. Otherwise mismanagement is going to drive them out of business in the next year or so.

]]> By: anonymous http://www.successfactors.com/blogs/business-execution/note-to-self-customer-success-matters-most/comment-page-1/#comment-94 anonymous Mon, 27 Mar 2006 14:53:11 +0000 http://10.50.0.97/wordpress/workforce-performance/index.php/note-to-self-customer-success-matters-most/#comment-94 Sounds like the truth about softscape is getting around. Sounds like the truth about softscape is getting around.

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