Support (was Re: Call for comments: Rev as a Second Language)

[Ben Rubinstein]

Dave wrote:

> There should be a big banner plastered across the top of it saying "NO 
> GUARANTEED SUPPORT FOR THIS PRODUCT, SUPPORT IS VIA VOLUNTARY MAILING 
> LISTS AND FORUMS".

But, er, that would be incorrect.


> The RunRev "support" model is different from any of the other development
> environments I have used, and therefore pertinent to anyone starting out using
> RunRev.


Really?  It doesn't seem particularly bizarre in relation to other development
environments I've used.

Out of curiosity (oh alright, displacement activity because I can't get grips
with what I should be working on) I checked RunRev's most obvious comparitor,
RealBasic.


High-end product:

	Rev Enterprise (all platforms):                 €324
	  -  Two "silver" support incidents per license year

	REALbasic Professional Edition (per platform):  €400
	  -  includes 6 months access to "web-based technical support,
	     ... typically a 3 business day turnaround".


Low-end product:

	Rev Media (per platform):                        €40
	Rev Studio (per platform):                      €165

	  -  "This license does not include any technical support,
	      this may be purchased separately." (same wording on
	      both products pages)


	REALbasic Personal Edition (per platform):       €75

	  -   I didn't see any explicit text noting that there is no
	      support for this product, but the text around the support
	      pages and support form makes clear that it's only for
	      Professional Edition license holders.


Paid support:

	REALbasic Priority Support plans ranging 	€400 -  €1,900 / year

	RunRev support incidents from €40 / incident to €500 / 10 incidents



These are not apples and oranges, and you can reasonably argue over the
relative cost/value on each company's product range - but they certainly seem
to me to be playing in similar ballparks.

If anything, not only are RunRev are much more up front about the limitations
of what they promise - in fact, I think they promise less and deliver more.

For one thing, unlike Real, they actually solicit support enquiries from all
users ("Please email us using this contact form. We aim to answer your query
within 2 working days. We'll be happy to help you with licensing and
purchasing issues, get you up and running, and direct you to resources to find
answers on coding and technical issues") whereas Real's form won't let you in
without a Professional license key;

For another, I've personally experienced numerous excellent support
incidents (not all of which, inevitably, succeeded in resolving my problems),
and have never been asked to pay explicitly for support (I do have an
Enterprise license, but in at least some years I've undoubtedly raised more
than two instances a year).

I appreciate that you have an unresolved issue. But I don't think that your
characterisation of RunRev's support is accurate.  It certainly doesn't accord
with my experience; I don't think it accords with your experience either,
judging from the previous discussions, albeit it evidently accords with your
feelings on the matter.  Your problem apparently received a great deal of
attention from RunRev's technical support, at no extra cost, although they
have not succeeded (as none of us have) in discovering the cause.  Nobody
guarantees success in all support requests; but to characterise RunRev as not
providing any support is quite incorrect.

- Ben