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Which Software Company Has the Best Support?

By Ed Foster, Section The Gripelog
Posted on Fri Nov 26, 2004 at 11:27:38 AM PDT

Does Adobe, BEA Systems, Borland, Citrix, Computer Associates, Intuit, Macromedia, McAfee, Microsoft, Novell, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Red Hat, SAP, SAS Institute, Siebel, Sybase, Symantec, Trend Micro, or Veritas give its customers the best support for their money? That's the question we're asking in the GripeLog poll for this holiday season.

Now, you might expect the more natural question for the GripeLog to be asking is which of these vendors do the worst job of support, but I think the answers there would be all pretty predictable. So I decided it would be more enlightening to see which of these worthies my readers feel is most deserving of accolades for service and support.

As always with my polls, you can only vote directly for one of the twenty vendors on the list. But there is a write-in capability. All you have to do is post a comment to the poll telling us who you would like to vote for and why.

To cast your vote and view the poll results, find the poll box in the right-hand column. After you make your selection, don't forget to check out the comments readers have posted and perhaps add your own. The poll numbers are fun, but in the end the real value in this exercise will come from the comments you share with your fellow readers about your experiences with the vendors.
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Which Software Company Has the Best Support? | 28 comments (28 topical) | Post A Comment
How about "None of the above"?[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#1)
by Anonymous User on Fri Nov 26, 2004 at 09:08:00 PM PDT

Ed - thanks for the opportunity to "write-in" our choice if we did not see our pick of support on your list. May I suggest that you please consider adding a "None of the above" to your pick list in addition to the write-in ability? It may be interesting to see if your main "heavy-hitter" vendors might actually be usurped in favor of the smaller "mom-and-pop" vendor as denoted by the "None of the above" designation on the vote list.

Sadly, I had to go with "None of the above" as I've used almost all of these vendor's software products in my career. I've have had reason to contact tech support on over half of the vendors on the list. I've not walked away happy or satisfied in ANY instance from the calls -- regardless of the support being "paid" or "free". I have, however, been able to at least make my issues with the product known with a few of these vendors.

Long story short - personal support experience with about half of these vendors has not been good. Horror stories abound from my fellow technicians about the ones that I've not had direct involvement, but I must discount them, as I did not experience them for myself.

Best software tech support I've had for any software was with 1) Xemico and their "Active Desktop Calendar" and 2) 321 Studios for "DVD X Copy".

[ Reply to This ]



My vote[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#2)
by dliesse on Mon Nov 29, 2004 at 09:21:05 AM PDT

I haven't had the need to contact support for very many on your list, but those I have used don't stand out at all. I have, though, been very happy with the support I get from IBM here at the office. Granted, we're one of their partners (I can't remember what the program is called this year), reselling a specific data base system they've acquired, but before the rules were changed and our clients could contact them directly they were treated the same way we are.

Generally, my questions are answered right away and are handled by competent staff. When the latter is not the case, they recognize their limitations rather quickly and escalate to the next level.

A big plus is that they actually read what I write (I prefer to submit my queries in writing, since they're pretty complex) and don't have me go through a lot of "is the computer plugged in?" exercises. There may be some back-and-forth to fill in the knowledge gaps, but only once have I felt like the technician was treating me like an idiot (and one return email cured him of that attitude right away!).

Incidentally, at least for our data base (UniVerse), their documentation is outstanding, as well. The only problem is that there's so much of it you take longer figuring out what manual to look in than to get your answer once you do.

[ Reply to This ]



IBM's Standard Support[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#7)
by tscoff on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 03:02:30 AM PDT

IBM's support for a standard end user is just as good as what you get by being a partner.  Plus they have their 1-800 number for tech support clearly posted on their web site where it's easy to find.

IBM wins across the board for the support question.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]



Best Support from[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#16)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 02:20:44 PM PDT

BCL Techonlogies!

A "works great, Less Expensive" option to Adobe.

Ez-PDF has been a wonderful productivity boost without the labor and cost overhead of Adobe.

Cannot say enough good things about the product or the support the few times I have had to call them. SUSPRISE! They emailed an answer in well under 1 hour each time.

Better then Microsoft, and other "best of" companies.

