Ignore the customers request?

After 3 years of using the same hosted accounting application for my business I decided it would be good to see if there were any better on-line products out there, technology has moved on right?

I selected to trial a package based on the ability to migrate my data and provide similar functionality. I must say from the outset everything looked great including a top class data migration service. A purely web based solution, these guys have produced a good accounting solution and hey, my accountant gave it the thumbs up so it looked all set to go.

I then went and tried to customize the invoice layout, should be an easy task it has a customize look and feel option. Once I got going with this I soon realized the options were very limited, a choice of a few standard templates and turn on and off some fields. So whilst I was happy to compromise on an invoice layout not exactly the same as the original it did need to come close.

So I contacted support to see if there were any other options and how I wanted it to look, stressed I could create any layout I wanted with my old software and wanted my invoice to come close to the original. Support were fantastic, assisted me with each point I raised and solved some of my issues, but I soon realized that this was just not going to work.

I said "I am consulting in the IT space I need to be sure that all communication from my company is of a high quality and error free. My brand logos and stationary have been designed with a common look and feel to reflect my companies professionalism in this regard. This goes for proposals, quotes, reports, statements, invoices etc.., why should I re-design my other stationary because the accounting package cannot produce the appropriate invoice layout?"

Support faithfully continued to assist me where they could, but I fear the product just cannot do it. So ends the trial and I will stick with my trusty old accounting package secure in the knowledge that if I ever change my company brand that I can make my invoice and statements look like my company designed stationary and not have to do it the other way around.

I truly hope that I listen to and more importantly understand what the customer is requesting and if I cannot deliver say so!