A recent article in the Wall Street Journal was titled “I Love Using Technology—but I Hate Buying It.” The subheadline reads: “Tech companies make it hard to try out, purchase, fix, and stop using their products. It shouldn’t be that way.”
At Custom Channels, we couldn’t agree more. Technology interaction can be frustrating.
Custom Channels is more than a tech company. We’re a music-centric company that uses technology to deliver great music experiences to businesses. Streaming music services are part of the tech world — but a music service for a business, whether for one location or hundreds, should be easy to try, easy to use, and easy to get support for.
So, let’s look at what the WSJ writer thinks tech companies should do better — and how Custom Channels already does it right.
Dr. Alexandra Samuel is a technology researcher and co-author of Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at Work…Wherever You Are. Here’s how her points line up with what we believe.
Make My Free Trial Really Free — and Not Such a Trial
Dr. Samuel writes: “I want a no-strings-attached free trial, with a full set of features. Too many software companies use the free trial to get a credit-card number that they keep charging—and then they make it hard to unsubscribe. Others offer a free trial with such limited features that you have to pay for the full version before you can get a feel for whether the app will actually work for you. Just give me the full app for 7 or 14 or 30 days, and then let me buy it once I know I want to use it.”
We agree. Our ReMix and All Access services include a free, full-featured trial — no credit card required. It’s the actual product, available for seven days so you can experience everything firsthand. Try it for yourself with our free 7-day trial.
Support Like You Sell
“So many tech companies are great at reeling customers in, only to subject us to complicated and time-consuming processes when we need tech support. Treat your speedy sales process as the standard and hire enough customer-support people to make it just as quick to get a little help.”
We agree again. Custom Channels puts high value on fast, human customer service. We respond quickly to emails. When you call, you’ll reach our real office — not a call center. Our plug-and-play music player makes setup easy, eliminating the need for complicated tech support in the first place. Quick answers and real people are part of the listening experience.
Just Give Me a Human
“I count myself lucky when there is a support line to call; too often, the only tech-support option is self-serve, online documentation or some kind of chatbot. Even with customer support lines, you sometimes have to spend 10 or 20 minutes proving yourself to a robot before you get to a human. If you’re going to sell me an app or service I depend on, you owe it to me to pick up the phone when I call.”
Exactly. No chatbots at Custom Channels. When you reach out — whether by email or phone — you’ll connect with a human being. We even post our phone number on the support page and print it right on every music player we ship.
Let Me Get Tech Support at My Level
“As a skilled user, I’ve already done the basic troubleshooting steps before I reach out to tech support—so let me skip past the entry-level tech-support folks who only know how to run me through the how-tos I’ve already read online.”
“My less techie friends are just as frustrated by support lines that assume they can speak geek: They need support people who skip the jargon and assume no baseline level of tech knowledge.”
We communicate with a wide range of users — from corporate IT directors to restaurant assistant managers — and we tailor our language and approach accordingly. Our team quickly gauges a customer’s comfort level and speaks their language, whether they’re tech-savvy or not. That’s part of making support feel easy and human.
Go the Distance
“I don’t want to replace every gadget in my home every two or three years. But hardware and software makers love to box us into a corner where it’s upgrade or die.”
We couldn’t agree more. Our Custom Channels music players — the devices installed in stores and restaurants that stream music to sound systems — are guaranteed for the life of your subscription. If a unit fails, we replace it at no charge.
Our internet streaming service doesn’t require upgrades either. We make improvements continuously on our backend, so you benefit automatically — with no extra cost, downloads, or effort.
Summary
Technology can be frustrating. At Custom Channels, we prioritize the customer experience — making technology invisible, dependable, and easy. We’ve built a user-friendly experience that helps business operators feel confident with the music technology they rely on.
Through our free trials, quick and personal support, and flexible communication style, we make the tech side of music simple — so you can focus on what matters most: your customers and your brand.
