Re: TTG marketing woes

[Peter Knupfer pknupfer@xxxxxxxx]

Sigh. Kenneth Frank lectures us on civility and deplores "hostility and
sarcasm." He disqualifies from the conversation those who weren't present
when TTG deigned to discuss these subjects a year ago, and refers us to the
archives for proof that TTG has "made an effort to be open and discuss our
plans and direction."

Believe it or not, folks, I have looked at those archives -- they
constitute a long, running commentary on TTG's marketing and support
philosophy. Deja vu -- here's some more unanswered [publicly, at least] mail:

>Date: 	Fri, 7 Apr 1995 09:49:42 -1000
>From: Jonathan Goldberg Hiller 
>To: xywrite
>Subject: complaints and suggestions
>Message-Id: 

>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
>Sender: owner-xywrite@xxxxxxxx
>Precedence: bulk
>Reply-To: xywrite@xxxxxxxx
>
>I just called this morning in order to find out a) if you are still in
>business and b) if you have made any updates in the editor since there
>are still obvious bugs. The answer to both was yes.
>
>Why is it necessary for me to worry about your existence? Why do you
>never get in touch with me, a customer who has been loyal to this product
>since before you ever purchased it.
>
>I will give you some very honest feedback and then a suggestion.
>
>I am a loyal customer of Xywrite primarily because of the goodwill that
>your predecessor cultivated. I was always aware of what new updates were
>being made, shipping times were truthful, and I didn't have to worry
>whether my support had just evaporated. That goodwill has been nearly
>depleted since you took over. You know me as the person who invested
>hundreds of dollars years ago when you took over to buy Ibid and Orbis
>upon a promise of shipping, only to learn through a difficult 17 months
>that the products were still being developed and that my money was, in
>fact, part of your development capital (i.e., fraud in your state). You
>never did contact me about delays; I contacted you. Since these products
>have shipped, there have been numerous problems with the editor crashing.
>I call you, you never call me to tell me that these problems have been
>fixed, that there is a new editor, etc.
>
>Is this really worth it? Do you really thing that the savings you make on
>avoiding contact with your customers is worth their aggravation,
>concern, worry, and loss of faith? To think of this purely as a
>business relationship (and why not), you are failing your obligations.
>What happens when your customers just run out on you? When the good faith
>of your predecessor just is no longer enough? Why continue this pathway?
>
>If money is a problem then let me suggest that you contact us through the
>internet (which many of us use regularly) to let us know about updates,
>etc. It is free, simple, and effective. I don't want gimmicks, pictures,
>a fancy newsletter. Just some honest information.
>
>Jon Goldberg-Hiller
>
>

Almost a year later "new" subscribers, regardless of their long experience
with XyWrite and their substantial investment of time and money in it,
would do well to take heed. At one point, Mr. Frank wondered out loud how
people could expect to continue to receive technical support long after
they had paid their one-time purchase price -- as if the _customer's_
substantial investment in expensive time and effort in the program did not
continue long after TTG had collected its price.

But perhaps the real point is that a year after the supposedly "lengthy"
exchanges about this (I found nothing from TTG on the subject of support or
marketing that would come close to qualifying as "lengthy" -- Annie's
remark here about "what was not said" at the time is esp. pertinent) TTG is
still waiting for the mountain to come to Mohammed. How many of us have
written to TTG, and received no reply? Does that kind of treatment comport
with anybody's definition of "civility and consideration"? Why are the
same concerns and issues being recycled a year later, with the discouraging
reply that we should look to year-old answers? Might as well go back to my
well-worn and very welcome file of XyI newsletters.

Will XY5 be marketed, supported, and advertised any differently from XY4 or XW?

Peter Knupfer
Kansas State University