Sage Pastel helpdesk best in the world

Issued by Lingo Communications for Sage Pastel Accounting

Johannesburg, 19 Nov 2013

Sage Pastel, South Africa's leading developer of accounting and business software, has been named best helpdesk in the world at the ContactCenterWorld.com Top Ranking Performer global finals, at a glittering ceremony in Las Vegas, on the weekend.

Category runners-up were Australian telecommunications company Telstra, and Loyalty One, the Canadian air miles reward programme. The global award comes after Sage Pastel was named Contact Centre World's best helpdesk in the EMEA region in July this year, having competed against 600 entries from over 28 countries.

Sage Pastel has been a regular regional winner at these awards, but this is the first time it has received global recognition. Steven Cohen, MD of Sage Pastel Accounting, said this international accolade was a real tribute to the company's service ethic, which put consistent customer care at its heart.

"Our business software is mission-critical for our clients, so it is essential that the Sage Pastel after-sales and support teams operate like a slick, well-oiled machine that are able to swiftly understand clients' issues and assist them to be functional in their business as quickly as possible. Our ongoing investment in technology has allowed the helpdesk to improve on the customer experience."

Sage Pastel's 170-seat contact centre handles more than 6 000 e-mails, Web chats and other contacts per month, in addition to the 50 000-plus inbound calls it takes monthly. Customer satisfaction is measured through a number of channels and consistently exceeds 90%.

What online accounting can do that your desktop can't

Cohen said winning gold was testament to the company's smart use of technology and its staff recruitment, retention and reward programme.

"I am thrilled that our prioritisation of technology and people has been recognised. Our average staff retention period is double that of the industry standard, and every year we grow 12% of our people internally. Our average manager in the support team has been with us for eight years."

Morne van Deventer, Sage Pastel Accounting's Contact Centre Manager, said the company hopes to change the perception in South Africa that a job in a contact centre is just a stepping stone to something else, and not a career choice.

"Internationally, it is considered a privilege and a prestigious role to be able to work and grow in the contact centre environment. We hope that this international accolade will help Sage Pastel profile its helpdesk as a real career choice for ambitious young people looking to enter the world of customer service.

Sage Pastel's helpdesk was also a global runner-up in the Best Community Spirit category.

Sage Pastel Accounting

Sage Pastel Accounting is South Africa's leading developer of accounting, payroll and business management software for the small, medium and large enterprise market. Since inception, Sage Pastel has developed an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the industry, establishing itself as a market leader and the preferred choice of South African business. The numbers speak for themselves, as thousands of businesses use Sage Pastel Accounting to run their businesses and trust Sage Pastel to help them achieve their business ambitions.

Sage

Softline was founded in 1988 by Ivan Epstein, Alan Osrin and Steven Cohen. The company was established during the formative years of the business software industry in South Africa, and soon became the leader in the provision of business software and services to small and medium-sized companies. In 2003, Softline was acquired by UK-based company The Sage Group. Softline officially changed to Sage in February 2013 to align with its parent company, Sage Group. It continues to provide local expertise backed by the global Sage brand.

The Sage Group

Sage Group is a leading global provider of business management software to small and medium-sized companies, creating greater freedom for them to succeed. Sage understands how and why each business is unique. It provides products and services that suit varying needs, are a pleasure to use and are secure and efficient. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and entered the FTSE 100 in 1999. Sage has over 6 million customers and more than 13 380 employees in 24 countries covering the UK and Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, Asia and Brazil. For further information, please visit www.sage.com.

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