Did you know the first SAS^® Users Group event took place before SAS was incorporated as a company? In 1976, hundreds of early SAS users gathered in sunny Kissimmee, FL to share tips and offer feedback before SAS was even officially a company. Our users have continued to influence the direction of our products ever since. And we continue to be keenly interested in the customer experience.

Since today is Customer Experience (CX) Day, I’ve been reflecting on my time at SAS and how I’ve seen that commitment grow over the last few years. I remember my first SAS users group conference in 2001 when I was a new product manager at SAS. Attendees told me how much it meant to them that we were there to listen and learn about the ways they used SAS products and the value SAS had for their organizations. The peer interaction that happens in the SAS community continues to inspire me, and I consider that peer interaction to be an essential ingredient of the SAS customer experience, too.

Since that time, our customer experience program has grown roots and become a key driver in the decisions we make as a company. The feedback and input we receive from our users fuels our growth and allows us to focus on the products, services and overall experience that matter most to you.

Consider this example. Recently, our newer users told us that it can be overwhelming to get started with SAS and to find all the resources they needed to improve their SAS skills. We understand there can be a learning curve with any new software, and we wanted to make it easier for anyone – from students to professional data scientists – to reap value from SAS immediately.

In response to this feedback, we created a SAS Starter Kit and a SAS Communities space just for new users. The starter kit makes it easy to access free training, support and services. And the communities space pairs new users with SAS pros who enjoy sharing their experience and answering even the most basic questions.

What should we do next to improve the customer experience? You tell us. Next week, we’ll send out our global customer satisfaction survey to continue collecting feedback from you, our customers. If you’re invited to participate, we hope you will take a few minutes to provide candid feedback so we can continue to improve.

And you can always reach out to any of the SAS Cares channels listed below (click the image for a PDF with clickable links).

You can learn more about the top enhancements resulting directly from customer feedback on our new SAS Customer Experience news site. This site is updated often, so check back to stay informed.

At SAS, customers are at the heart of everything we do, and your experience is our passion. It’s our promise to continue to listen and act on your input in meaningful ways – on CX Day and every day.