After 10 years of playing "musical chairs" with the Software Companies, I thought I'd make some "observations"! At the start, ALL the Manufacturers and Dealers were extremely helpful and cooperative, because it was in their interest to do so. I don't kniow what's happened since then, but "SUPPORT" for the user has, in most instances, gone in the toilet! They've become "used car dealers"! SELL the product, then wave bye-bye! I've long been a user of SCANVEC products......SUPPORT was pretty OK until the AMIABLE merger.....now their support doesn't really exist. ROLAND has always been pretty good. HP has actually gotten to be FIRST CLASS. I guess my disenchantment lies with that little software niche for signmaking. Support started out good.....then went to a place where you could talk to them, but they knew LESS than you.....NOW, you can't even GET them! I'm getting REAL WORN OUT having to "figure it out for myself"!......FRUSTRATION....!!!!!
------------------ Bob Burns Bob Burns Signs
1619 Oregon Ave. Prescott, Az 86305 1-520-778-5879
Posted by Mark Smith (Member # 298) on :
Bob,
A couple of observations - on the one hand, you're right. It really stinks having questions about a product that you spent tons of money on and not being able to find someone who knows a lot about it. This is a real disservice to customers.
On the other hand, however, software companies have to provide solid support for current incarnations of their products, and CasMate has been "out of the picture" for ScanVec for several years now.
Perhaps a better solution for software companies would be to provide a paid support plan for users of legacy products? This will be an enlightening thread.
------------------ Mark Smith Ampersand Signs & Design EstiMate Sign Estimating Software www.ampweb.com/estimate 1-888-304-3300 Hailing from beautiful Asheville, N.C.
Posted by DianeBalch (Member # 1301) on :
Scanvec is a sore subject around here too. They will never get another dime from me, The Inspire upgrade never did support 3D routing as claimed when we bought it. What happens when the CasMate dongle dies? No support tough luck.
ernie
------------------ Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 Wholesale Routing
http://www.balchsigns.com
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Over the years, Casmate had hired a third party to represent them at the trade shows doing the demo's. That third party has gone on to start his own company doing the training and has a web site and answers questions and does seminars and has a chat room for those products. Mark Rugan at several times was trying to get the company to grow in the support and training, but they dumped that and he's picked it up on his own. So for Flexi-Inspire-Casmate help, just dial in givemehelp.com
------------------ The SignShop Mendocino, California "Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"
Posted by Graham Hodge (Member # 168) on :
I sympathise with this topic and agree in most cases. Software support seems good from smaller companies, but whn they grow larger they seem to forget the users who made them grow. On the happy side, the advent of email has in many cases made support easier to obtain. It also is obvious that BB's like this one provide better support than from software suppliers, in fact some software suppliers set up chats and BB's so that users help users and they don't have to get involved so much.
------------------ Gray M. Hodge Cam River Signs Somerset, Tasmania.
Posted by Ken Morse (Member # 1799) on :
Bob, "software is never finished and always in a state of change or upgrade" That lesson I learned in 89 with my first towing software and it raised its ugly head again when I purchased my Roland cutter and ScanVec software. The Beacon graphics sales told me that it worked seamlessly with Corel and all I got was cuts screwing up my time and material. I called, downloaded help files, called and called and called...Ya sell everything and support none is how to get the sales quota, but will I ever feel good about that sale? Anywho, I ended up with CoCut and I don't know what I am going to do when I go digital large format. Do I purchase a printer with it's own rip like the Roland and HP or what about a router and it's software. A huge problem for a cottage like ours but I am sure the market will adjust, just like I did when I purchased CoCut!
------------------ Ken Morse Jamn Graphics Santa Cruz, CA
Posted by Mark Fuller (Member # 2128) on :
Gerber Baby
I started with a 4B, then the Graffix Advantage 6.0, great support!
Now with the Omega, proplems and no support!
My support has been Roland and Dave Grundy.
An "open computer" works without support from techs....just reliable people on this board.
Thanks Mark
------------------ Mark Fuller Fuller Signs Keswick, Ontario
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Another software supplier that still provides excellent support is that ESTIMATE company. Glad they haven't sold out to Corel yet!
------------------ The SignShop Mendocino, California "Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"
Posted by Mark Smith (Member # 298) on :
Rick,
Thank you for your kind comments. I'll be sure to show this thread to Johnathon, my support manager.
We try hard to provide the kind of support we'd like to receive, and it's really great to receive feedback like yours.
------------------ Mark Smith Ampersand Signs & Design EstiMate Sign Estimating Software www.ampweb.com/estimate 1-888-304-3300 Hailing from beautiful Asheville, N.C.
Posted by Melanie J. Linn (Member # 1960) on :
We bought a whole new system (computer, software, printer, scanner, used plotter) several months ago. I must admit that the thing that sold me was the personal touch of the saleman but we are very pleased with most of the system. The only thing is that the printer has never carried it's load so we've gone through hoops trying to get it taken care of. The very worst part of it is that we've been going through a heck of a time getting anyone just to return our calls. For six months, if we don't call them, they totally forget about us. I know most of their phone messages by heart. We're a small new business but I think we warrant someone returning our calls.
------------------ mel Signs of Expression Stirling, Ontario, Canada signsofexpression@yahoo.com
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
Hi Heads,
When I have a problem, I post it here first. (Gerber Omega / Edge 1 / Odyssey / Signmaker 4B linked system )
Then I call my buddies that have the same set up and chat with them on the phone. They don't seem to want to post here, which I find really odd....oh well.
Then I call the Gerber support number. Now, if you want quick service, (or maybe any service ) they want money up front.
I wonder if we could make a partly finished sign, go install it part way, and then charge the customer for support?
When we loaded the last Omega upgrade, we had all these wonderful color managament controls and no instruction book. No help in the "help". What a freaking nightmare.
Gerber field service people (who were very nice by the way) told me that commercial printers have huge books on color management and that its very complicated.
The next question out of my mouth was "Why did they give us the color management controls and no information how to use them?" ( which was an unfair question to ask him since he just works for the company solving problems the best he can)
A good idea for us to help each other would be to include what system we are using to plot signage in the identification tag at the bottom of our posts along with our name.
Then we could "buddy" up with owners of the same gear and share our knowledge.
Just a thought.
------------------ Draper The Signmaker Bloomington Illinois USA
Get To A Letterhead Meet This Summer! See you there! 309-828-7110 drapersigns@hotmail.com Draper_Dave on mIRC chat
[This message has been edited by Dave Draper (edited July 02, 2001).]
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Unfortunately it's the way the computer industry works ( in general ). Rush an unproven product to market, then try to fix the problems along the way. I know of no other industry that works like this. Although my refrigerator is ver 3.5 I believe and I haven't had any trouble since I installed the latest patch. I don't know how things got so out of hand, perhaps because in the beginning nobody but the computer wiz's knew what they were doing but something has GOT to change! They have set a standard and a way of doing things ( the constant upgrades? patches ) that quite frankly stinks. You NEVER see anyone on here complaining about skill saws needing upgrading. Believe me, I pay attention to the companies that get the majority of complaints and the ones that get the compliments on here and it greatly effects my future purchases.
------------------ George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@ionictech.com
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