Tcat

[ Parent | Reply to This ]



One good vendor[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#3)
by Anonymous User on Mon Nov 29, 2004 at 09:50:33 AM PDT

I can't vote for the best (although Intuit is probably the worst). My favorite is ABBYY, maker of FineReader, the best reasonably priced OCR software I have ever seen. 1. Everytime I have called with a technical question, I get through promptly and get a precise answer first time (or my concern goes into the future features list). 2. They have a reasonable use policy (software can go onto 2-3 machines), but when I had a replacement computer and then a hard disk go down, it ws sweet and easy to get the software reinstalled and validated without feeling like a criminal. I think this comes from being a small closely held company -- they are a great model -- I recommend them highly to everyone.

[ Reply to This ]


None of the above[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#4)
by Anonymous User on Mon Nov 29, 2004 at 11:21:13 AM PDT

Without question, the best hardware and software support I have ever received is from IBM. Time and time again when I call with a specific issue, it is resolved promptly.

If it is a hardware call, they either send a service rep or mail a replacement part without making me "update all the drivers, etc."

I guess they figure if I called to say that a hard disk (in IBM's lingo, fixed disk) crashed and won't boot, it is in fact broken, and highly unlikely that I did something to the drive.

If I am calling about an OS problem, I am directed to the correct department, and have even been followed up! A few days later the tech called to see if I was still having the problem!

When was the last time Dell or Microsoft called you to find out if you were still having an issue?



[ Reply to This ]



More kudos for IBM[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#8)
by Fushigi on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 05:27:51 AM PDT

Thankfully, I don't have to make support calls very often. However, recently I had to call IBM support as our AS/400 (now eServer iSeries) was not accepting a new digital certificate. I dialed the 800 number, the call was opened and immediately transferred to a tech even though it wasn't a high sev issue. The tech stayed with me the entire time it took us to diagnose the problem, dowload the update, apply it, and then successfully apply the certificate. At that point the problem was fixed but he stayed with me and walked me through adding the cert to the web server config & ensured it was working before we hung up. Exceptionally thorough, always polite and professional, and best of all the problem got fixed quickly with a minimum amount of fuss.

With iSeries support at least, the support techs can work with the developers when they need to if a problem can't be easily fixed. I think this makes a huge difference not only in problem resolution but in support staff education.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]



Useless survey (for the most part)[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#5)
by Anonymous User on Mon Nov 29, 2004 at 11:26:44 AM PDT

Most of those responding to the survey have never dealt with most of the companies on the list. In that they likely have had experience with only a few of the companies, the companies with the biggest user base will get the most votes (I.E., Microsoft).

[ Reply to This ]


Best support[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#6)
by swwhite on Mon Nov 29, 2004 at 11:34:46 AM PDT

I don't know what constitutes "good" support, but I can't imagine beating a place that answers the phone in person, takes your name, and then transfers you to a technician who knows the answer to your question. Many times the phone is even answered by a technician, bypassing even the receptionist. If the technician does not know the answer, he gives you his name and you can interact with him by phone, fax, or email until the problem is solved. There is such a place, and it is Acucorp (www.acucorp.com), the makers of the Acucobol COBOL compiler, a COBOL development system that runs on just about any computer in existence, even an Amiga.

[ Reply to This ]


Who's not on this list...[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#9)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 11:19:14 AM PDT

Although I cast my vote for Microsoft in the poll (and I am NOT a big Microsoft fan), my vote really goes to IBM as well.  Fast, curteous, accurate responses, and the willingness to follow through an issue to resolution gain my support.

One company I would also nominate for "best of best of" would be Adaptec, Inc. (to be fair, I did work for them as a support representative for a while...).  Both prior to, during and after my employment there, I have always had good experiences with Adaptec, both for hardware and software issues.  Heck, most of the time their products just WORK, and no support is required....

[ Reply to This ]



Vote for best Support[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#10)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 11:19:55 AM PDT

My Vote Hands-Down is for Nolo Press. Software like WillWriter make it easy for non-legal-eagles to understand and plan for the entanglements of their life. Nothing really fancy or glamorous: It is just THERE and so easy to follow and understand. The first rule of customer support is to not Dumb-Down the customer and they start right at the beginning. Any questions about upgrades, problems are handled by Real People with Real Brains... truly an anomaly in this day and age.

[ Reply to This ]


Best software support[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#11)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 11:28:06 AM PDT

Maybe this question should be about
    price/performance
. Cisco is first at a reasonable price, (given that part of the price is included in the purchase cost of the hardware.) In my experience, Microsoft has been excellent as well, but at an even heftier price. Veritas has been the best for "free" support of purchased products.

