What was said
What this says
Current to 11 Oct 26Helen Varley says she cannot justify forty licences if usage keeps falling. Users who hit the summer data problems have gone quiet, and one high priority ticket is still open. Marcus Bell set an order: ticket, records check, value page.
What happened: Marcus Bell reported average active users down by roughly a sixth on the last quarter, mainly people hit by the summer data problems. Two high priority tickets came in this month, both answered inside the hour, one still open.
Customer view: Helen Varley said quick and not fixed is the problem, because her managers see a polite answer and nothing changes. She will not defend forty licences to finance if usage keeps going down.
Commercial: Marcus raised the renewal early, with the contract running to 30 Apr 2027 and renewing on 1 May 2027 at £48,500 a year. He will brief Priya, the account owner, and build a value page.
Watch: Helen wants the data right before any value page. The manager session is held until the open ticket has an answer, and Marcus gave no date for the engineering fix.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Who was there
BB-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Marcus Bell sends Helen Varley a written update on the open ticket the next day.
- Marcus Bell sends the split of quiet users by trust and checks those trusts' records.
- Marcus Bell briefs Priya, then builds the value page and the manager session once the ticket is answered.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- Falling active users after the summer data problems put the forty licences at risk at the 1 May 2027 renewal.
- A high priority ticket remains open with no date for the engineering fix, so fast first responses are not building trust.
- Helen Varley says she will not defend licences her managers do not use, and finance will ask about value.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- A value page showing questions asked, who is asking and what has been resolved could make the case for the subscription.
- A half-hour session for the managers who drifted could bring users back once the open ticket is answered.
Transcript
- Marcus Bell NoneHi Helen, thanks for joining. Can you hear me alright?
- Helen Varley NoneHi Marcus, yes, I can. Right, three points from me: usage, the tickets again, and what I tell the account managers. Where do you want to start?
- Marcus Bell NoneUsage, if that's okay, and I'll share my screen. I've pulled the numbers. Average active users is down on the last quarter, by roughly a sixth, and I don't want to dress that up.
- Helen Varley NoneNo, don't. What's driving that?
- Marcus Bell NoneLooking at the people, it's the ones who were hit by the data problems earlier in the summer. A few of them stopped opening it after that, and they haven't come back. Summer holidays are part of it too, but I don't think that's the whole story.
- Helen Varley NoneNo, I agree. By trust, please. Are the trusts that had the issues the ones that have gone quiet?
- Marcus Bell NoneGive me a moment. Mm. Largely, yes, a couple of the larger ones. I'll send you the split.
- Helen Varley NonePlease do. And the tickets? I saw two more this month.
- Marcus Bell NoneTwo this month, both high priority. Both were responded to inside your hour. I'll be straight with you though, being quick on the first response isn't the same as having solved it. One is still being worked on.
- Helen Varley NoneThat's the problem. Quick and not fixed. My managers see tickets, they see a polite answer, and then nothing changes.
- Marcus Bell NoneThat's fair. I can't give you a date for the engineering fix and I won't pretend to, but I can get a written update from the team on the one that's open, and I'll send it to you tomorrow whatever it says.
- Helen Varley NoneTomorrow, then. I'll hold you to that.
- Marcus Bell NonePlease do. Now the renewal. I know it's still a way off, but I'd rather we talk about it early. Your contract runs to 30 Apr 2027 and renews on 1 May 2027, at £48,500 a year with forty licensed users.
- Helen Varley NoneAnd I'll be honest, if usage keeps going down I can't justify forty licences to our finance team. I don't talk about price, that's for finance, but I'm not going to defend something my managers don't use.
- Marcus Bell NoneUnderstood. I'll make sure Priya hears this from me, so it isn't a surprise. I'd also like to put together a value page for you: questions asked month by month, who's asking, and what's been resolved.
- Helen Varley NoneThat's what I need. But I need the data right first. Otherwise it's a nice page about something nobody believes.
- Marcus Bell NoneFair. So let's order it that way. First the open ticket, then a check of the records for the trusts that went quiet, then the value page.
- Helen Varley NoneAnd a session for the managers who've drifted? I'd like to bring a couple back in with a clear message that the issues are being dealt with.
- Marcus Bell NoneYes, but I'd hold it until the open ticket has an answer. Otherwise you're asking people to trust something I can't yet vouch for. Shall we say half an hour once it's sorted?
- Helen Varley NoneOkay. That makes sense. I'll take that to the account managers so they know it's coming.
- Marcus Bell NoneGood. Recap from my side: written update on the open ticket tomorrow, a split of quiet users by trust, a check of those trusts' records, Priya briefed, then the value page and the session.
- Helen Varley NoneThat's it. Thanks Marcus. Let's not have this call again in September with the same list.
- Marcus Bell NoneAgreed, I'll do my best. Speak soon, Helen. Cheers.