MJ Biz report on METRC’s attempt to be with the people – will it work ?
If you call seed-to-sale tracking provider Metrc’s customer service line on a Friday, there’s a chance you’ll be speaking directly to the company’s CEO, Michael Johnson.
Johnson, who was appointed CEO of the Florida-based software company in 2022, said during an interview with MJBizDaily reporter Kate Robertson that he started taking customer calls because understanding the issues facing Metrc’s 300,000-plus users helps to improve the overall customer experience.
“There was one person that called and said, ‘I want to talk to your supervisor,’” Johnson recalled.
His response to the caller: “I don’t really know how to answer that the right way. I report directly to the board – I’m actually the CEO.
“So what is the problem? Why do you want to be escalated?”
Previously, Metrc thought of its primary customer as state governments, which meant recognizing each market’s unique compliance requirements and seed-to-sale tracking regulations.
More recently, however, as users complained about slow service and outages – as well as a clunky user interface or an onerous experience – Metrc’s focus has shifted to the 39,000 licensed cannabis companies that, more often than not, are obligated to use the software, according to Johnson.
Since 2020, Metrc’s footprint has grown from 16 to 23 state government contracts.
Not every legal cannabis jurisdiction, however, has a contract with a commercial seed-to-sale software company such as Metrc or its chief rivals, BioTrack or MJ Freeway.
Washington state developed a track-and-trace system, and Arizona requires retailers to have their own traceability process.
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