Q: Where did the name Big Hairy Dog come from?
In 1993 when Mick & Sandy Malaney started the company they wanted to stand out by offering overwhelming customer care and treating the customer like gold. One day their Old English sheepdog Molly jumped on their friend and knocked him down as he came through their front door. He yelled “GET THIS *@! &^@# BIG HAIRY DOG OFF ME!” At that moment Mick Malaney said, “That’s it - that is what we are going to name our company, Big Hairy Dog”. The team at Big Hairy Dog has been bowling our customers over with support and service ever since.
Q: How do we handle billing for support and service?
Unlike virtually every other support company you’ll find today, BHD only bills by the minute. We don’t believe in lengthy support contracts where you pay month to month for the rest of your life. In fact, if we do our job we will have worked ourselves out of a job to a certain degree. By the time you “go-live” you will have a system administrator fully trained that is your first line of support. BHD bills by the minute and does not round to the quarter hour. You get a detailed monthly statement that tells you where those minutes are going. You can always buy additional hours as needed and they are refundable if not used.
Q: What makes BHD different than other software & support companies?
Typically, they (competitors) focus their efforts on the marketing of their product. Our business model is based upon customer care. From implementation, training, ongoing support as well as warranty programs, value-added-services and the daily contact with our clients, BHD is truly customer centered.
Q: How do you handle training?
At BHD we have a “train the trainer” philosophy where we take responsibility for one person in the organization knowing the system inside and out. We train using the bank of hours purchased on the initial order and as many people as you like may sit in on those training appointments. Once the “system administrator” has successfully completed the class and checked off the training check-sheet we offer free refresher training forever on the version. You’ll never pay twice for the same training.
Q: How do you market BHD?
Well, when you invest everything into supporting the customer, there’s not a lot left over for marketing. But there’s a method to our madness and we call it street preaching.
Our marketing is organically grown by word of mouth from our customers who we endearingly call street preachers. Take care of your customers and referrals will come.
Q: How do you hold up your assertion that your support is superior?
We attack customer care from various vantage points. One example is how BHD approaches a trade show. For BHD, a trade show is another opportunity to connect with our customers. Typically, competitors will arrive with a sales staff in an attempt to procure prospective customers. At the BHD booth, you’ll find technical support personnel assisting BHD customers. In fact, we’ve turned away potential customers because our staff was busy with existing customers.
Q: The BHD website offers services like free message board & free email tech support. Why free?
Certainly there are costs involved with hosting such services as well as providing the technical support staff to respond, but in the big picture answering customers concerns via email or message board is a relatively simple process. We win when our customers are happy.
Q: What is the average size of a BHD customer?
In terms of location we have single-store “mom & pop” sites to large chains as well as franchise operations with hundreds of stores in multiple countries.
Q: How long does it take to get the system on-line?
It’s difficult to pin down a timeframe for the customer since there are so many factors from the size of the operation to the number of people that can be devoted to inventory data entry. The most time consuming piece is typically getting trained on the software and getting the inventory entered or cleaned up. It can take a few weeks or even a few months depending on the factors mentioned. We try and tell new customers to budget 2 months time from start to finish if at all possible. The availability of the BHD trainers can play a part in the timeline since they can sometimes book out several weeks in advance.
Q: How long does it take for the hardware that I order to ship?
It takes 15 working days plus ship time for hardware ordered from BHD to land on-site for the initial order. The hardware can be rushed if absolutely critical. If an existing BHD customer needs replacement hardware we offer a 24 hour next day replacement warranty as well as a call tag to pull the defective piece back in to BHD. A free loaner program is also available for non-BHD hardware as well. We just get you back up and running!
Q: Your president posts his personal cell phone number on the company web site. Is that crazy?
For years, BHD customers have called in to complain, compliment and critique. Potential customers call in disbelief because they had never heard of a company president posting his personal cell phone on the company website. Regardless of the reasons, our president Mick Malaney has said that he doesn’t believe that the person in charge is truly in charge of anything unless he knows what is going on around him.
Q: What do you say to the corporate types that would prefer to deal with a more professional image?
Our customers are some of the most successful independent retail operators on the planet who support global brands and require aggressive technology support. We appreciate the need to present oneself in a professional light but BHD is more in line with a hospital M.A.S.H. unit or a pit crew at Daytona. Our customers concerns come to us fast and furious. We may not be pretty. We may not be flashy. Simply, our years of experience enable us to get the job done faster and better than anyone else.