August 11, 2021

From Client to Colleague: How One User of Our Board Management Software Became an Employee

customer-support

A good recommendation is worth its weight in gold for most companies. And when one of the pillars of your business is stellar client support, positive customer feedback is priceless.

That’s why, when one of our long-term customers—someone who was immersed in the Govenda board governance platform every day, for years—decided to become a Govenda employee, we were thrilled with her endorsement.

Hether Guinn has been a Customer Experience Specialist at Govenda since May, 2021. Her experience as a long-time Govenda client gives her a unique perspective that helps her truly understand the board governance needs of our customers.

Here’s how Hether went from being a satisfied customer to being a dedicated employee.

What industry were you working in?

Hether: I was in the financial industry, working at a bank. My primary role was in regulatory compliance—as a bank we were obviously very heavily regulated. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) was our primary federal banking regulator. That’s how Govenda evolved into a big part of my daily duties.

Was the board already using board management software?

Hether: No, board packets were a mix of paper and bulk pdf, depending on the director. 

What made you want to use a board management software?

Hether: The logistical and security challenges that come along with 200+ page paper board packets on top of my regular job duties, which were unrelated to the board. I served as the Committee Admin for six committees myself, with meeting frequencies varying from weekly to semi-annually. The meetings I organized included the Board of Directors, Executive Team, Audit, and Compliance, as well as additional Board-appointed committees, creating no less than six meetings a month. I was tasked with finding a secure digital solution. 

How many companies did you explore?

Hether: We started with a list of over 20. We narrowed down to six very quickly and saw demonstrations for three.

What made your company choose Govenda?

Hether: Govenda was the hands-down leader in terms of cost, ease of use, responsiveness to customer recommendations, and customer support. Unlike other solutions we considered, Govenda offered unlimited users, instead of selling blocks of user access. I oversaw the initial vetting and demos, and I made the ultimate recommendation to the board to purchase the software. And considering my former company is still a very happy Govenda client, it’s clear they made the right choice.

How long did you use the software?

Hether: I used Govenda daily for three years. I was the primary Board Administrator, and a Committee Admin. 

What are some things you liked about using Govenda/working with the team from a customer perspective?

Hether: I liked that the software was very intuitive and easy to train new board and committee members and admins on, no matter what their level of comfort with technology. I appreciated that the Govenda team was responsive to my questions and listened to my feedback. I would often see topics we discussed later released as product enhancements.  

What made you decide to work at Govenda?

Hether: I love the product and I love helping people make the most out of using it. My interactions with the team had always been positive and when the opportunity presented itself to join Govenda, I jumped on it. 

What’s your role? 

Hether: Customer Success. I onboard new customers and take customer support calls and tickets, and make sure existing customers are getting the most out of the fantastic features in Govenda. 

How do you think being a customer prepared you for your role here?

Hether: I was the primary training and troubleshooting person when I was a customer. My role as a Govenda Customer Experience Specialist is similar except instead of troubleshooting for 60 board members, executives and senior managers for one company, I have the pleasure of working with Govenda customers around the world. 

Is there anything different from what you expected?

Hether: I’m always learning new things about Govenda’s extensive features. I keep that in mind in my customer interactions—it’s important that our clients understand everything that Govenda can do to make their board management process easier and more streamlined.

When working with the team, I gear my input toward what’s important as a customer, giving a different perspective during product development. I still have the customer mentality, so every product enhancement feels like someone just gave me a shiny new present and I can’t wait to share. My experience helps me be more relatable to customers because I have been in their shoes and can offer tips or tell them what worked for me when I was a Govenda customer. 

Govenda-customer-support

Some things you like about using Govenda/working with the team from an employee perspective? 

Hether: I enjoy working with a team so sincerely dedicated to customer success and product innovation. Everyone is supportive and open to input from others. They bounce ideas off each other, and ultimately come up with great features for our customers. 

What do you think makes Govenda the best option for boards looking for a modern board management software? 

Hether: Govenda is five-stars in terms of affordability and user experience, from the administrator uploading content to the final end user accessing that content.

Where do you see your role and the company in five years? 

Hether: Govenda is poised to grow extensively in the next five years. We recently accelerated the release of more comprehensive features used across the governance landscape. Personally, I hope my experience will allow me to grow with Govenda and be an asset to the company wherever I am needed. I’m just so excited to be part of the team!  

Tag(s): Govenda

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