As fellow users of DBISAM client-server, do you charge your end users when
they call you and say "it says it can't connect to my server" and then you
spend 15-30 minutes per machine diagnosing and configuring various internet
protection applications to work properly? I am seriously losing money on
this routine crap just to make DBISAM work on individual computers.

Almost every day I tell a user, "The reason it isn't working is ALMOST
ALWAYS an internet protection package". And then I remotely connect and fix
it. Otherwise, they would just say my program was faulty.

Once again, I would really love if Symantec paid me for making THEIR
software work.

-Johnnie

Johnnie,

I do charge users for time in such cases. The deal is, if it
is not my fault, then they pay for it. You can also talk to
their sys-admins (if exists) and explain the deal - this
worked fine for me in a few cases.

Regards,
Michael

P.S. I agree, however, that protection software is a major PITA.
I don't have any in my network and even disabled Win firewall.
Instead I have an SMC firewall\router which does a great job
protecting my network even in one of the worst virus bitten
networks on the planet - Ukrainian Telecom If you connect
from unprotected Win98 without a router, you will have a worm
on average in 3-5 minutes


Johnnie Norsworthy wrote:
> As fellow users of DBISAM client-server, do you charge your end users when
> they call you and say "it says it can't connect to my server" and then you
> spend 15-30 minutes per machine diagnosing and configuring various internet
> protection applications to work properly? I am seriously losing money on
> this routine crap just to make DBISAM work on individual computers.
>
> Almost every day I tell a user, "The reason it isn't working is ALMOST
> ALWAYS an internet protection package". And then I remotely connect and fix
> it. Otherwise, they would just say my program was faulty.
>
> Once again, I would really love if Symantec paid me for making THEIR
> software work.
>
> -Johnnie
>
>

I charge my customers a monthly or yearly maintenance contract. I
absorb my cost of those kinds of issues into that. I have been charging
maintenance contracts for the last 12 years and it has worked well for
me.

--
David Farrell-Garcia
Whidbey Island Software, LLC

"David Farrell-Garcia" <davidF@NoStinkingSpamWhidbeyIslandSoftware.com>
wrote in message
news:E5DD1E15-E67F-4536-AE8F-4FAA4F0759FC@news.elevatesoft.com...
>I charge my customers a monthly or yearly maintenance contract. I
> absorb my cost of those kinds of issues into that. I have been charging
> maintenance contracts for the last 12 years and it has worked well for
> me.

That is what I do right now as well, but I really get tired of these issues
that have nothing to do with my software. But to the customer it is simply
my program not working, so I see their point of view.,

-Johnnie

"Johnnie Norsworthy" <jln206@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:6E819E36-138B-459E-8A4C-BFDF292F8FC0@news.elevatesoft.com...
> "David Farrell-Garcia" <davidF@NoStinkingSpamWhidbeyIslandSoftware.com>
> wrote in message
> news:E5DD1E15-E67F-4536-AE8F-4FAA4F0759FC@news.elevatesoft.com...
>>I charge my customers a monthly or yearly maintenance contract. I
>> absorb my cost of those kinds of issues into that. I have been charging
>> maintenance contracts for the last 12 years and it has worked well for
>> me.
>
> That is what I do right now as well, but I really get tired of these
> issues that have nothing to do with my software. But to the customer it is
> simply my program not working, so I see their point of view.,
>
> -Johnnie
Johnnie,

Just try to remember that for the customer it is only his 1 first exposer to
this problem, so he will not understand your feelings about this nor does he
know you already solved it +100 times.

I've the same issues but I try to keep in mind that every time I get a
support call about this this I also just got an new paying customer

Johnnie Norsworthy wrote:

> That is what I do right now as well, but I really get tired of these
> issues that have nothing to do with my software. But to the customer
> it is simply my program not working, so I see their point of view.,

I feel your pain, but it really does just go with the territory. I
remember about 10 years ago a new client called to say that when they
installed my software, it caused their computer to short out and cause
a fire.  They were quite nasty about it.  I held my composure and told
them to start looking at their electrical cords, which they did and
found the problem. They are still a customer today.  Not all turn out
so well.  We have used PCAnywhere for remote support since day 1 and
because Symantec's support is so awfull we wind up supporting that
product as well.  Jut make sure your rates are high enough to pay for
your time.

--
David Farrell-Garcia
Whidbey Island Software, LLC