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Expired Customers support

  • 1.  Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-18-2023 11:37

    Would like to have a show of hands to how many consultants here still provide support to expired Sage 100 installations.  Thankfully, my customer base has been expanding, but it has gotten to the point where 69 customers is just too much for a one-person show.  I am considering letting go the customers that have never kept their active Sage licenses.  We are talking customers in 4.30...up top 2017.  In my communication with the customers I would like to provide alternatives for seeking support.  Any volunteers??? any other feedback???



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    Lourdes Sobrino
    LU² DSD Puerto Rico
    Guaynabo Puerto Rico
    787.485.9638
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  • 2.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-18-2023 11:47

    We have a small number.  My only thought is to charge a premium for any support / access agreement related to clients running older versions, because they are harder to support.  The older the version, the higher the cost (eg. for every year older than the current supported version, add $###...).  Those clients who are unwilling to pay will go away on their own... and hopefully some will renew / upgrade.



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    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
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  • 3.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-18-2023 20:05

    Luckily, most of mine have stayed current.  Those that haven't I rarely hear from.  Perhaps send a letter to those with nonactive licenses explaining why it is important to be on a recent rellease.  Offer a "discounted" migration plan.  Also, advise them of your new non supported rate (triple current?).  Put the active accounts on a support plan.  Take it to the bank - higher consulting fees collected, few customers and more time to enjoy life.  Bottom line, most clients won't miss you and you won't miss them.



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    Jeff Schwenk
    Bottomline Software, Inc.
    (540) 221-4444
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-19-2023 10:05
    Edited by Wayne Schulz 05-19-2023 10:06

    I support customers who are not on a current version of Sage, although I will not install any software or patch they are not entitled to based on their last expiration date.

    The way that I tell these customers that I'm not going to support them any longer unless they are on my annual access agreement is to give them two options.

    1. Sign up for my annual access agreement
    2. Pay per incident is a single-day call not measured by hours and not extending past one day - this is prepaid by credit card ( I use Square for this ). And the fee is high enough that they get the message (or are desperate).

    I'm not interested in playing in the market space for hourly "orphans."
    I receive sporadic web inquiries, and these are almost always boilerplate emails I'm confident are sent to half-dozen other partners.

    I've learned not to get worked up by replying to incoming boilerplate emails (rfp or rate checking) with anything more elaborate than a polite version of (a) who are you using now and (b) what problem are you trying to solve.

    Of those I reply to, maybe 10% will respond ( this percentage is for people who found me in a Google search - newsletter subscribers or anyone I know, such as former employees from customers, is a MUCH higher reply rate). 

    I have learned to keep email replies very brief. I also no longer send detailed suggestions on pricing or who else they might call. If they want that level of service, they can pay for a support incident.

    Many hungry VARS are out there with neverending layers of account managers, customer account executives, sales executives, administrative support, etc.

    These folks have much time and excel at pushing paper and email replies.  I will gladly let them incur the overhead of chasing and trying to sell to these leads who appear only to be price-shopping for one-off assistance.

    TLDR: Yes, I will take customers who are not on Sage maintenance, but I won't do upgrades with versions they aren't entitled to, and I won't work hourly. If a customer doesn't want to go on my prepaid plan, then the only response I give them when they eventually call with an issue is a link to my credit card pay.  The critical piece of advice I have is - to create a plan for this and stick to your plan. Staying "as-is" should come off the menu. And "no response" is a no.



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
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  • 5.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-19-2023 10:25

    I have one moldy-oldy who was bought out and runs most of their stuff on their new accounting software but backorders "don't work right" so they still do them on 3.71.  He had an issue the other day for the first time in ages and I used a higher rate to bill him, all the while telling him this had better be the last time he has issues.  I had one other client who had no reason not to upgrade (enhancements were greatly desired) and I gave them an ultimatum and Sage's support phone number.  They still didn't upgrade, and I stopped breaking out in hives every time they called, because they didn't.  If a client isn't on the edge of bankruptcy, I no longer have sympathy for not upgrading. (And sorry if any of you picked up the client who wouldn't upgrade.)



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    Beth Bowers
    (269) 358-0989
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  • 6.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-19-2023 10:45

    He had an issue the other day for the first time in ages, and I used a higher rate to bill him, all the while telling him this had better be the last time he had issues. 

    I've seen this movie many times. The only solution I found that I was comfortable with was to reply with a link to my credit card payment form and advise that I would be in touch as soon as I received notice of payment.  

    I will never ( rarely ) pick up the phone to answer a call in the above case unless I've received payment. These phone calls are tough to end, and awkward to ask for money. And I find once I get on the phone, I tend to end it by giving them the answer. It took me many years to work this process out and it seems to work well.

    I also had a customer who decided my fee was too much for what I provided and wanted to go hourly. I am unsure who picked them up, My fixed fee was about 1/3 of what I would have charged hourly. I was glad to see them go as I wasn't making a fair return on my effort, which was nearly all after-hours.



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-19-2023 10:51

    Yeah, I admit I do have a soft spot for my end user there - if he goes away, so does my support.



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    Beth Bowers
    (269) 358-0989
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-19-2023 11:00

    Yes, we support expired customers.    Just worked with a client on 3.71



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    Bob Osborn
    Consultant
    ACI Consulting
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  • 9.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-19-2023 11:12

    @Robert Osborn Expired software or expired customers?  I can't imagine expired customers would be needing a lot of consulting services.  ;-)



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    Doug Higgs
    Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
    (312) 315-0960
    Chauffeur, Chef, and Personal Assistant to Sprinkles
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-19-2023 11:22

    Somewhere along the line you reach a point where if it doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it!  Customers who hang on for dear life to the old version they are on are usually too cheap to want to pay for your help anyway.  



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    Jane Scanlan
    Partner
    Next Level Manufacturing Consulting Group
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-19-2023 11:38

    Jane....your answer up until now is the best...and the most honest.....thanks to all for your feedback...a lot to think about...



    ------------------------------
    Lourdes Sobrino
    LU² DSD Puerto Rico
    Guaynabo Puerto Rico
    787.485.9638
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-19-2023 11:48

    I have also reached this point with customers and several other areas related to this industry.



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    Wayne Schulz
    wayne@s-consult.com
    Schulz Consulting
    (860) 516-8990
    Moodus, CT
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Expired Customers support

    Posted 05-20-2023 10:34

    @Doug Higgs   Well both actually.   You are right, they don't need a lot of support and of course we point out that there are limits to what we can do as well as the fact that older software won't run well on new OS's..   One client that comes to mind is on 4.05 and they have a mod from a now non-existent developer so they can't upgrade. If they can't upgrade and are on a non-supported version there is no point in being current.  



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    Bob Osborn
    Consultant
    ACI Consulting
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    Original Message


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