Absolutely Zero Support. Disappointing...

Precisely, and one doesn't have to be an attorney -- or law student -- to figure out that possibility.

 

While there may be whiners and shills herein, as someone who is SELLING Parallels, I want to know that they respond immediately to customer emails.
A good response is an automated reply email with an attached/linked survey to ask questions about the issue the customer has. This can help break down the decision tree and give customer support REAL information about the issue before they respond personally. It is not cheap to do this, but not very expensive either.

Lots of CSR time is spent just learning what the customer's issue is. Automate that to some degree and you have more time for real issue resolution.
AND, the email response makes the customer feel like you are interested in their satisfaction.

Holding hands is necessary, even if you are an anti-people person or company.

 

This is a community forum. The community is here to help everyone out. If you need to email Parallels directly, then do so. .... but don't complain about the forum here. The vast majority of users (and I mean VAST) have no issues with installing and using the software. When in doubt, read the manual. Beyond that, post your exact configuration here and what you specifically are having trouble with, I'm sure people here could help you. Chill...it'll all work out.

 

Granted that there are still USB devices not supported, I've seen lots of progress made since I bought my copy last June and I'm pretty happy about the improvements so far. It's getting more usable and reliable most of the time. Stores like macconnection also have parallels free after rebate deals that the rebate covers the cost of buying parallels, so there is no reason not to get one. To me, parallels is one of the best things using an Intel Mac.

 

First let me clarify one thing, I run parallels happily on a daily basis, and have had only had one instance where I emailed the support team regarding a problem I was having (with a release version) and never got a responce. As it turned out installing a newer beta build solved my problem so even though I never got an answer to my support request the problem was happily fixed.
Second let me make it clear that I am not a shill for the competition (I wont even dare utter their name in this forum again) or anything like that. I think the fact that I'm giving Parallels constructive ideas pretty much eliminates from the rhelm of possibility that I'm a shill for the competition. Indeed as a happy user, I truly want Parallels to be the dominant player in this emerging field of mac virtulization and beat the pants off of the competition, but in the real buisness world where IT managers are given the choice of what software to buy and it is between two products, one with a great innovative cutting edge product with only email and forum support and another perhaps lesser product with enterprise level support, most of my collegues will choose the product with the better support options. For the early adopter market, which I think most of the folks in this forum are likely a part of, that level of support is unnecessary and this forum is adequate support. The only point I was trying to make was simply that if Parallels wants to be competitive in the enterprise market to compete with an established player they will need strong support offerings to really push enterprise IT managers away from the companry they know, to a relative unknown which has an innovative product. So I guess my earlier post and this one is just a clairification of some constructive criticisim and advice for a company I hope to see succeed because their dedication to innovating (in such short periods of time no less) has amazed me from day one of using their product.

-J

 

It sounds to me as if when people mention the competition, it's because they are frustrated that they aren't getting their expectations met and are trying to put a much pressure as possible on whoever they think might be able to help them. They aren't shills, they're frustrated.

One person who didn't get expected help in six hours (count 'em) posted that we all suck. Now there's the frustration of unmet expectations coming out in a big way, I suspect.

 

I occasionally mention the competition when they are an example of an interesting, better, or more complete way of doing what we expect from Parallels. If I weren't familiar with that product I might never recognize some things I see in Parallels as targets for improvement. This in no way is an endorsement of the other product. The two companies are on different time lines in the development cycle and also have independent priorities as to what they're doing and as a result their successes and where they excel, leap ahead, or fall behind change over time.

As a consumer, having experience with multiple vendors is an excellent way to be a smart consumer. I expect by spring time to start seeing 'shoot-out' comparisons in the print and online rags comparing Parallels and Fusion from VMWare. For now we have only our own experiences to rely on and share.

This is quite a different thing than actively advocating the competition's product here which is wrong in the same way that bringing your pizza into a Chinese restaurant is wrong. I was in one of my favorite biker bars a few days ago and saw this exact thing happen - you'd think there are some things people shouldn't have to be told. Anyway - there is too much sensitivity to mentioning VMWare and that is too bad. I've never been a big fan of the mushroom theory of dealing with people and their attempt to make sense of their purchases.

