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I am a simple man, but...

S

swcalvert

New member
I'm getting less and less response from PTC's help line. I just got off hold for more than 15 minutes and still didn't get to talk to a live person. Two days ago I was on hold for another 15 minutes before I gave in and hung up.



Is this what I am to expect from their help line?



Steve C
 
Are you on the west coast?



This isn't an excuse, but it may be a reason: I know PTC's in the process of moving one of their main West Coast offices, which houses one of their help centers, so that may account for difficulty you've been having lately.
 
When I call, which is not that often, I am usually on hold for no more than a few minutes. I work for Schlumberger and we have Silver Level support. I don't know what that means or if it makes any difference. Do you know what level of support you have?
 
Dresser is Silver level. In the last few times I've called, it's been 5-15 minutes before someone answers. Before that, it was taking 2-3 minutes.



Steve C
 
i always tried the e-mail route with questions. what number are you guys calling? this mite be a quicker way of getting an answer.
 
With Intralink I've had good luck with getting technical assistance right away. For ProE I've always just gotten a call tracking number and tech support calls back within one or two hours. If I'm doing something dumb they usually set me straight right away. If it's a bug it's a month or more before there's any acknoledgement that it simply doesn't work.



XKL has Silver Level Support. Unless there's evidence that work is proceeding on a significant new release we'll probably drop maintenance and stay forever with 2001 or maybe in the future WF. WF doesn't really seem to add much (anything?) to the sheetmetal module. However I'm lead to believe that it does integrate more closely with Intralink 3.3 which might be compelling enough of a reason to change. I'm also interested in Autobuildz but haven't updated my WF build to be compatible with the released version.



-Bernie-
 
OK, so I called tech support this morning and got a case number with the usual promise that I'd get a call back within two hours. Three hours and 15 minutes later and still no call back. If this is PTCs idea of returning to profitability then I won't be recommending we shell out the dough for maintenance next year.



Bernie Hayden

XKL LLC
 
The worst part about technical support is that they won't readily admit a bug, even if public knowledge within the support staff. I learned this when I (foolishly) upgraded to the first build of 2000i^2.



If they would only ADMIT the bugs, then at least I don't end up tearing my hair out or think that the problem resides with me. Just think of the time I would have saved had I only known when a bug was a bug!



Thanks for the outlet!

Tunalover
 
So the call to tech support was placed 10:45 Friday morning. It's 10:45 Monday and still no call back. I called PTC tech support and explained the situation:



PTC: Oh my, do you want me to transfer you to the call que?



Me: How long is the wait



PTC: That's hard for me to tell.



Me: Thanks, I'll wait for a call back.



So it goes. I've pretty well convinced myself that this is a bug. I suppose I could try searching the knowledge base to see if it's an admitted bug.



Funny thing is that I had an email this morning from PTC asking me to take part in a Customer Satisfaction Survey. Bad thing to do when you've ticked off the customer by blowing off a tech support call. When I do get someone on the line I plan to ask if they've been swamped because of the lay offs. Let's see; No, we're not swamped, just slow. or yeah, they've cut tech support to the bone.



Bernie Hayden

XKL LLC
 
Maybe calling them wouldn't help me much either.... E-mailing gets me answers like... we do not deal with those types of problems.... or other crap like that.
 
Out of 14 years calling PTC support I can honestly say I've been dissatisfied with the results only a couple dozen times out of a couple hundred calls. I used to document all my calls.



When I worked at Rand I had a chance to visit the tech support area, there was 19 people on duty to handle the calls and when I left there I felt very happy being an application engineer.
 
go to the PTC.com website, go to Support, Technical Support. Then enter Call Logger. You fill out some simple forms, and submit a request. I do this, and most of the time recieve a call back within about 20 minutes, but no longer than an hour. I am in Cleveland, Ohio, if that matters.



I don't know where I read this, or maybe I just heard it, but I believe PTC tech support even states that calls logged on the website will be answered faster than using the phone.
 
So I finally get a call back from tech support and they ask me to email the sample file I have that will duplicate the problem. That was a little more that 24hrs ago. Nothing back execpt the automated response than my part file and email were successfully attached to my call number.



In the past I've had goo response to logging calls with tech support. Hopefully this is a one time incident and not the result of layoffs having cut the support staff to insufficient levels.



For anyone interested I posted the actual problem in the bugs and builds forum. It's regarding using the PlanarSketch option to add a circle to an existing wireframe imported feature. Part of the Legacy Application. Seems to crash ProE very reliably :+)



> Lets try not forgetting that this time is time for

> holidays, ok



Sorry, no that's not OK. Labor Day being over a week away is not an excuse for a breakdown in tech support. It's not like I'm calling on Sunday of a three day weekend.



-Bernie-
 
> Lets try not forgetting that this time is time

> holidays, ok.



I think what Speling is refering to is that most of Western Europe is on vacation for all of August. Overthere you expect no one to answer the phone this month. That doesn't cut it for paid tech support.
 
Update on failed PlanarSketch circle creation:



Yep, it doesn't work, SPR 1042230. You'll hear back if/when it ever gets fixed.



Bernie Hayden

XKL LLC
 
I don't call the help line anymore. I found that I get quicker response from them if I open a call online first. Have you tried this approach?



Once I open it on line, as soon as I am finished it takes them about 5 to 10 minutes to respond back either with an e-mail if the answer is simple enough, or they call me back.
 
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