blog: customer support blues

Post by **nikos** » 2011 Aug 21, 09:19

here's the comment area for today's blog post found at
http://zabkat.com/blog/21Aug11-customer ... erload.htm

dunno · Post by **dunno** » 2011 Aug 21, 10:30

here's what I did when I upgraded X2

I went to your upgrade url, methodically Read the entire page, and yes if I hadn't read the upgrade procedure I would have missed a crucial step, had I missed that fine print I would've have had hours of grief.

Your upgrade installation process isn't intuitive i.e. seamless, or "too many steps" sir.

If you want to test the intuitiveness/ease of use of your software get appropriate testers (p.c. illiterates), and not computer literate users.

IneedHelp · Post by **IneedHelp** » 2011 Aug 21, 11:51

dunno wrote:If you want to test the intuitiveness/ease of use of your software get appropriate testers (p.c. illiterates), and not computer literate users.

Anyone volunteering? :D

CharlesKane · Post by **CharlesKane** » 2011 Aug 21, 12:51

There are always the haters but mainly people can't read. All I remember is downloading, popping my reg in and running it!

Seamless!

Sadly I'm not using the upgraded stuff coz I haven't worked out what it is! (You know ... can't read)

Love my xplorer2

Kilmatead · Post by **Kilmatead** » 2011 Aug 21, 15:01

dunno wrote:...get appropriate testers (p.c. illiterates), and not computer literate users.

Just off the top of my head, why would "computer illiterates" be experimenting with alternative file-managers?

"Hey look, junctions! What are they? Who cares, let's make 50 of them! ADS? Huh? I don't know what that stands for, but wasn't Aids cured in the 90's? I like the sound of splitting, bundling, and unpacking Streams, so why not play with it - reminds me of my holidays by the river last year. Flattening? I flattened that bully back in school, maybe it's like that - I like hitting people. Oh - wait - my files don't look right... um... Customer Service? Can you make me literate? Or just fix it all magically? Please? I think I pee'd myself."

Life is (at its best) so much worse than anything that can go wrong with upgrade procedures that it keeps things in perspective all by itself.

dougis · Post by **dougis** » 2011 Aug 21, 15:31

Just have to say that I ran into an issue with the upgrade (I had multiple licenses in the DB and one of them wasn't flagged as a lifetime).
Got quick helpful responses and got the issue resolved after a day or two (please note that the program NEVER stopped working in the meantime it merely didn't have my license in place).

Thanks a ton for the assistance and for the GREAT upgrade to a WONDERFUL product.

For all of the users bitching about how "difficult" the upgrade path is I have to ask if you have ever "upgraded" windows?

Thanks again and I for one feel the support is top notch.

coffent · Post by **coffent** » 2011 Aug 21, 17:42

Thanks for the reminder about human beings at the other end. I've found almost without exception, the smaller the company, the better the customer support!

pj · Post by pj » 2011 Aug 21, 21:30

dunno wrote:here's what I did when I upgraded X2

I went to your upgrade url, methodically Read the entire page, and yes if I hadn't read the upgrade procedure I would have missed a crucial step, had I missed that fine print I would've have had hours of grief.

Your upgrade installation process isn't intuitive i.e. seamless, or "too many steps" sir.

If you want to test the intuitiveness/ease of use of your software get appropriate testers (p.c. illiterates), and not computer literate users.

Dunno, frankly I'm surprized at your post! You've been on here and active enough to know Zabkat is a ONE MAN SHOW!

Programming for Neanderthals (the average PC user) is DIFFICULT and time-consuming at best. There are far more ways to screw things up than the above-average programmer might ever dream of. Besides, if you RTFD (Read The Full Directions) the upgrade (in my case) is painless, quick and easy.

I'd much rather Nikos spend his limited resources (i.e. TIME) on finding problems like GM's recent problem when deleting hundreds of thousands of files. The fix may flow down to faster operations across the board.
________________________________________________________
PJ in ("Quicher beechin") FL

gufus · Post by **gufus** » 2011 Aug 21, 22:23

nikos wrote:here's the comment area for today's blog post found at
http://zabkat.com/blog/21Aug11-customer ... erload.htm

G'day

Looking back at my notes. I started with:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: zabkat sales [mailto:finance@zabkat.com]
> Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 1:00 AM
> To: 'xxx'
> Subject: RE: [xplorer2] Notification of Payment Received
>
> Here's the donate button:
> www.zabkat.com/x2lite.htm

> Dear Kevin

Afternoon Mr. Bozinis,Nikos

> You have donated $5. You need $25 (US) to top up for the full

I'd be happy to upgrade to PRO. <smile>

Please check your PayPal account, I donated another $25.00 USD

I look forward to receiving my key. PLEASE SEND it to:

Regards

Kevin
----

v2 works GREAT!

THX

gufus :)

Tuxman · Post by **Tuxman** » 2011 Aug 21, 22:47

nikos can't be a BOfH although he tries.
His flames are not funny. Nor are they evil enough.

Looked promising but was a fail. :x

RightPaddock · Post by **RightPaddock** » 2011 Aug 21, 23:14

dunno I had no problems with the X2V2 install. Then after I decided it wasn't worth $30, I also had no problems with the uninstall and reverting to 1.8.1.4. But I didn't read the instructions, I preferred my own intuition.

The processes as documented on the zabkat main site are poorly written, poorly presented and often incomplete or ambiguous - i.e. too many go-to's and come-froms

Such as the path from the Support page to the Purchase Options page; in which there's no mention of the existence of the Lifetime Assurance or Portable License "add-ons"; nor any mention that they can ONLY be purchased via Plimus & Digital River and not direct from Paypal.

@Kilmatead - your comments relate to product features, but the complaint cited by nikos relates to install/licensing issues. You appear not to understand the difference between function and process.

Its my observation that the number of install/licensing policy & procedural issues raised in this forum since the V2 beta release is disproportionally higher than I've seen with other products - e.g. OS/X, Office, Photoshop.

I assessed some alternatives when assessing X2V2, didn't see anything that made me think, "Wow, I Gotta Have That", any more than I did with X2V2. But I did see a better website than zabkats. IMO the Opus 10 pricing, options & upgrade policies & procedures were much easier to find and comprehend - I didn't like the product though, nor the price.

Tuxman wrote: His flames are not funny. Nor are they evil enough.

nikos' protagonist was, like me, an Australian, in light of this I found his final response somewhat insensitive. Probably better not to post your 'evil wishes" in public places.

RP

gufus · Post by **gufus** » 2011 Aug 21, 23:14

Tuxman wrote:nikos can't be a BOfH although he tries.
His flames are not funny. Nor are they evil enough.

Looked promising but was a fail. :x

Ah. :roll:

Tuxman · Post by **Tuxman** » 2011 Aug 21, 23:16

Post by **nikos** » 2011 Aug 22, 05:46

i would like some of the naysayers to come up with something easier for the automatic upgrade that can be done with the existing technlology (ie something feasible not beam me up scotty variety). It would save me a couple of hours of extra windsurfing a day

dunno · Post by **dunno** » 2011 Aug 22, 11:30

nikos wrote:It would save me a couple of hours of extra windsurfing a day

aha, there we have it, you're supposed to be hard at work fixing bugs, changing nappies, and and maintaining the other half, (is that polite enough ? :) but you want to windsurf, I've a good mind to phone the Greek software PO-LICE and consign you to 3 years hard labour on X2.

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blog: customer support blues

blog: customer support blues

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