GoMembers vs. StarChapter

The product was purchased four years before implementation. After having been stalled for more than a year, we were tapped to get the software setup and implemented on a tight six-month deadline. And because we hadn't been involved in the selection process and primary setup, we basically had to start from scratch. I can't say what questions were asked, since I wasn't a part of the selection process, but if you are - and beyond anything else - know upfront what your overall business objective goals and end results are before selecting a product. If the product doesn't meet your needs - with or without modification - keep moving. Research, research, research.

StarChapter is a great tool to send blast communications to your clients. It is also a great tool for tracking revenue. The only thing I do not appreciate is that it is not user friendly or intuitive.

Incentivized

• Membership management.
• Meeting management and registration.
• Accounts receivable.

• Tracks expiring members
• Tracks registrations
• Set-up outgoing communications with members
• Internal payment processing system for reports

Incentivized

• The new customer service portal seems to be missing a lot of the product documentation/training manuals. In order to access them, I had to submit a ticket and receive a file via FTP.
• The process by which to get a quote or proposal has been sometimes challenging and lengthy. It's certainly been a point of frustration from time to time.
• The GoMembers (Association Management System) product has changed the way we do business, but some of the functionality seems to be incomplete or missing. Basic functionality of certain processes within the system are cumbersome or just don't make much sense to our technical team, or the end user.

• Website's back-end could be more updated with templates that are editable like wordpress
• Back-end email generator could function like a Constant Contact or MailChimp with features to make emails nicer and more modern looking
• More customizable fields that could be added to any form

Incentivized

As with any company, we are always looking and interested in technology that can make our operations run smooth. I don't believe we'll be changing providers anytime soon, however if our needs grow and Aptean/GoMembers isn't capable of that functionality we will be required to look elsewhere

Some of the GoMembers CRM is intuitive, some is counter-intuitive. What might seem like common sense to me might not to another user. Having been through the setup of the product, it's easier for me to anticipate the steps needed to complete a task. For the average user, possibly not.

They create these long chains of responses. So for everything you write in they repeat what you wrote and then respond to it. It gets very confusing trying to figure out where the conversation is sometimes especially on a long trail of back and forth.

Incentivized

Support from our project manager and trainers was bar-none. They were there both before and after Go-Live, answering questions and anticipating any snags along the way.

I didn't select StarChapter it came with my role. But if they continue to improve, I see no reason to change either.

Incentivized

• The GoMembers product has allowed us to be more efficient and effective in our front- and back-office processes. Fewer steps to making someone a member (12 steps to three), registering a member for a meeting and tracking subscription data. Increased overall employee efficiency while automating many things we formerly did manually. The integration with our website will only further reduce the manual work done within the system, freeing up staff to focus on other areas of importance within our organization.
• The implementation of the system is helping us to achieve overall business objectives and digital communications initiatives. The CRM is more robust than our former AMS, and the information we're able to track and retrieve more important than ever, allowing us to target interests, communications preferences and member activity in ways we might have never previously thought possible.
• The system is flexible, allowing us not only to anticipate new data points and change accordingly, but plan for the future.

• It helps us to track revenues.
• It helps us to track attendees’ information.
• It is a great tool for sending email blasts.

Incentivized