Download Denied [Mod: Resolved]

[ambkla]

Please allow me correct a misunderstanding that somehow came into existence. I never expect and never expected a problem to be fixed within a few hours or one day. This is mostly impossible. The only thing I reasonably expect is to be informed by letting me know that the problem is being looked into. Ignoring a customer is the worst thing a company can do.

Testing software prior to release is a very simple process by following SOPs. I do not want to mention product or software names because this is not the place to advertise products we are marketing. We have product specific Validation Test Plans in place between 200 and 450 pages developed along with the Functional Requirements. Any test plan consists of test cases with the result expected. If the result expexted does not equal the result achieved, test case failed = module, function, etc. must be re-written.

A short-cut that is supposed to close a window is easy to test and if the window does not close, a functional requirement fails. If a software is in the market and the close function does not work, then I guarantee that it was either never tested or the developing company does not care.

I am mid-fifty and started writing software programs using Assembly, Cobol and Fortran and 64K was the available memory in high-end systems.

It was not my intention to attack persons or companies.

Klaus

[Sandy]

.....64K was the available memory in high-end systems.

Then you remember "core" when 64K cost about a cool million bucks. I first programed on a S/360 model 30 writing channel programs (CCWs) that dynamically modified themselves in order to control real time devices within so many millisecs. Things have come a long way since then for both of us, eh?!

Please allow me correct a misunderstanding that somehow came into existence. I never expect and never expected a problem to be fixed within a few hours or one day

I did not misunderstand what you said. My remarks were exactly concerning 1 day and an email response.

[Pete]

FYI, when I use "Help > Download Extras" in Pocomail, it works, but it's incorrectly going to the pocomail.com website instead of the pocosystems.com website. The content on pocomail.com is obsolete.

[Sandy]

Great catch Pete!

As far as I can tell, both sites still work. I can only find one script on the pocosystems.com site that is not also onthe pocomail.com site, but clearly the URL in the Poco executable needs to change.

P.S. BTW, I note that the URL if you click "Help|Website" *is* the correct one. Looks like someone overlooked the "Download Extras" menu item.

[Alycat]

I do not think 24 hours for a response to an email (along the lines of "we have all we need from you and will be looking at it") is unreasonable, and is certainly what I aim for.

The pocomail.com site redirects to pocosystems.com doesn't it (at least it does now)

[Sandy]

I do not think 24 hours for a response to an email.....is unreasonable

And when was the last time you got a 24 hours acknowledgment response, or ANY response for that matter, from an email you sent as a user to (pick one): Microsoft, Symantec, Intuit, HP, Canon, or even Eudora?

[Alycat]

Ask not them, ask my users...

Microsoft: never emailed them
Symantec: never used their products
Intuit: never used their products
HP: we used to get 3 hour guaranteed (but at a price )
Canon: never used their products
Eudora: never received a reply

But that shouldn't stop people from striving... I have had excellent service from lots of what I assume to be small or even single-person software writers, with a courtesy reply in 10-12 hours and a follow up answer a few days later.

I have always subscribed to the old saying "the number one reson clients leave is perceived indifference"

[gert]

And when was the last time you got a 24 hours acknowledgment response, or ANY response for that matter, from an email you sent as a user to (pick one): Microsoft, Symantec, Intuit, HP, Canon, or even Eudora?

Funny you mention that, Sandy.
I have been in contact with HP last week (cd missing):
- 5 seconds later I got an automated reply
very nice to get so you know your message isn't lost (no guarantee, I know).
- around 12 hours later I received a real reply.

I guess nobody expects PocoSystems to resolve all issues within 24 hours, but it would be nice to send a reply "hey we got your email".

Gert

[Alycat]

I guess nobody expects PocoSystems to resolve all issues within 24 hours, but it would be nice to send a reply "hey we got your email".

Yes, of course, I'm NOT expecting a fix/patch/answer with 24 hours, but it is frustrating, a few weeks later, to get an email that starts with "in connection with your problem, before we can start we need xxx.log..............."

[Sandy]

I guess this is the philosophy of the Y-generation!

