How Some Companies Do Support.: VMWare - Virtualization Support
The few instances where I needed to contact VMWare support for assistance on a project, they did a decent job. Although they, and all other vendors, tout having the best support and are committed to making their users happy, it always depends and varies depending on who you get when you call in and what is the current support queue length they are working off of.
A tired and understaffed support group no matter whose it is will always be less effective than a support department that is fresh and not over-worked (over baked), ready to break down or are disgruntled about their work conditions.
Then, there is the other factor of who you get. Although I'm not apposed to getting a new support person when I call in to a company for support, I do mind if they are not into the technology or interested in solving the issue at hand. I like and don;t mind if put on hold so they can consult with another person except times where time is more critical for the project and that added wait time can come back to hurt the project goals.
On the other side of the spectrum is the support staff members who have been at the company many years or doing the same job or technology for a long time and not only know a great deal but are grumpy about it. The experienced grumpy that thinks you should have already known much of the information they are providing and also they dispense a subtle talk down. This is the worst. Worse that the new support agent or support engineer. Although they know a lot of the product and technology, the more sadists ones will use that as a torture device. Not providing all the information, especially and particularly in the form of gotchas in design or implementation.
The few instances where I needed to contact VMWare support for assistance on a project, they did a decent job. Although they, and all other vendors, tout having the best support and are committed to making their users happy, it always depends and varies depending on who you get when you call in and what is the current support queue length they are working off of.
A tired and understaffed support group no matter whose it is will always be less effective than a support department that is fresh and not over-worked (over baked), ready to break down or are disgruntled about their work conditions.
Then, there is the other factor of who you get. Although I'm not apposed to getting a new support person when I call in to a company for support, I do mind if they are not into the technology or interested in solving the issue at hand. I like and don;t mind if put on hold so they can consult with another person except times where time is more critical for the project and that added wait time can come back to hurt the project goals.
On the other side of the spectrum is the support staff members who have been at the company many years or doing the same job or technology for a long time and not only know a great deal but are grumpy about it. The experienced grumpy that thinks you should have already known much of the information they are providing and also they dispense a subtle talk down. This is the worst. Worse that the new support agent or support engineer. Although they know a lot of the product and technology, the more sadists ones will use that as a torture device. Not providing all the information, especially and particularly in the form of gotchas in design or implementation.