[ Reply to This ]


Best Support from vendors[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#12)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 11:35:01 AM PDT

I've had occasion to need extensive support from Kofax - the Imaging front end people - and have been very pleased - they don't hesitate to WebEx in and see what the problem his and work with you until it's solved. I've had similarly good experiences with Emphasys Computer Solutions - dedicated, knowledgeable people, ready to solve problems, and willing and able to use WebEx when the situation calls for it.

[ Reply to This ]


Best Support Panda Software[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#13)
by markroth on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 11:52:44 AM PDT

The best possible support is a product that is so thoroughly tested and perfected that it does not require any support. Panda Antivirus is just such a product. In the few occasions when technical support is needed, Panda has english speaking (unaccented) live human beings to speak with you on the phone and help you resolve your problem. Their product is a dream to install and is probably the most effective antivirus program on the market for widows based machines. It runs flawlessly and quietly doing its job so unobtrusively that you can easily forget that it is there. In addition to the usuall web-based support, which has the answers to almost all the questions that might arise regarding the product, Panda's live support personel are readily available. It seems that support calls originating in the U.S. are answered by knowledgeable U.S. based (reliable communications) support staff who do not have foreign accents making them difficult to understand and who full understand the language that you use to describe the problem to them. I am always surprised when virus and intrusion protection programs are reviewed that Panda is hardly ever mentioned. More products and software companies should be like Panda.

[ Reply to This ]


A little narrow minded and racist...are we??[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#30)
by Anonymous User on Tue Aug 16, 2005 at 01:08:57 PM PDT

Okay, that is like so major racist - what the hell does
Panda has english speaking (unaccented)
mean? Your mind must be so narrow that you absolutely disgust me. LOSER.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]


My Vote for CA[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#14)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 11:55:40 AM PDT

CA sometimes gets a bad rap, but from my desk, their support has been magnificent. My techs have direct access to Level 2 support. I have a customer support rep that visits as least once a month. (He actually doesn't try to sell me anything, and does actually clear support roadblocks out of the way!) My sales rep will also help with support issues. CA has sent out support engineers to resolve issues that phone support can't. And it is all under my existing maintenance agreement, not costing anything extra.

[ Reply to This ]


A vote for evil MS[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#15)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 01:49:08 PM PDT

I love hating MS just as much as anyone. But let's just say it, with there knowledge base and MVP monitored newsgroups; I've never needed or wanted to call them before. I've always been able to find answers somewhere on-line. I do believe that IBM has a similarly structured support efforts... I just don't use any other their products at this time. For me, finding help on-line is where it's at. I don't want to talk to some scripted kiddie, in a foreign land, with no working computer background. I just want a good search engine and lots of free information.

[ Reply to This ]


What about IBM?[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#17)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 03:21:55 PM PDT

I think you missed the mark, Ed. Judging by the comments, including this one, IBM should have at least been listed as an option. As a corporate user of IBM software, I can say that IBM's support is by far the best I've experienced.

[ Reply to This ]


Re; What about IBM?[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#18)
by Ed Foster on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 03:46:31 PM PDT

Well, I asked about software companies specifically because I knew full well that if I included hardware companies -- particularly IBM and Apple -- they would blow all the software companies away. The point is to learn something we don't already know.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]


Re: IBM[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#19)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 06:48:59 PM PDT

Ed, I think you miss the point that others are making. IBM is BOTH a hardware AND a software company. Any comparible company could be good in support in one and not in another. In this case that are good in both and I think should be recongnized for that.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]


Best Support[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#20)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 09:12:57 PM PDT

I agree with None of the Above, but would like to say that FileMaker has provided excellent support and over a period of time we migrated into the Macintosh platform due in part to their newer operating system and WiFi, Firewire and bluetooth options. Support has been flawless and the few times we have had issues they're resolved first call. We also find Microsoft's offerings run better on Apple than they did on PC's. I only wish I'd bought their stock when we converted.

[ Reply to This ]


The worst of the worst[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#21)
by Anonymous User on Tue Nov 30, 2004 at 10:35:26 PM PDT

Borland. They have killed off their products, giving their users no migration path. I hope that they go to the Big Bankruptcy In The Sky.

