Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sunybcs!boulder!wallwey From: wallwey@boulder.Colorado.EDU (WALLWEY DEAN WILLIAM) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: CHARGES ($) for Tech Support; what do you think? Message-ID: <19644@boulder.Colorado.EDU> Date: 13 Apr 90 02:12:38 GMT References: <9367.261bcd4c@amherst.bitnet> Sender: news@boulder.Colorado.EDU Reply-To: wallwey@boulder.Colorado.EDU (WALLWEY DEAN WILLIAM) Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder Lines: 29 I think it has both good points and bad points. As somebody has already stated, this concept could lead to companies not making software very easy to use,- just to make a profit on the support. There may be a solution to this problem though---people just won't buy a companies software if it is written badly and the company charges for telephone support. As John Dvorak(sp?) states many times---"people actually like a company that answers the phones when they have a problem"--in reference to Word Perfect Corp and their growing sales. I also think there are some true benefits when a company does charge for phone support. My experience with general people are, 75% of the questions are nothing more than "if you would RTFM! you wouldn't needed to have called me!" I answer phones concerning computer questions here at CU! When you buy Word Perfect, you are buying toll-free phone support whether you need it or not--you are also paying for the person that calls fifty times, because he is too lazy to read the manual. I know this doesn't apply to every body, but to a large number of calls it does. One last advantage to charged phone support is if you are paying for it directly, you can demand satisfaction! Also you have a lot higher chance of talking to somebody that actually knows something! Finally you might not get put on hold so long, because the only people that call will be those who have "true questions"! The above are just some personal opinions. Please don't flame me to hard! Dean Wallwey