I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I have also learned that being an independent advisor can sometimes be as challenging as it is fulfilling. This week I had an experience which I call “the week from techell” (tech-hell). This happened after a CMS upgrade.
Two weeks ago I discussed how I had acquired an additional user license with ACT, my contact management software. During installation we had to get a tech on the phone as we encountered issues which exceeded our knowledge (contrary to popular gender norms, I like to ask for directions). After an hour the tech had us up and running. That was the end of the day before the Thanksgiving break. When we returned to work and opened ACT, it ran about as slow as the old dial-up Internet on Valium. Click here, go get a cup of coffee, and maybe it will be ready when you return. All the “efficiency” we had hoped to obtain was gone. Efficiency down = frustration up! Surely there must be something we could do.
I called ACT tech support. I waited on hold for over an hour before reaching a person. I was on the phone with him for another 2.5 hours and he was unable to resolve the situation. He said it seemed the problem was with my particular database and recommended that I speak with their database maintenance group. He e-mailed my database to them and asked me to fill out their online form. What he failed to tell me was that they charge for this service. Since this problem manifested when I upgraded to their new version and added an additional license, I took issue with that. So after wasting over four hours on the phone, I wasn’t any closer to resolving the issue. Moreover, the tech changed many settings on my computer to try and improve its processing efficiency even though the problem wasn’t with my computer, it was with the program.
Twice during the call I suggested getting another tech on the phone that may be more familiar with this issue.
The next day, I was seeking one of two outcomes, fix the problem or give me a refund. I called sales reasoning that I could get to a manager quicker through the sales department than through service. When they answered, I immediately asked for a manager and told them I had already spent way too much time trying to debug the program and was not about to spend any more time with a lower level tech. I asked for their highest level tech and they granted my request. Twenty minutes later my problem was fixed and now ACT runs faster than ever! I suggested they train their level I techs on this issue to minimize situations like this.
A few days later my assistant could not open her Microsoft Outlook (#&%#^#!*%)! We eventually fixed it, but she lost a lot of her personal data! Fortunately, our business data was preserved. Oh, I also had an issue with Excel which reformatted a lot of cells (which were not dates) to the “date” format.
Like I said, it was “the week from techell.”
Hope this week is better for me, and you . . .
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I was a big ACT fan for many years. Then, several years ago, I encountered some very big problems and ended up purchasing a program to export my ACT data to Outlook. Sadly, it was not possible to convert 100% of the ACT data so I lost a few things but learned a valuable lesson. When buying software make sure you can get your info out. All of it. Proprietary formats like ACT are essentially handcuffs. This is an issue not only if the software is unsatisfactory but also if the company goes out of business and no longer supports the product. Lesson learned. RM
I had similar difficulties in just getting an ACT upgrade up and going period. Then it ran slow as molasses in Vermont (I am in Southeast Texas where it is considerably warmer). ACT techs were of no help especially when ACT kept locking up and “not responding”. I finally paid $100 for a service to come to the office only to have them tell me I did not have enough RAM though I thought a gig was plenty when I bought the laptop. Now with 2.5 gig it runs faster and does not lock up as often. If I could go back to my old version I would because this current new version is not nearly as friendly as my old version, I would in a heartbeat. It will be a cold day in Southeast Texas before I upgrade again.
Mike,
As a long time Act! user (15? years) I am reading your post and feeling your pain. Act! can do wonders (like many CRMs) and your comments brought back memories of upgrading from Version 2? to 5.0?. It didn’t work as we couldn’t convert the database/complete disaster, no one would help/spent many hours being frustrated. Finally had to start over and enter in data again. Then when we upgraded to 6.0 and had all of the slowness issues and poor service again. Now they are up to 10.0 (or whatever they call it, Act! 2010?), and I am concerned about not wanting to wait to long to upgrade (so I still can convert) but as I actually have a stable platform and remember all of the problems you just described, being really nervous to change what isn’t broken.
