white.elephant
Established
All
I've heard mixed reports about customer support from Hamrick software. Anyone here have any thoughts? If you don't want to post in public, you can PM me.
I've heard mixed reports about customer support from Hamrick software. Anyone here have any thoughts? If you don't want to post in public, you can PM me.
Gerry M
Gerry
I've had immediate and positive response from Ed Hamrick.
sebastel
coarse art umbrascriptor
fast and helpful.
Dan Daniel
Well-known
Within two days and helpful.
It isn't Adobe with a phone bank in India, so don't expect immediate responses at any hour of the day or night.
It isn't Adobe with a phone bank in India, so don't expect immediate responses at any hour of the day or night.
Wenge
Registered User
another thumbs up for Vuescan. Ed responds fast with accurate answers if you get stuck on anything (recent experience).
Bob Michaels
nobody special
I spoke with Ed Hamrick about his customer service many years ago. It may have been so long ago that it was a phone call instead of e-mail. Basically, he told me in so many words:
If you have an actual problem, he will drop what he is doing to try to solve it.
But, if:
* the solution is contained in the product instructions that you obviously have not bothered to read, or
* you want him to tell you if and how it will work with your scanner rather than simply downloading the free demo, or
* you are not using the most current release as he instructs you to do, or
* you have not attached the dump file that you are instructed to include,
Then, he will be very slow in getting back to you and there is the possibility that he never will. He said everyone must remember that it is a $75 program if you take the option for lifetime free upgrades (which you should) and he has invested quite a bit in making it so that he does not need to spend unnecessary time answering questions that are unnecessary. I agree with his approach 100%.
If you have an actual problem, he will drop what he is doing to try to solve it.
But, if:
* the solution is contained in the product instructions that you obviously have not bothered to read, or
* you want him to tell you if and how it will work with your scanner rather than simply downloading the free demo, or
* you are not using the most current release as he instructs you to do, or
* you have not attached the dump file that you are instructed to include,
Then, he will be very slow in getting back to you and there is the possibility that he never will. He said everyone must remember that it is a $75 program if you take the option for lifetime free upgrades (which you should) and he has invested quite a bit in making it so that he does not need to spend unnecessary time answering questions that are unnecessary. I agree with his approach 100%.
rodinal
film user
Same here, excellent!
white.elephant
Established
Hmm, interesting
cabbiinc
Slightly Irregular
I've had good experiences and I've had bad experiences. For the most part, you get back from the conversation what you put into it. Sometimes Ed has a bad day/week/month, but for the most part he's on task.
Mr_Flibble
In Tabulas Argenteas Refero
Isn't he a member here as well? I recall Ed has responded personally to one of my simpler questions about vuescan on a photography forum.
Need to drop him a line soon about version 9.4.32 though. For some reason it makes my G4050 scanner slower than roadkill.
Need to drop him a line soon about version 9.4.32 though. For some reason it makes my G4050 scanner slower than roadkill.
craygc
Well-known
Contacting via email previously, I've had suggestions added to the code and re-released within less than 2 weeks...
mani
Well-known
I think what you get with Ed Hamrick is personal service - and this has both upsides and downsides.
When I was starting-out with film a couple of years ago, I did a stupidly massive number of (pretty much unnecessary) scanning tests and found in some specific edge-cases that Silverfast was retaining marginally more detail in the shadow parts of theoretically unclipped linear negative scans than Vuescan was doing.
I very carefully controlled all of my procedures and documented them, and forwarded log files and screenshots in what I intended to be a constructive email - stressing that I vastly preferred Vuescan (I still do) and what I hoped was very humbly suggesting that some clipping might possibly be occurring even in a full linear scan.
Let's say Ed wasn't receptive to my ideas.
However, as I said, Vuescan is absolutely the best tool available for scanning. It's also cheap, and updated ALL the time!
Also I now realize that the tiny, almost imperceptible, difference in apparent dynamic range in the scans from each software were hardly worth getting worried about: I'd graduated from an all-digital workflow, and was still in the pixel-peeping mindset at the time.
Any problems some people might have with customer service should therefore be weighed against what an amazing piece of software it is.
When I was starting-out with film a couple of years ago, I did a stupidly massive number of (pretty much unnecessary) scanning tests and found in some specific edge-cases that Silverfast was retaining marginally more detail in the shadow parts of theoretically unclipped linear negative scans than Vuescan was doing.
I very carefully controlled all of my procedures and documented them, and forwarded log files and screenshots in what I intended to be a constructive email - stressing that I vastly preferred Vuescan (I still do) and what I hoped was very humbly suggesting that some clipping might possibly be occurring even in a full linear scan.
Let's say Ed wasn't receptive to my ideas.
However, as I said, Vuescan is absolutely the best tool available for scanning. It's also cheap, and updated ALL the time!
Also I now realize that the tiny, almost imperceptible, difference in apparent dynamic range in the scans from each software were hardly worth getting worried about: I'd graduated from an all-digital workflow, and was still in the pixel-peeping mindset at the time.
Any problems some people might have with customer service should therefore be weighed against what an amazing piece of software it is.
