Don't mind me...I'm just standing in the corner blowing off steam... I guess BMC's initial response SLA (which is published on their website (1)) doesn't mean the bits and bytes they're coded with anymore... I put in an issue on 11/15 (as severity 4-Low)...and have yet to receive confirmation - 5 calendar days and counting...30 business hours and counting... I think I get better response from a mushroom. With the amount that we all pay for direct support...and the disregard for the advertised benefits in return for the paid maintenance fees...has anyone investigated about possible legal remedies/actions? Had I not known what's going on with support (by merely monitoring this list), I'd suspect there are some activities in fraud happening: Charge customer for a promised benefit/delivery...but fall way short of that benefit (if delivering at all.) Stepping back, doesn't it sound like something unintentionally fishy? I read (occasionally) that BMC is aware of the problem...but my huge question is: What's being done about it and when will it be implemented? I'm tired of waiting. My problems aren't getting solved (let alone responded to)...and the responses are mostly "Try this new patch that will be out next week. That might fix the issue." If anyone asked me about Remedy, I used to confidently say it's a phenomenal product and would recommend it highly. These days, the product is good, but with the current state of the support structure, I wouldn't give my recommendation anymore. It's abysmal. I work at a company that out-sourced first-line support (like many companies.) Our support numbers went into the tank (like most companies.) It got to the point where our customers were leaving faster than we were bringing in new. Management immediately reversed course and now we're back to an ideal situation. It seems to me the same needs to happen here. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of equally identical and powerful products like Remedy out on the market...and the cost to switch would be nearly prohibitive. My question is: How can we - as unhappy customers - initiate (or continue) the change? If we - as customers - continue to pay the yearly maintenance fees and continue to purchase the additional licensing to support growth of our applications, what benefit does BMC have to change the status quo of support? I can't see any...they'll continue to deal with the "squeaky wheels" and appease them -- all the while earning positive returns for the shareholders. (And who can blame them? As an investor [not of BMC, but generically], I don't care how a company is run...all I want to see is a dividend and a rising stock price.) On a side note: The company (and parent company) made a decision to use BMC support directly, moving away from a partner. Not my decision and I can't change it. Thank you for the solicitations to transfer support back to a partner, but the minds-that-be made their choices... I'm glad it's my Friday. J.T. Davies (1) http://www.bmc.com/info_center_support/overview/0,,19097_4736154_3948258 4,00.html
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