Poll: PDA Software Customer Service?

Bob Russell · 04-25-2005, 06:50 AM

Today's poll is about the overall quality of customer contact with mobile device software companies. In my mind, I see a big split. There are an amazing number of developers that are individuals that care about their work and their customers and are very generous in their dealings.

But there are also a lot of companies that seem to hide behind a layer of impersonal contact. They don't reply to emails, they don't provide customer service, and sometimes the product doesn't even work all that well in the first place. Even worse, the "stores" (companies like eReader, Handango, PalmGear, PocketGear) seem to be very slow in responding to customer service requests.

So my question in today's poll is: Overall, how good is PDA software customer service?

What originally got me thinking about this topic? I recently a bit disappointed by a response I got from WebIS customer support. You see, I purchased a copy of Pocket Informant on Thurs, Oct 28, 2004. They have just released Pocket Informant 2005, and they offer a free upgrade to all customers who purchased a copy on Mon, Nov 1 or later. So I sent a note asking if they would give me the free upgrade as it was simply a matter of several days difference.

They simply replied "Sorry, we have to have a cutoff somewhere." I have to admit, that I was actually surprised that they weren't willing to accomodate me on this one. I believe they have decent customer service, and have an excellent product, so I can't really complain. They also responded quickly to my email, and the Nov 1 date seems pretty fair and generous. But, still, they didn't exactly please their customer.

So how do you find software customer service and support in general?

doctorow · 04-25-2005, 07:53 AM

I am sorry to hear that Bob. I think since you already asked them directly, they should have granted you the two business days discrepancy and offered you the upgrade for free.

Personally I haven't had bad experience yet. Software I've purchased:

iSilo: Darren has always been responsive and fair to my e-mail requests.

DateBK: Pimlico just keeps on adding new features to DateBk 5 and never asked me for an upgrade fee.

Agendus: Unlike Pimlico, Iambic seems to have very strict upgrade policies and you basically have to pay for every upgrade that is not just a bug fix release

View Poll Results: How Good is Mobile Software Customer Service?
It Generally Stinks!	0	0%
Not very good	1	16.67%
Average	3	50.00%
Very Good	0	0%
Exceptional!	0	0%
Other	0	0%
Either horrible or fantastic... no middle ground	2	33.33%
Voters: 6. You may not vote on this poll

04-25-2005, 06:50 AM	#1
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Poll: PDA Software Customer Service? Today's poll is about the overall quality of customer contact with mobile device software companies. In my mind, I see a big split. There are an amazing number of developers that are individuals that care about their work and their customers and are very generous in their dealings. But there are also a lot of companies that seem to hide behind a layer of impersonal contact. They don't reply to emails, they don't provide customer service, and sometimes the product doesn't even work all that well in the first place. Even worse, the "stores" (companies like eReader, Handango, PalmGear, PocketGear) seem to be very slow in responding to customer service requests. So my question in today's poll is: Overall, how good is PDA software customer service? What originally got me thinking about this topic? I recently a bit disappointed by a response I got from WebIS customer support. You see, I purchased a copy of Pocket Informant on Thurs, Oct 28, 2004. They have just released Pocket Informant 2005, and they offer a free upgrade to all customers who purchased a copy on Mon, Nov 1 or later. So I sent a note asking if they would give me the free upgrade as it was simply a matter of several days difference. They simply replied "Sorry, we have to have a cutoff somewhere." I have to admit, that I was actually surprised that they weren't willing to accomodate me on this one. I believe they have decent customer service, and have an excellent product, so I can't really complain. They also responded quickly to my email, and the Nov 1 date seems pretty fair and generous. But, still, they didn't exactly please their customer. So how do you find software customer service and support in general?

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04-25-2005, 07:53 AM	#2
doctorow Guru Posts: 914 Karma: 3410461 Join Date: May 2004 Device: Kindle Touch	I am sorry to hear that Bob. I think since you already asked them directly, they should have granted you the two business days discrepancy and offered you the upgrade for free. Personally I haven't had bad experience yet. Software I've purchased: iSilo: Darren has always been responsive and fair to my e-mail requests. DateBK: Pimlico just keeps on adding new features to DateBk 5 and never asked me for an upgrade fee. Agendus: Unlike Pimlico, Iambic seems to have very strict upgrade policies and you basically have to pay for every upgrade that is not just a bug fix release

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