[ Reply to This ]


Re: The worst of the worst (NOT)[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#25)
by kevinbe on Mon Dec 06, 2004 at 10:32:21 AM PDT

Like any company Borland has successful products and less successful products. I guess you're one of the users who uses either C++Builder or Kylix. Both of these are still being worked on I believe. By December 15th we should know more about the C++Builder plans and Kylix will probably follow after that. As a Delphi user I'm very happy with the support they have provided. Delphi is an excellent IDE and language. Delphi 2005 is especially powerful- Delphi (Win32 and .NET) and C#Builder all in one IDE. Nice! Cheers, Kevin.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]


Best Support[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#22)
by Anonymous User on Wed Dec 01, 2004 at 05:14:26 AM PDT

Ed--After reading over the comments, I agree that IBM is very good, and, like others, while believing that their products are, by and large, mediocre, MS support is generally good. However, I have been using SAS software since 1979. For support, I cannot rate them high enough. For quality of product the same. For training courses, absolutely the best. Name another software company that upgrades the features on its software, year after year, based on a yearly user survey. It will be a sad day, when Jim Goodnight relinquishes control of the company, both for the users and for the employees, because going public will change the dynamics of a great company.

[ Reply to This ]


SAS[ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#26)
by Reziac on Mon Dec 06, 2004 at 01:08:38 PM PDT

You nail it right on the head: the moment a company goes public, they are beholden to the shareholders, NOT to the customers, let alone to the employees.

And to most shareholders, the ONLY thing that matters is that bottom line goes up, up, UP, and that costs go down, so their stock value increases. If the company dies of "cost-cutting" and "bottom line improvements" ... oh well, no biggie so long as we sold our stocks while it was still riding high! :(

That companies are willing to be ruined by the desires of stockholders is the result of a generation of managers who have a business degree and know all about "improving the bottom line", but have NEVER built a business from the ground up. Naturally, they don't have a clue about how to actually generate and KEEP customers. Customers, who needs 'em? All they are is an unnecessary expense.

Sucks, sucks, sucks. :(
~REZ~
[ Parent | Reply to This ]



Another Vote for CA...[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#23)
by Anonymous User on Wed Dec 01, 2004 at 02:01:09 PM PDT

...At least for the Windows Brightstor ARCserve (V11) products. When logging a ticket via their Support Connect site, the response time has been amazing. I received a call within two minutes of logging the call and on a more recent incident, an e-mail within five. In both cases, the techs knew the product, understood my question, and provided good, workable answers. We had somewhat poor support, though, for the same product (v9) in a Netware Cluster environment. CA was fairly responsive but seemed unable to resolve multiple issues in this environment.

[ Reply to This ]


CA?? Quality Support?? Boy have they changed![ Parent | Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#24)
by tscoff on Wed Dec 01, 2004 at 03:23:19 PM PDT

Four years ago I had to support CA's ARCserve on Windows NT servers.  My conversation with their sales rep who was trying to sell me an upgrade went something like this:

"So, you're telling me that in the future when I call and report that I have a server down and I can't recover from the backups I won't have to call back every day for three days straight before I get to talk to someone?  And after I get to actually talk to someone I won't have to wait two or three days between talking to him the first time and getting through to him on the phone to talk to him again?  You're telling me that I'll get an immediate response, followed by someone working on my problem and trying to fix it the next time?"

Needless to say I won't buy anything from CA.  They burned me very badly when I had an emergency and it's almost impossible for them to win me back as a customer.

[ Parent | Reply to This ]



Another None-of-the-above voter[ Reply to This ] (none / 0) (#29)
by Anonymous User on Tue Jan 04, 2005 at 11:12:09 AM PDT

The smaller software companies have always seemed to me to be better at providing an actual person to talk to about problems and that those people will actually stick with you on a problem until it is resolved. My most positive experiences have been with the following ... The Acronis support guy even went so far as to give me a free upgrade to their most current version of TrueImage (from my two versions old copy) when he was not able to resolve my problem after several tries. Acronis - disk image backup software ABBYY, maker of FineReader GoldWave - (shareware) sound editor Hauppage

[ Reply to This ]


Which Software Company Has the Best Support? | 28 comments (28 topical) | Post A Comment
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Poll
Which Software Company Provides the Best Support? (Choose one.)
Adobe
BEA Systems
Borland
Citrix
Computer Associates
Intuit
Macromedia
McAfee
Microsoft
Novell
Oracle
PeopleSoft
Red Hat
SAP
SAS Institute
Siebel
Sybase
Symantec
Trend Micro
Veritas

Votes: 767
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