Why a Tech Company is Hyper-Focused on People

When I look at ControlUp’s recent reviews on Gartner Peer Insights™, one thing stands out: our customers consistently praise our support and service. In an industry where tech often overshadows the human element, this feedback is more than just a pat on the back—it’s a validation of our core philosophy.

Let’s be frank: metrics are crucial in our business. We track them, we analyze them, we use them to drive decisions. But there’s a trap in focusing solely on what’s easily quantifiable. You risk missing the less tangible, but arguably more important, aspects of your business—like how effectively you’re solving real problems for your customers.

At ControlUp, we’ve made a conscious decision to prioritize customer support and success. It’s not just about having a responsive help desk (though that’s certainly part of it). It’s about fostering relationships that create long-term value for our clients.

This approach isn’t always the easiest path. It requires significant investment in our support infrastructure. Recently, we’ve reorganized our customer success, support, and renewals teams, adding resources to ensure we’re not just meeting expectations, but exceeding them. Why? Because we’re playing the long game. This isn’t mini-golf; it’s a championship round.

The numbers back up this strategy. In just seven months, we’ve seen the average term for committed contracts increase from 16 months to 25 months. That’s a great metric because of the meaning behind it. It’s a clear indicator that our customers see value in sticking with us.

Don’t worry, we’re not resting on our laurels. In the coming year, we’re doubling down on making it easier to do business with us. Whether you’re a partner, a strategic ally like Microsoft or Google, or a customer looking to expand your ControlUp implementation, we’re streamlining our processes to remove friction points.

This means taking a hard look at our product offerings. Instead of charging for each individual feature, we’re moving towards more comprehensive, integrated solutions. It’s about breaking down the silos that naturally form in a fast-growing company and presenting a unified, customer-centric face to the world.

Our customer council is one of the most valuable tools in this evolution. The feedback we’ve received has been eye-opening. It’s one thing to speculate about what our customers need; it’s another to hear it directly from them. And we’re not just listening – we’re acting on what we hear.

I’ve seen firsthand the power of this approach. In my previous role, we built relationships with customers that lasted for two decades. That’s the kind of longevity we’re aiming for at ControlUp. It’s about being proactive, not reactive. It’s about listening more than speaking and truly internalizing what our customers tell us.

As we continue to grow, maintaining this level of commitment becomes more challenging – but also more crucial. We’re not interested in being a ‘churn and burn’ operation. We aim to build an AR (analyst relations) machine that delivers real, lasting value to our clients.

In the end, it all comes down to a simple principle: treat your customers the way you’d want to be treated. Listen to them. Understand their challenges. And then move heaven and earth to solve those challenges. That’s what we’re doing at ControlUp, and I’m proud of it.