Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/942744
42 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2018 attempts to get free software. Here's the deal: When you buy software, you are entitled to receive what you bought, but not more. That doesn't mean that the sales team might work out an arrangement with you, but as your support technician, I can't do that. I can only help you with the software that you are licensed for. It's sort of like buying a bunch of bananas while grocery shopping, and then insisting that the store should give you a couple of free apples too, because you are one of their best customers. It just isn't going to happen. Another thing that I occasionally encoun- tered were customers who would insist that their software should function more like Brand X software. Here's the 411 on that: The soft- ware that the customer is using isn't Brand X software and it never is going to be Brand X software. Although the tools may go through enhancements and changes to incorporate some of the functionality of Brand X software, the software is never going to completely change. The customer in this situation needs to learn to use the software the way it is, or switch over to Brand X software. The last challenge for me as a customer sup- port technician was to help a customer who wanted me to do their work for them. Answer- ing questions, filing bug reports, providing workarounds and even conducting limited training is all part of the normal operations of a CAD customer support technician. We must draw the line somewhere, though, and when a customer is expecting us to do their work for them we have to say no. There are some things we just can't do. Now that the elephant has been tamed and led out of the room, let's talk about common customer support themes that I have seen. Although the specific support requests are extremely diverse, there are some common themes that wind through those requests. Here are the more popular ones that I have noticed over the years: • Customers want the bells and whistles of other software: Although most customers realize that their software is not Brand X software, they still want the features that they were used to on other tools or that they have seen demos of. Here is where a strong internal relationship between sup- port and marketing is very crucial to soft- ware companies, in order to hear users' requests and funnel them into product enhancements. • Often customer questions are more design- related than software-support related: Sometimes customers need basic design help and are confusing that with tool sup- port. Although I can't design their board for them, I have often offered ideas that have helped to get a customer moving again in the right direction. • Sometimes the customer needs training: Although I have provided many instances of limited training during a support call, there are also times where I have had to suggest that the customer invest in some official training. • Customers need to know that they have someone that they can go to: I can't tell you how many times I have fielded calls from customers who just needed a sound- ing board. There have been so many calls where I did nothing more helpful than to just say "hello" when the phone rang. These customers would talk themselves through their problem, and then identify what they needed to do. It may sound like a waste of time for a support technician, but I disagree. I believe that being there for my customers, even as a simple sounding board, was one of my principle responsi- bilities. The last challenge for me as a customer support technician was to help a customer who wanted me to do their work for them.