Introduction: Video Vision products are extremely stable and require extremely low support levels. Therefore, to date customer's interest in the traditional emergency support telephone channel has not been sufficient to make a telephone support service viable and all Video Vision support and enquiry handling is currently conducted via email. Customer's needs are of of course the prime factor in deciding all Video Vision offerings and therefore if customer interest reaches sufficient levels Vision Forecasting will introduce a phone support service. Reasons behind the email only support policy: Product stability - Video Vision products are designed to be and are in practice extremely stable. In general they require very low levels of support - it is not uncommon for a customer to comment when making their renewal that they have not had to contact support in the entire duration of the previous support period. This is illustrated by the following customer comment: “Thanks for the information about support and upgrades entitlement… using Video Vision Plus for the past 10 months has been non-eventful, which is a testament to how good of a product it is. Since the current version I am using (7.0.19) offers everything I have needed to run the video store, I didn’t see it necessary (back in April) to continue the upgrades entitlement. However, my current video store is doing very well and I am looking at expanding to an additional 2 more locations over the next couple months. When those go through, I will be needing to purchase more licensed versions at that time.” - Bob Virgil - Anaheim, Canada Further Video Vision user comments may be seen by clicking HERE. Low initial purchase cost - the current email only policy is one of the key factors that allows a single terminal license for Video Vision Plus to be sold at $499 with 6 months support AND upgrades included. Competitor's products can retail at over $2000 for a single terminal license and usually offer a maximum 3 months (often just 1 month) of program support with purchase. Low annual support cost - the cost of annual support for Video Vision products is typically several times lower than for competitive software and also include a low-cost option to include upgrades to new releases. The annual support entitlement for Video Vision Plus currently costs just $150 for a single terminal license (including prompt payment discount). Competitor's phone support extensions typically cost between $600 and $1500 per year. Customer driven - the most important factor is customer opinion. Whilst it is not uncommon for potential customers to be hesitant pre-purchase about relying on email only support, feedback provided by existing Video Vision users has consistently indicated that they wish continue with the successful and effective email only support option rather than pay the higher costs associated with phone support. If at any stage in the future customer interest reaches sufficient levels Vision Forecasting will naturally respond to these wishes and introduce a phone support option. Highly qualified support personnel - the efficiency of email means that the person answering your Video Vision support enquiry will be highly skilled and know the program inside out - not just the interface but the underlying program code as well. The inefficiency of phone support lines means that they are invariably manned by staff with a far lower level of expertise and product knowledge. Quality service - Despite the efficiency savings provided by email only support feedback has also indicated that Video Vision customers in general feel that the email support provided by Vision Forecasting is superior not only in value but also in quality and speed when compared to the support desk services provided by other software companies. Easy assimilation of step by step information - many Video Vision support enquiries receive detailed step by step instructions which can be assimilated at your own pace without pressure. Flexible response hours - The flexibility of Video Vision email support means that responses to support requests can be made accross a broader time period that also includes limited support at weekends. Telephone support lines are normally limited to 9am-5pm Monday to Friday - therefore if your system goes down at 6pm on Friday and you are relying on office hours phone support line it is possible that you could be without your software for the entire weekend. Delivery of utilities - many support cases require attachments/utilities to be sent as attachments or download links - this is not possible via a telephone line. Historical record - emails can be printed or stored electronically giving you easy reference to instructions or information previously received from Video Vision support rather than having to rely on a set of hastily scribbled notes from a phone conversation. Feedback The support options offered for Video Vision products is under continual review and you are invited to given your opinion regarding the support options you would like to see offered. Your feedback on this subject - being a current customer or a potential customer - is most valued and most sincere thanks are offered in advance for taking the time to convey your opinions: To register your interest or express a view regarding phone support please use the submission forms.