Sage News and Discussion

We had a customer that ""upgraded"" to Silver Business Care and dropped our access agreement. When the customer called us to have ""Two Signatures Required..."" from their AP check form, I gave them Sage's phone number. Shortly after, the customer called back because Sage told them to contact the partner. We charged the customer and opened the discussion to return to our access agreement. Tell me again how authentic these Sage Support videos are.

Take it a step further with the two signatures required and suggest that you ADD the two signatures for them so they don't waste their valuable time signing the dang check. Or better yet, start the discussion on vendor ACH and e-mailing the remittance advice. Really show them value by working with the partner!!!!!

@BrianRice Are you saying that if client was on your access agreement, the work would have been done at no charge? This is a slippery slope. I'd be concerned that Sage would then provide client with a couple other reseller choices or possibly use their own professional services group to finish the job. Either of which could be disastrous if the goal is to enhance the relationship with your customer.

@MarkKotyla I might not understand the point you are making. If the customer was on our access agreement, we would have covered the service at no additional charge. Because they were not enrolled in our agreement but did have a current Silver agreement with Sage, I expected Sage to offer their services. Isn't that the tremendous value Sage claims?

Maybe it's me. I don't include form modification on my phone support agreement, so it would have been a billable regardless. To my knowledge, Sage only offers phone support as part of the Silver or Gold plan, not consulting or report writing/form modification, and would always refer customers to the reseller for such services.

Based on the level of the agreement, we do include on-site or remote services including form modification (at our discretion). In this instance, I would have expected Sage to provide some instruction but they did not. Sage wouldn't even install Crystal Reports.

There was a huge discussion on linkedin a couple of weeks ago that even got a comment from Himanshu and I know Sage is digesting some of those comments. I chimed in and said they need to put in writing what they support and what they don't support. We'll see what comes of it.

@RobertaFerguson It's an old file, but is this what you're asking about?

At first glance, yes. Does that go out to the customers or do you have to get it online? Maybe we should start attaching that to the agreement renewals.

You have to get it online, and is something I send to every customer on phone support. It's not all-inclusive, but provides a good working model from which to build upon.

Thank you Mark! I have forwarded it to the appropriate person.

2009 is very old considering the acts of aggression that Sage is engaging in now. I am sure they have completely rewritten this document internally.

@RobertaFerguson Can you post the Linkedin discussion URL here. I'd like to add my two cents.

@jeffSchwenk I think you were the one who started it! I think it ended up with well over 100 comments. It was the one you started about getting charged for a case if it was a bug.

Oh, that one. I need to post a comment now that they have laid off the programmers asking how they intend to add value to the product now. I personally didin't get any warm fuzzies from it. It was amazing the Champ System fixed my problem in less than a weeks time.what Sage is taking over two years to do. Also, nice to read thoughtful posts from many other resellers. IMHO, Sage maintained a low profile on this one.

I feel pressured to include a lot more than I've had to in the past. With Sage breathing down our necks our services are the only thing we have to differentiate. I'm not terribly thrilled to support reinstalling workstations or FRX but feel like I have to provide extra to keep ahead of Sage's plan. Like Brian my plan excludes it - so a customer could not have us setup 10 new workstations - but I've increasingly been required to do one offs.

I think services are the only thing we've ever had to differentiate.

I think services are easier to differentiate now that Sage is attempting to compete. To your point, @WayneSchulz , I feel like we have to do fewer one offs because Sage has created a contrasting example to the access agreement and quality we offer.

I'm seeing far more IT departments calling because they've had to move a workstation, reinstall FRX. I probably am leaving money on the table by assisting them without additional cost -- however so far it's more nuisance than a flood of requests.

nuisance = opportunity