🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <9664.268769e4@amherst.bitnet> amherasimchu@amherst.bitnet writes:
>I have a question that we have been debating concerning Technical Support:
>
>We are looking into making the technical support we offer a package about to be
>released as a 1-900 number.  Instead of charging a flat fee for a year's worth
>of support for the product, the user can call up the 1-900 number anytime they
>need help.

In general, I would like to see software support be completely
unbundled from the original purchase price of the software.  Let the
market force the software companies to produce good manuals and easy
to use software.  The company offers different levels of suppport
which can be purchased with the package originally, or later on if
needed.

I like the idea of the pay-by-usage that you are proposing with your
900 number.  The reason I like this idea is that I very rarely use
such support, and I don't want to pay for something I'm not using.  In
a perfect world, this is exactly the system I would like to have.

You mentioned in your post some of the up side to the 900 idea.  Let me
state (the obvious) some of the caveats:

	1)  Software companies (as well as HW) buget income for support.
Suppose it wasn't as high as they wanted (needed?)  The best thing to do
in this case is to make the software package more difficult to use.  I
can think of some software that is needlessly difficult to use already,
I can't even imagine what it would be like if it was deliberately so.

	2)  Employees of "frugal" employers may feel that they cannot
use this support method because it is too costly.  Your software would
then fall into dis-favor with this company, and they would buy something
else, which may in the long run be more expensive.  The difference is
that the employee looks better in the eyes of their boss, or they believe
that they do.

	3)  For site support at a large company or institution, a software
company would typically have one individual contact.  With the 900 number,
it is conceivable that more than one person from the same site could
ask the same question.  Good for the software company, very bad for the
customer.

In essence, I would like the "flat fee for a year's worth of support" to
be available as well as the 900 number.  The customer makes the choice
based upon their needs.
--
Russ Donnan, (214) 497-4778, russ@convex.com
Convex Computer Corporation, 3000 Waterview Parkway, Richardson, TX
-"To capture the essence of an opinion takes but one lawyer."