If one doesn't get a "call back" in 24 hours then as the OP stated:

"I shouldn't have to run around to get what I paid for........"

Thank God I don't hold myself to that standard. I know I don't always return my calls in 24 hours. I guess that means I have a lot of irrate folks who have such expectations and get angry when those expectations are not met every time (for a $40 product no less!).

I shall now slink back in my hole.

[ambkla]

I guess this is the philosophy of the Y-generation!

Since I was the one who started the entire discussion, I am glad to see that I am not the only one striving for decent response time and service. We, the company I am working for, guarantee a return call within 60 minutes and a return e-mail within 2 hours and we NEVER failed during the past 5 years. This commitment is for US customers only. European, Asian, Southamerica, etc. have a guarantee of US response time plus 12 hours.

We can keep this guarantee easily because we do not get a lot of support calls and e-mails resulting from application related problems because our software is only released after QA signed off following a QA test. Of course, sone problems cannot be predicted and there is no software without flaws but it is possible to prevent things like wrong command assigned to a menu or e-mail being moved from Outbox to Sent after hitting the "Send" button and there was a connection problem making it impossible to perform the requested action.

Sandy, we both belong to the "old generation" but technology has changed and the thinking should therefore change, too.

Klaus

[Sandy]

We, the company I am working for, guarantee a return call within 60 minutes and a return e-mail within 2 hours and we NEVER failed during the past 5 years

Now, I certainly might be wrong about this since I am speculating, but I'd be willing to bet that your customers pay more that $40 for the product for which you provide that level of service. Or at least you have a highly specialized market place -- not the full retail set of users who use a product such as an email client with all their varying levels of technical knowledge, or non-knowledge.

P.S. I am also going to guess that you either outsource your tech support (and these service levels are defined in that contract), or you have a several person customer support staff who's sole job it is to handle customer calls.

[ambkla]

Now, I certainly might be wrong about this since I am speculating, but I'd be willing to bet that your customers pay more that $40 for the product for which you provide that level of service. Or at least you have a highly specialized market place -- not the full retail set of users who use a product such as an email client with all their varying levels of technical knowledge, or non-knowledge.

Some of your speculation is correct. Our customers pay much more than $40 and 90% of them belong to the pharmaceutical and medical industry. We have customers in 72 countries and this makes maintenance and support not easier. Support is not out-sourced and handled by two persons. I am one of them because I know the products better than anybody else because I developed the original release in the late 80s.

By the way: Jim sent an e-mail last night saying: Try it later tomorrow and let me know if it works.

There is one thing that drives me nuts. All mails are sorted by "Sent Descending" so that the latest mails are at the top. When opening PM and changing folders, always the last record (oldest) is selected. Is there a setting I am not aware off to have the selector at the top, too?

Thanks,

Klaus

[Slaven]

I just want to cool down this discussion before it gets too personal, but we are constantly striving to improve our support. We get a lot of positive feedback from our customers every day, unfortunately they are not here to post their opinions as generally they don't visit forums unless they have a problem.

Some of your speculation is correct. Our customers pay much more than $40 and 90% of them belong to the pharmaceutical and medical industry.

It is unfortunate, but you have to understand that the level of support between our two companies cannot possibly be compared. It all comes down to resources. If you evaluate our support in context of peers in the industry (Eudora, TheBat, etc) we compare very favourably.

[ambkla]

If you evaluate our support in context of peers in the industry (Eudora, TheBat, etc) we compare very favourably.

Sorry for "wasting" some of your space. One of your Resident Posters did not like a statment I made even though it started out as a reported problem and he attacked me instantly causing my reaction, which let to another attack. Please read: "Has anyone experienced these two problems" where the same Resident Poster showed the exact same behavior attacking "seabc" and "COD".

I cannot speak for the support provided by Eudora but you should not compare yourself with The Bat!. They are FOR SURE not worthwhile to be mentioned. Rit screwed loyal customers badly and they will regret it. Their support was the worst ever and the word "support" should not be used in connection with them.

By the way. My original problem has been fixed by the time of this posting.

Thanks,

Klaus