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SEQ, Australia | That can be a tough one at times KevinM, a lot of the time it's because most of the issues can be fixed or diagnosed over the phone, and should be sorted out by the dealer who sold the product, rather than trying to figure out how to charge out phone support in a fair manner. Who would want a bill for $50 for 5 minutes of diagnosis on the phone to the other side of the country, and even more so, how many would simply not pay such a bill/give false details, now that they have got the issue sorted and are assuming they will be trouble free from here onwards?
There are definitely times where we do offer the support on a fee based approach, because we can see the benefits in terms of ongoing dealings with the customer and other customers in the area. I think you have to be a pretty good judge of character at times to identify the people who will genuinely appreciate your help and consider you in their next purchase scenario, vs the ones that will use you to get something for nothing and still go back to someone else because it's a buck cheaper. I know we still have to be price competitive, but the support is the bit that costs the money.
The money saved on the purchase will be far outweighed by what it will cost you when there's no-one around to get it running and keep it there when you need it. This theory can be applied to any business these days, but is very applicable to the precision ag industry. | |
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trimble support?