We have so much data/history and time invested in Act!, customized it for us, that I am reluctant to leave (maybe that’s what they count on). It seems like its a good idea/product, but they sure can’t seem to provide good service without feeling you have been charged twice in the process. PS; send me the name of the higher level tech!!!
Best of luck, SCD.
Scott,
I don’t know the name of the tech. When I called, I was obviously fit to be tied and looking for a full refund or a solution. Also, I said I didn’t want to speak with a Level I tech! On the phone they told me that my situation had been elevated and they put a tech on the phone. I asked him what his title was and if he was the highest level tech they had. He said yes. It really works nice now, but not without some consternation. I plan to continue using ACT…that is until I find something I like better.
Mike,
I feel your pain.
When most folks think Tech Support, the basic survival instinct is to exhale a huge sigh of frustration and then make the dreadful phone call to Support.
We have all experienced it over and over. So much that I think we become conditioned to expect poor service from all Support teams.
There is a company called Junxure that also sales a CRM product and their Support team is one of the most qualified and customer focused groups you will ever find. (No level 1 – Level 2 games.)
What you experience with their support team will still bring about a huge sigh, but it will not be one of frustration. It will be the sigh of relief and satisfaction that someone finally gets it!
We are trying to run a business and don’t have time to be bounced around from level 1, to level 2 and then wait 1-2 days during the escalation of our issue. There are more choices out there for us and if you prefer the sigh of relief you should definately do some research on this group.
You won’t regret it.
All,
I have been an ACT! user since Version 1.0 in 1987. I upgraded through all versions until Version 6.0 then stopped as I was afraid of the loss of productivity that always occured with upgrades. I have been through the change of ownership of this software three times, and the tech support from this company is no better than that of the other two, including the original developer. In 2004 I decided to try SoftwareforAdvisors add-on, Scott Aboud in Atlanta (www.software4advisors.com), and found that he and his tech support person knew far more about the ACT! software than the ACT! techs did. I really liked his layout for folks like us, which eliminated the majority of my need for customized fields. Up to that point there had been many times I would have loved to migrate to something else, but could not find anything that offered enough benefit to make it worthwhile to go through the pain of making the move.
Then ACT! came out with 9, then 10 which was their V9 with a financial advisor set of fields of their own. I talked to Scott and he told me it would be a good upgrade, altough he did not understand that I was talking about V10 instead of V9 — bottom line, I upgraded to V10 which caused a little additional work to import the old data, but ended up working well. Since then I have updated to ACT! V11 with updated without difficulty.
Waiting to upgrade from V6 to V10 was a wise decision, and the reason is that now the database resides on a SQL server which is much faster and has far fewer problems than the old platform. I used Software4Advisors exclusively for help during the upgrades, and they were responsive and always knew the answer to how to fix a problem.
Perhaps this history will help someone in making a CRM decision.
Bill Fowler
A follow-up to my last post: If anyone is thinking of using ACT! for the first time, or, about upgrading from Ver 6, I recommend not buying the ACT! For Sage Financial Advisors version and instead using the Software4Advisors add-on. The cost may a little higher, however, the layout is better for the average financial advisor and it is an advantage having another tech support along with the ACT! tech support to help with problems, although I have been pleasantly surprised at the lack of problems since upgrading to the version on the SQL server platform.
Bill Fowler
I am an ACT! user. We still use ACT! 4.0. We started out with 2.0 so we have used it a long time. We have tried to do upgrades in the past and had huge issues so we stopped and just stayed with 4.0. Sad but true.
Seems silly to keep a ‘69 Belair when there are lots of advancements that have been made but it seems that the manufacturer keeps killing itself as the years roll along. Hmmm, maybe a GM company is a poor illustration on the day that GM killed SAAB and not long after the Saturn deal died as well.
If the shoes (no matter the version) fits, wear it.
Though I have considerable computer experience, I have learned to hire experts to guide me through upgrades, whether ACT! or other programs. I have three tech sources to keep us going: 1) An ACT! specialist 2) a local computer geek to keep us protected and updated generally 3) the tech department at my broker dealer.