 

Yes, expectations and misunderstandings can create quite a bit of confusion and consternation. And whether or not anyone is a shill, they can be frustrated -- and vice versa.

Beta and RCs are not -- and should not -- be used for deployed systems or mission critical situations. Expecting them to have that level of stability is certainly inappropriate.

 

Nice non-sequitur.

Apparently it takes a law student to presume that, because a certain build of software works well on some machines, it works on all of them.

Thankfully one of the devs posted here to resolve the issue.

Best of luck in Las Vegas Downstairs Law College.

 

Complaints are valid...

Hi drval,

I am sorry to report that this is not a beta vs release version issue. I purchsed 3 copies of Parallels in the box from a local computer store and registered them all. Since December 30th I have posted 4 support requests and for each recieved a automated reply that a support representive would get back to me within three days. None were ever answered.

I even broke down and sent a message directly to "Ben" from the offical Paralle's Blog explaining the above. No response there either. I tried to call their sales department as well to see what was up. Got voice mail. No return call.

So, I think these users out here have some pretty valid complaints.

Just for the record, my questions revolved around configuring Parallels to open back and forth in Full Screen mode via a key stroke into Windows or Mac without showing the Parallels window. I demostrate oour cross platform software at various conventions. While going to Windows works well, coming back is a multi step processes that looks combersom to the person I am shwing the software to. I was hoping for a solution to this. Next show is in 2 1/2 weeks. Would like to iron this out by then.

I just discovered this forum today. Maybe I can get some help here. I am also seeing the issue with tring to update my XP Pro OS to Vista. I hope someone can fiure that one out soon.

Mike

 

You obviously do not know the spelling of nor the use of the phrase non sequitur.

Also, I did not at any time state or imply anything with regards to software working well or otherwise.

My comment was and remains solely that to post threads about how you are not getting service, does not serve a productive function.

Now try and understand that simple context. Others have: I have high hopes for you. Do not disappoint.

 

Apologies for the hyphen. Didn't intend to throw you the mental curve ball.

non se·qui·tur ** **[non sek-wi-ter, -toor; Lat. nohn se-kwi-toor]
–noun

1.*a reply that has no relevance to what preceded it*
2.*(logic) a conclusion that does not follow from the premises



The inference (Users reporting their experiences and a lack of support are shills) does not follow from nor is it relevant to your premise (thousands of users** have no issues what so ever).

Your argument is neither valid nor sound. In fact, it is irrelevant.


**Should we assume you counted?

Unsupported presumption.
(No straw-man accusation of being "shills" this time?)

Actually it can (and did) serve a productive function.

This is one of the many functions commonly served by software forums.
In this instance, when the primary channels provided for support fail to function as intended, one must seek secondary means to achieve an end.

End users need the product to function as advertised.
Developers need feedback in order to improve performance and stability, even for benefit of "thousands of users with no issues what so ever".

The Parallels developers acknowledged the issue and provided a potential solution by posting to this thread.
Apparently, not everyone shares your perspective.

Additionally, I didn't see a post in this thread in which a user "solely posted about how they were not getting service".

The posters experiencing issues (generally) report that ->t hey paid for the SW -> experienced issues -> contacted support -> received no reply. At that point, issues were posted here.

I wonder how many users or potential users are lost when support functions fail and they do not receive a solution because they don't post their issues to the support forums.

I've seen other threads that seem to meet your criteria, perhaps you might seek one of those?


Either way, problem solved.

cheers

 

:::yawn:::

 

":::yawn:::"

Ditto.....

DD

 

I got an answer form "upstairs" a while ago :

http://forums.parallels.com/thread8230.html

 

By now I think (hope?) that most realize there was some sort of unintended disconnect.

Most would like the company to prosper. The SW fills a much needed niche.

Thanks for posting this Mephisto.

 

It seems to me pretty likely that the "disconnect" was their fairly determined pursuit of RC2, which was just releasted.

 

And the love fest continue:
http://forum.parallels.com/thread9710.html

 

Count me in.

Maybe we need a another thread to see how many will "jump boat" and let them know?