FSI’s VIP Concierge Service (formerly known as Tech Support)… The Best In The Industry! Here’s How And Why 5

From The Beginning

When FSI started in 1982, the goal was to provide the best, innovative, easy-to-use software for the independent/community pharmacy. From the beginning, the founders of FSI, Mel and Marvin Poulsen realized to be the best, you can’t just have a great product, you need the ability to support it. Mel and Marvin believed FSI customers should always be able to call and speak to a warm body for help right now. The phone tree has never been an option. Even today, when you call, you speak to someone who offers help now. One technique used by so many other software companies today is a support call triage process. When you call, you climb the phone tree, eventually, you get a warm body, but might have to leave a voicemail. The issue is evaluated and you think you are getting support, but really they are assigning the call to the appropriate group for the appropriate help. You, the customer with an issue now, get a call back later in the day, the next day, or the next week.

In June of 1994 when I started at FSI, the company was leasing an office in Orem, Utah. We had “line 1” and “line 2” and so on with a red flashing hold button. Our intercom system was pushing the hold button and yelling through the office, “Mike, Alan Fox from Mini Pharmacy is on line one holding for you.” Mike would walk to his phone, pick up the corded handset, push the “line 1” button, and answer the call.

I recall walking customers through support issues step by step. Language barriers were oftentimes an issue that could be frustrating for the customer and the FSI tech. The internet was in the early stages and you needed a 2400 baud modem to connect. The current FSI office didn’t have lines in place for this and we lacked the sound of ‘screech screech bjong screech screech’ (this is what I imagine the sound of the modem saying if it were speaking English) “You’ve got mail!” We didn’t even have a modem for internet capability!

Along Came 1996

In 1996, the office in Lindon, Utah, where FSI currently resides, was completed and we moved from the outgrown and out-of-date Orem office location. This gave us the ability to implement new technology and provide better support for our customers. We were still relying on the modem but had advanced to faster speeds. Before long, we had a DSL line into the office and had access to the internet where our eyes were opened! This ability gave us GoToMeeting to use as a support tool so we could see your screen and you could allow us access so we could just fix the problem. We went from about 15-minute average call times to about 5 minutes. As our call times decreased because of technology, our internet speeds and capabilities increased, making your support experience even better.

As It Was In The Beginning, So It Is Today… Kind Of

FSI has come a long way since 1994. Keeping up with technology has always been a challenge. With rapidly advancing technology, FSI has always looked for and implemented better ways to keep providing you with the best support in the pharmacy software industry. FSI has implemented a more advanced phone system, we now use ScreenConnect with easy access connection links on our help website. We have tech support agents who have been with FSI since 1996. The biggest and best support tool FSI has to offer you is when you call, someone answers and begins to offer help now! Once you have someone from support on the line, you present your issue. Your support tech quickly determines what tools will be needed for a resolution. If your issue can’t be resolved immediately, you can rest assured you have the best team of experts working toward a resolution.

One Team, One Mission

I had to create a business model a few months back and submit it with a procurement software bid. It was interesting to see the different areas of FSI, and how many roles people have, and realized FSI is really one department, one team. Yes, Marvin is over sales and accounting, Mel is over development and support, and down the line, it goes from there, but each of us has roles that allow us to put on a different hat when needed so we can offer better support to you.

What separates FSI from the rest and makes us the best? Everyone at FSI, no matter if we are support, development, account management, customer engagement, sales, or accounting has the same mission; provide the best product and support to keep your pharmacy the best independent/community pharmacy out there! FSI is one team with one mission!

Sometimes when you call, you speak with someone you have met, at your pharmacy. Having our agents on-site is a tool FSI has used for our support team since the beginning. The FSI support team travels to install new pharmacies, update existing pharmacies, provide on-site training, and other service calls as requested. Since COVID-19, travel has been more limited, but it’s picking up again and we are starting to get out on the road again like we used to. Being in working pharmacies helps our technicians know when you have an issue, and how it affects your pharmacy and your customers. Also, it seems one pharmacy operation is different than the next. Being able to see this, also helps us realize your issue may not be the same as the next pharmacy. This is one reason FSI is very open to your program requests and willing to develop to suit your individual pharmacy needs.

Yesterday’s Team

In 1994, when I started with FSI, I worked with Mel, Marvin, Denise, Kent, Mark, Chris, Mike, and Joel. I knew Mel and Marvin were the owners. I knew Mel and Kent were developers. I knew Marvin and Denise were sales and Accounting. I knew I was part of the support team with Mark, Chris, Mike, and Joel. However, when it really came to supporting your needs, we all worked together to make sure you were taken care of.

Over the years, you have spoken to some other memorable support agents like Phil, Weston, Nate, Randy, Lance, Josh, Brandon, Pete, Kylo, Annican, Mike S. (different than the original Mike F. I have mentioned), Luke, Andrew, Kyle, or Kory. I’m sure I’ve missed a few but I want to focus on the present, the tech support team answering your questions, and fixing your issues when you call today.

FSI has one of the most diverse teams it’s ever seen. The evolution of software and support to keep up with technology has a need for a diverse point of view for survival. Since the beginning, in 1982, FSI has built a reputation on our software and support team by not being the biggest vendor for independent/community pharmacies. FSI isn’t the biggest, just the best. In today’s pharmacy market, the “Big Box” pharmacies are the biggest. Let them be the biggest! You chose FSI for your pharmacy, let us help you make your pharmacy the best!

Your VIP Concierge Team

Putting a name to a face, here are a few of the amazing techs you speak with when you call today, and some of the techs or developers you don’t speak with as often. I couldn’t get pics from everyone, some were a little hard to get a hold of when I wrote this article. As the missing photos roll in I’ll update the post, keep checking back to meet more of the team!

Update – June 29, 2021

As of June 29, we would like to welcome to the support team and introduce Sandi!! She won’t be answering phones for a couple weeks, but when you hear “Foundation Systems, this is Sandi” please welcome her and have patience. Sandi has customer support experience, but the pharmacy world is brand new. Sandi, welcome to a team of the best support in the pharmacy software industry!