Customer Support in Hubspot Vs Hubspot Partner Support: The Difference

When you encounter a problem or need assistance with HubSpot, knowing where to turn can make all the difference.

Should you reach out to HubSpot’s own support team, or is it better to go through a certified HubSpot Partner? While both offer help, the kind of support you receive and how personal or strategic it is can vary quite a bit. 

Knowing the primary differences between both can assist you in receiving the appropriate help at the right time for your company.

This blog will break down the key differences between HubSpot’s direct support and HubSpot Partner, so you can choose the right path for your needs.

What Is Customer Support in HubSpot?

You can easily access HubSpot customer support through the HubSpot platform itself via chat, email, or phone. Use it for on-the-spot, technical, and basic problems concerning your HubSpot portal.

Direct support and core assistance

HubSpot's direct support staff is familiar with the platform's full capabilities, its functions, and general troubleshooting procedures. They are readily available to assist you with issues such as:

• Technical problem-solving, such as "Why isn't my email being sent?"
• Understanding basic features, such as "Where do I go to view my contact lists?"
• Solving account issues, such as "My billing details are not correct."
• Exploring the platform features, such as "Where is the reports dashboard?"

You can use this support to help manage your day-to-day operations efficiently with the basic features of the HubSpot system.

When to call HubSpot customer support?

Contact HubSpot customer support when you encounter an issue that prevents you from using the platform effectively or when you require assistance with a specific feature. For example, if your sales team is suddenly unable to log calls in the CRM, you should contact the customer support team immediately.

What Is HubSpot Partner Support?

HubSpot Partner support is more strategic, specialized, and consult-oriented in nature. The HubSpot Partners, such as Tactics Marketing, go through strict training and certification procedures that showcase an in-depth knowledge of the platform and how you can utilize it to accomplish certain business objectives. However, not all partners hold the same level of expertise. It is important to understand the perks of working with a HubSpot Gold Partner vs. non-tiered partners to ensure you get the service level your business requires.

Strategic guidance and advanced solutions

As opposed to the general customer care, HubSpot Partners provide:

• Strategic deployment: They assist in planning and implementing sophisticated HubSpot configurations tailored to your specific business operations
• Integration and customization: When you need HubSpot to communicate with your proprietary ERP system or deeply customized reports, a HubSpot Partner can configure those connections for you
• Deep optimization: They will review your current HubSpot configuration and recommend how best to optimize your ROI, usually highlighting opportunities you may have overlooked before
• Long-term strategic consulting: Most partners provide retainer-based offerings. They serve as an extension of your staff to continuously optimize your inbound approaches
• Training and enablement: HubSpot partners include training sessions to ensure your staff knows how to use HubSpot effectively

For example, suppose your company needs to deploy an advanced lead-scoring solution that combines information from your sales, marketing, and services teams with external data. That's not a customer support "how-to" question. It’s a strategic implementation project that a HubSpot Partner can help you accomplish.

When to call HubSpot partner support?

Call HubSpot Partner help when you want to elevate your HubSpot use beyond its basic functionality, or when you encounter issues that need strategic thinking and tailored solutions. That includes situations such as:

• Switching from a different CRM or marketing automation system
• Creating a consolidated inbound strategy
• Integrating HubSpot with other business systems
• Tuning your sales process in HubSpot for increased conversion
• Requiring specialized training on advanced features of HubSpot

Key Differences Explained: HubSpot Support vs. Partner Support

While both HubSpot Support and Partner Support aim to help you succeed, they differ in approach, depth, and personalization. Understanding these distinctions can help you choose the right level of guidance for your business needs, whether you're troubleshooting or seeking strategic growth support.

Let's dissect the key differences here:

1. Scope and extent of assistance

• HubSpot Customer Support: It generally focuses on the HubSpot platform itself. The objective is to ensure the software operates as intended and to explain its built-in features to you. It is somewhat akin to technical support for the software
• HubSpot Partner Support: It extends far beyond the software and encompasses your entire business strategy. Plus, it helps you understand how HubSpot can be utilized to drive your specific goals. This provides strategic advice, tailored solutions, and proactive optimization

2. Relationship and proactive engagement

• HubSpot Customer Support: The relationship is typically reactive. You contact them when you have an issue or question, and they respond with a solution
• HubSpot Partner Support: The partnership is usually proactive and long-term. Partners typically collaborate with you to understand your business goals and propose enhancements to your HubSpot usage. They see opportunities before issues

3. Cost implications

• HubSpot Customer Support: This is usually covered as part of your HubSpot subscription, although the extent of support will depend on your plan (Starter, Professional, Enterprise)
• HubSpot Partner Support: You pay a premium for specialized consulting or agency services, including strategic advice, implementation, and expertise. The expense is worth every penny because of the superior, customized solutions and the added value to your company's growth

Choosing the Right Type of Support for Your Needs

The choice between customer support in HubSpot and a HubSpot Partner ultimately reduces to the scope of assistance you require.

If you're experiencing a technical issue and need help understanding a core feature or have a straightforward "how-to" query, HubSpot's customer support is where you go. But if you're seeking to:

• Build a full-fledged inbound strategy
• Improve your existing HubSpot configuration for better performance
• Integrate HubSpot with other sophisticated systems
• Need custom solutions or coding
• Need continuous strategic advice and assistance to get the highest possible returns on investment from HubSpot

Then working with a HubSpot Partner is probably your best option. They have the specialized knowledge and strategic vision that can truly optimize your platform and move your business forward.

Key Takeaways

• HubSpot customer support is ideal for immediate technical issues, basic troubleshooting, and understanding standard platform features. It's included with your HubSpot subscription
• HubSpot Partner support provides strategic advice, tailored solutions, deep implementation, and continuous optimization, as an extension of your own team. This is a fee-based service for expert-level expertise
• The most significant difference is in the scope of support: customer support is reactive and tool-based, while partner support is proactive, strategic, and business-objective driven
• Selecting the appropriate support is based on the degree of complexity of your needs and the need for strategic development or mere operating assistance

Conclusion

Choosing between HubSpot customer support and a HubSpot Partner comes down to your needs. Understanding the strengths of each ensures you get the right help, at the right time, to make the most of your HubSpot investment.

Use HubSpot support for quick technical issues or basic guidance. For strategic growth, complex implementations, or ongoing optimization, a HubSpot Partner is your best ally. 

However, often, the most successful HubSpot users leverage both: relying on direct support for immediate technical issues and engaging a HubSpot Partner for strategic growth and advanced implementation.

Tactics Marketing offers you the best of both worlds: robust customer support in HubSpot, as well as reliable HubSpot Partner support if you require it. From onboarding to automation, administration to audits and optimization, we help you get the most out of your HubSpot plans.

Call Tactics Marketing today for a reliable HubSpot Partner support and boost your KPIs to reach business goals.