OSNews

Technology companies have always skirted the implications of value when it comes to service and support. They have also largely avoided accountability. I think this has some basis in the birth of computer technology as a consumer industry. The original computer technology consumers were skilled professionals and hobbyists. In the early days you bought a kit not a computer. Expectations were very different as was the type of support that was offered.

Today the market is very different in the consumer space and even in the enterprise sector. We don't expect kits; we expect well-integrated, commercial systems and software. Still, support and service in the technology industry has in many ways not caught up.

I think the reason support is so poor in the tech industry is based on two primary factors. One is cost competition. The other is simple complacency.

On the topic of competition, tech companies have to deal with the dropping costs of components and market consolidation. Many companies are racing to become the low cost leader while others are trying to stake out a better value proposition. In this race to strike a profitable balance, companies must deal with the reality that providing service and support to customers is expensive.

Many companies cut costs by skimping on documentation. It is now commonplace to not receive a detailed manual with software or computers. Sometimes documentation is included in electronic format or worse yet, it is embedded in useless online help systems. This allows companies to skimp on printing costs and technical writers.

Then there's the consideration of customer service. Customer service representatives are expensive. Many companies mitigate this cost by using automated systems such as websites, interactive voice systems, and automated fax systems. If you've ever waited on a customer support line for a technology company, you've probably noticed the length of time you need to wait to speak to a person and how many opportunities you're given to interact with an automated system in lieu of speaking with a representative. Considering the cost of running an automated system versus training and paying an actual person to help customers, you can see why companies opt for fewer or no representatives.

The question is, why do we as technology consumers put up with this level of service? For one thing, I think the quality of support and service has deteriorated across most every industry, not just technology, and this has lowered expectations. Still, technology companies tend to have very poor support compared to other industries. I think this is not only a consequence of their origins, but also due to conditioning by the entire industry.

If you've ever read a software license, you'll find something in there that states that the company providing the software cannot be held accountable for damages caused by their product. This is something fairly uncommon in other industries, but we as technology consumers have become accustomed to this sort of treatment.

We have also grown accustomed to a lack of documentation. We often buy software, hardware, and services without manuals. In fact, there is a publishing industry based around this simple concept. Companies are lowering their costs by not providing these materials, but consumers do not share these savings. We often buy a technology product and spend another $15-$60 on a manual from a different company and in some cases the same company.

Not only have we been hoodwinked out of a decent manual, but also in many cases, support is a separate product than the product we are purchasing. Extended warrantees and service plans are not uncommon in other industries, but we need to be critical the warrantees that ship with computers. When you consider that the lifespan of a computer is generally in three to five years, just what percentage of the lifespan are they covering? A third? A fifth? That's just for the parts. What about phone support? A common number is 90 days. That's somewhere around 10% or less of the lifespan of the product. Should we have to pay extra for better support?

Support is expensive, and I'm not suggesting that we ought to get something for nothing. What I am suggesting is that companies need to be held accountable for their products and they should provide reasonable support. If that means higher prices so be it, but currently technology companies are spinning documentation, support, and service into a separate product rather than keeping it a part of the actual product. This shields them from having to price that support and service competitively like they must price the product or service. This means the company is increasing their profit margins at the expense of the consumer.

1. "Demand Service and Support, Page 1/3"
2. "Demand Service and Support, Page 2/3"
3. "Demand Service and Support, Page 3/3"