Sage News and Discussion

Just took my first client call regarding Sage's ""new math"" of a 3% Business Care plan increase. I explained they may be able to get the increased waived for the first year only and gave them my Business Care(less) rep's contact information. What are others doing when a client calls with this concern? Does anyone have Pascal, Joe or Tom's personal cell phone number that we could give out to the angry 99%?

The clients ain't happy, I can tell you that. Now we spend hours on the phone listening to the bitching so that sage can upsell them phone support instead of us doing it and so that in the not too distant future I won't even be getting a cut of this maintenance. Seems to me its time to realistically give clients the option to simply just not renew. What do I lose in this?

Based on the response Harold's client got, we'll be dealing with new senior execs or a new holding company sometime in 2013.............

This is the new Coke II. Drink up ...

The metric will be how many customers quit maintenance.

I've not yet taken many (any?) calls - but I expect I will. I tell them it's a price increase. I think if I try to rationalize it any other way that the customers will just dispute (probably rightfully) that they don't need any business care support calls. Also I am NOT sending any announcement attempting to explain the pricing increase. Our invoices just go out explaining that it's silver support with 5 calls a year (Mark et al convinced me that I should be disclosing) and let the customer decide on renewal.

If you really want to raise a stink, do the following: 1. Create a form letter that say something akin to ""I am not happy with the Business Care price increase and Sage forcing 5 support calls on the plan. I would prefer to work with my reseller."" 2. Have the client sign it. 3. Scan / fax it to both Tom Miller and Joe Langner. They won't listen to us. They need to hear the customer.

The customer always has the option of working with their reseller. The price has increased, but the customer does not have to take advantage of what Sage is including in the new price.

@DawnAnastasi - While I agree that everyone has choices, human nature doesn't bear out your position. Imagine if your car dealer told you that you had free oil changes for life. Your best friend in the world could open up an oil change facility across the street from your house and charge a fair rate for an oil change. Most people in that situation will go to the dealer and try to avoid looking their friend in the eye. In fact, it may create feelings of resentment towards the friend for putting them in that position.

What are their personal fax numbers? Why not include Pascal in the fax also. Actually, the only way they will understand is if the end user communicates directly with the ""top guns"". Nothing else will do.

I would really like to believe that the letters would change something, but I guess I've grown cynical.