Tech Support Concerns
October 18, 2018 12:00 AM
So, I'm sitting here not sure whether I'll get to talk to tech support today or not, which is not a great feeling to have when you're trying to get something done in a time crunch....
It used to be that paying for a tech support contract was optional, but, if you did get it, you could pick up the phone and reach someone (at least some of the time). Now, paying for tech support for every license is mandatory, and no one seems to answer the phone -- you either have to open a ticket online or leave a voicemail and hope that someone calls you back in time for whatever you're trying to get done. (When I called tech support, I immediately got a message saying that all of the reps were dealing with other callers and, so as not to waste my time (which should be MY choice -- personally I would have preferred to wait on hold), I should leave a message (or open a ticket online) and someone will get back to me. Maybe I'm just being overly suspicious/cynical, but I'm wondering whether all reps were truly busy at that moment or whether one one will always get that message now. Has anyone in the past year or so actually reached a rep by calling support, without having to wait for a call back? Also, if this happens all the time because there are not enough reps to handle the tech support demands, perhaps there just aren't enough tech support reps?
It's been a while since I've tried to call tech support and I remember having a lot of difficulty with that back then. However, that was close to when the Cincinnati office had just been closed, so I was told that it was just a temporary issue, while they got new support folks up and running. But I'm wondering, now that a year(?) has gone by, has this problem has been resolved?
Oh, and btw....when I called tech support using their direct-dial number, I got a phone-company-type message saying that the phone number had been disconnected. This isn't the end of the world, given that one can still call in via the main number, but I'm wondering whether it's another sign of declining support. When I spoke to the "operator" (or whomever it is who answers the main number if you press 0), she did say that the phone system has been undergoing a transition and maybe that number wasn't transferred over properly, but I still thought it was odd. And one last thing -- the website says tech support ends at 5:00 (which is WAY too early), but the recording on the tech support line says it ends at 6:00 (which is still too early, but a bit better), so which is correct? I remember reporting this discrepancy the last time I tried to call tech support, AGES ago, but it still hasn't been fixed? That's a quick and easy fix, so I really don't understand why that would be!
Does anyone else have concerns with the availability of tech support and the related issues I've mentioned here?
Discussion (6)
P.S. So, the good news is, I got a response from support via email within about 20 minutes. The bad news is, the response had nothing to do with the question I asked (nor did they call me, like I asked)....it was like it was being answered by a rudimentary bot or something!
SO FRUSTRATED!!!!
@cainam I'm actually less unhappy about the mandatory support fee than I am about the limited support offered (and the poor result I just got). If support would answer the phone, answer my question, and have longer hours (5 or 6 is just way too early a cut-off time), then I wouldn't have as much of a quibble with it. I've always purchased a support license to go with my license (although I didn't used to purchase one for the other users on my team, figuring, if need be, I could be the support conduit for the team, since I can usually answer/solve my teammates more "junior" questions/problems myself), but the availability (and quality?) of help used to be better.
Yea, I wasn't very happy about the mandatory support fee. I get that some people will call in for support who didn't purchase support, and it is probably hard to turn them away, but now there will be the opposite experience, but negative for the end user (customers who pay for support but never use it).
I have a suggestion - If an annual subscription holder is charged for support, but never uses it in that year, they should get a discount for the same amount for the following year subscription. Seems fair.
@mnotermans - Yes, I always check the forums first, too. But the question I had wasn't there - it's a simple question, but also a rather esoteric one. And users in other time zones is another reason why phone support should have much longer hours (or you should at least get a discount on your support costs!).
Mostly because im on the other side of the pond, i never call support. If in problems i first go here on the forum...and always get solutions for my issues, if i cannot think of them myself. When i mail to support i quickly get response and in 90% of the cases are helped properly.
@tecocat never thought of that..but indeed lack of availability vs. paying for full support...doesnot seems realistic for us overseas...
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