Pete B
Well-known
He gives very concise directions of what to include, and how to layout you query in the email. Follow that and he will answer you. There must be thousands of users so give him time.
Pete
Pete
white.elephant
Established
Lots of good feedback here, thanks. I own my own software company so I have opinions about the way customer service ought to be, regardless of whether you charge $100 or $1000 for your product. It's all about the attitude you have towards the topic of support at the end of the day (for me, anyway). You never want to make your customer regret having reached out to you for help, regardless of whether they follow your rules or not, read your documentation or not. Customer service is not, IMHO, 'customer service only in certain circumstances' or 'only if you're good.'
I have worked in the video game business for a long time, and in the days when most games were PC-based boxed products, selling for $50 or so, one single customer support call from a single customer ate up *all* of the profit from that individual sale, so I am painfully aware of how costly and/or tiring those calls can be, and the effort it takes to minimize the bugs any piece of software contains. If that customer had to call or email two of three times, then supporting that customer really cost the company. So, we trained people to work hard in that first call / email exchange to correctly identify what the problem is so that it could be fixed in that first call.
And if the customer had to reach out multiple times, then, somehow, you screwed up that first response. Maybe that first response is to take the customer through painstaking mind-numbing simple steps (unplug the router, now plug the router back in) but the idea that you should EVER imply that it's the customer's fault is a big no-no.
I have had great thorough support in my life from shareware authors ($15 investment) as well as professional tools costing $700 a seat, so this is not related to how much money you get from the customer, it's about your desire to be of service.
IMHO
Clearly not everyone shares this view, which is fine.
I have worked in the video game business for a long time, and in the days when most games were PC-based boxed products, selling for $50 or so, one single customer support call from a single customer ate up *all* of the profit from that individual sale, so I am painfully aware of how costly and/or tiring those calls can be, and the effort it takes to minimize the bugs any piece of software contains. If that customer had to call or email two of three times, then supporting that customer really cost the company. So, we trained people to work hard in that first call / email exchange to correctly identify what the problem is so that it could be fixed in that first call.
And if the customer had to reach out multiple times, then, somehow, you screwed up that first response. Maybe that first response is to take the customer through painstaking mind-numbing simple steps (unplug the router, now plug the router back in) but the idea that you should EVER imply that it's the customer's fault is a big no-no.
I have had great thorough support in my life from shareware authors ($15 investment) as well as professional tools costing $700 a seat, so this is not related to how much money you get from the customer, it's about your desire to be of service.
IMHO
Clearly not everyone shares this view, which is fine.
mani
Well-known
Chris - by the tone of your last post I'm gonna guess that you got the same treatment I did: which was basically the rudest and most insulting brush-off I think I've ever experienced from a developer. This was even though I'd carefully followed all his log and report requirements, and documented everything in painful detail.
Anyway, although I took it to heart at the time, after a while I realized it wasn't important, and being personally upset was a total waste of time. I enjoy using the software - in spite of its 'special' interface - and wouldn't be able to follow my hobby the way I do without it. So I'm grateful for Ed's hard work, and can forgive the occasional outburst. He probably had a bad day.
This was even though I'd carefully followed all his log and report requirements, and documented everything in painful detail.Anyway, although I took it to heart at the time, after a while I realized it wasn't important, and being personally upset was a total waste of time. I enjoy using the software - in spite of its 'special' interface - and wouldn't be able to follow my hobby the way I do without it. So I'm grateful for Ed's hard work, and can forgive the occasional outburst. He probably had a bad day.
white.elephant
Established
I can get the support I desire in other ways. I have used the software for years with my Nikon 4000 without issue. Lovely software, great, no issues, a workhorse for me, and I would unhesitatingly endorse it. Amazing for the price. Lots of work on his part. Hat's off. I want to use it with my new Epson 750.
However, I would happily pay for support when I need it. I would be willing to pay per call, or pay on a yearly basis, *whatever*, because I know how much this effort costs.
I'll repeat that... I'd be happy to pay for support when I need it. His cost is so low, (which is amazing for what he offers), it seems to me that it would not be hard to justify the ongoing cost for a 'subscription' or something. $79 for unlimited upgrades... who in the heck does that these days? No one. You want phone / email support? Ok, $XX additional per year.
That's all I'm saying.
However, I would happily pay for support when I need it. I would be willing to pay per call, or pay on a yearly basis, *whatever*, because I know how much this effort costs.
I'll repeat that... I'd be happy to pay for support when I need it. His cost is so low, (which is amazing for what he offers), it seems to me that it would not be hard to justify the ongoing cost for a 'subscription' or something. $79 for unlimited upgrades... who in the heck does that these days? No one. You want phone / email support? Ok, $XX additional per year.
That's all I'm saying.
biomed
Veteran
white.elephant
Established
Yes, that's what I'm talking about, thanks.
white.elephant
Established
And, in fairness to the Vuescan people, I am either their *ideal* customer for support -- because I know so much about what they have to do on their end -- or I'm the *worst* customer -- because I know too much about what they need to do.