software support prices

[Kerry F]

How do you all feel about the price of our software customer support?  It keeps going up.  Stenograph is now $600 per year for support and then $350 a year for the writer support.  I don't even use support that much because I have paid for onsite training several times.  But jeez, we hardly get rate increases but
our fees for service keep going up!

[Judy]

When Eclipse was having its constant BSoD situation many years ago, I took a vacation from Eclipse and went over to DigitalCat for about two years.  Eclipse figured out the issue and I came running back (maybe not immediately, I will admit).  But I had to pay two years of back support and, yes, I balked.  My husband paid for it and said "Happy Birthday."  Since then I have never balked at paying Eclipse's support invoice because I've used the $79 software and I know which one works best for me.  Plus, I love being able to at my whim download the new versions that Jeremy is constantly working on.

 

And I've NEVER had support on my writers.  I like to be able to drive them to my tech and look in their eyes when I describe the issue I'm having.  I'd never want to hand over my machine to the UPS man so it can be thrown around like trash. 

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Judy, you must not have the Diamante.  Stenograph doesn't let anyone work on this machine except Stenograph in Chicago.  That's the bummer part.  I'd like to take it to my local guy too but apparently you can't.

[Judy]

No, I don't own a Diamante and that is one of the reasons I will never own a Diamante.  I don't want to ship my machine off so UPS can play Bounce the Box with my machine.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Another reason why support is so important is this job is stressful enough as it is.  When something goes wrong, I want to be able to get ahold of someone immediately and have it fixed.  I'll pay a lot for peace of mind.

[Martha R]

I wonder how the stenograph technicians feel about not being able to work on the Diamante.  It seems unfair to shut them out on that work.   My local guy told me he was "able" to work on it in actuality but just not authorized to.   Now the Mira parts are being phased out by SG and no longer available as of this year or next.   Without all the ink mucking these machines up, seems there is not that much to maintain anymore, yet still these locals are being shut out of Diamante work.  I am surprised anyone still stays in business.

Let's put it this way, the guy for the whole SF Bay area lives in a one-bedroom apartment, not married, no kids.  Doesn't seem very fruitful for him.