January. The season of grumpiness. That Christmas spirit is long gone and all that remains are the extra calories and the unwanted gifts. So in the true spirit of bah-humbugness, here's our guide to Comms Software
So how grumpy does your communication software make you?
If you've said any of the following, then we're guessing 'pretty grumpy'.*
- It doesn’t do what I need
- I can’t figure out how to do what I need
- It is unnecessarily frustrating and complex
- It breaks all the time / is really slow
- It’s so ugly I want to vomit just so I can see something prettier
- I’m thinking about the tool, instead of my work
- I have to use 5 different tools to do one thing fully
Highly Grumpy? Don't be. Here are some options for you
Full Techno Retreat. Invest in post-its, clickable pencils and the occasional email. Sneer at all things which require log in and laugh mirthlessly at marketing claims such as "it's never been easier to engage, target and connect" as these are slogans thought up by people who have never actually TRIED to engage, target and connect. You have, and it's bloody hard work only made harder by passwords and slow loading screens of death.
Shout at the Screen. Let it all out by abusing the pixels pixelating in front of you and email the help desk to give them a piece of your mind too. Will it change anything? Probably not if your supplier is part of a massive corporate structure whose decisions are made by the investors and whose products evolve at a glacial pace. But it's good vocal practice and apparently "cynics can expect more stable marriages, higher earnings and longer lives – though, of course, they’ll anticipate the opposite." (BBC news)
Look around for a new supplier. OK so this is the hardest one to do - especially if you're a cynic who's seen a thing or two. The one thing we would say is that competition between coverage providers and full media platform providers (like ourselves) has never been more intense than it is now. It's a buyers' market. There are differences out there and you'll spot them from visiting...
- Social Review platforms such as G2Crowd or Trust Pilot to see what real users think
- Glassdoor to see how well organisations treat the staff and their approach to innovation
- Industry forums (LinkedIn, Facebook etc) where your peers exchange ideas
Inside every Cynic is a (somewhat scared) Optimist
If you'd like to find your inner optimist and expel the grump from your January, ask our customers what they think of PRgloo. Good things come from people who care about those they design and build for - whether that's software, buildings or toys and at PRgloo that's our non-cynical motto.
Please feel free to ask our wonderful customers what software makes them happy this January...
*The above list has been shamelessly lifted from the excellent "Why Software Sucks" which is a great read for anyone who wants to build something (software, product, service) of which you can be proud.