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KrisR1-Visitor
1-Visitor
May 15, 2012
Question

PTC has not lost its way; they've lost everything

  • May 15, 2012
  • 5 replies
  • 9115 views

I'm experiencing a great deal of frustration today.......I've had a BUSINESS CRITICAL support case in for ELEVEN days. It took two days to get me the NDA paperwork, only after I asked for it. It took another day after that to get log in info for the secure FTP site. I haven't heard back from the support tech since last Thursday.

I'm speechless, dumbfounded and astounded. I've used VAR's and support on other softwares.....NEVER has it been this bad.....NEVER. This is just LUDICRIOUS.

I copied Lyn Atkinson about this issue as well as Mark Hodges. I swear upon my heart that I will NEVER accept another position in any company that uses PTC products, nor will I ever recommend PTC to any company that I know.

I'm done with PTC. They have shown me nothing but poor and untimely support, with techs that do not know of what they speak, and cannot speak the English language so I can understand them. I am DONE. Stick a fork in me.

      5 replies

      K
      KshetrabasiMaha1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      May 15, 2012

      Hi

      This is not rare for PTC Support.

      One of our Case got resolved after Almost two and half month.

      There were more than 5 webex sessions.

      But the case was resolved.

      All depends how complecated the case is and who is handling the case.

      Regards

      K.Mahanta

      K
      KrisR1-VisitorAuthor
      1-Visitor
      May 15, 2012

      I really don't care if this is rare for PTC support, and please don't take my tone as directed towards you.

      This IS rare from other tech support groups I have had the pleasure of working with. Once PTC realizes this, and realizes that customers will leave for better support as well as a company that listens to the users, they will be better off.

      K
      KrisR1-VisitorAuthor
      1-Visitor
      May 15, 2012

      So I get a call from a new tech........and he says he has this morning free to work on it.

      NO reply from Mark, NO reply from Lyn and NO reply from Harish (tech support manager). No apology, no nothing.

      I'm saying no too.

      D
      DonRiley1-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      May 15, 2012

      Keep the pressure on but take courage. Consider this though...I have scores (almost 30) of logged SPR's with another CAD company that have not been solved for more than one year. I can contact the VAR but they can't really solve it once it is listed as an SPR and I can't contact the CAD company directly. At least with PTC you can contact them directly.

      Just remember that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence...the well known CAD program I am using now is a nightmare for large assemblies and crashes on a regular basis, a problem that Pro/E does not have. No inspite of the shortcomings of tech support I would still take Creo any day.

      Anyway take courage

      Patriot_1776
      Patriot_177622-Sapphire II
      22-Sapphire II
      May 15, 2012

      I wouldn't take creo any day, but I'd take Pro/E.

      K
      KrisR1-VisitorAuthor
      1-Visitor
      May 16, 2012

      Heard from Paul Lenfest, VP of Worldwide Tech Support, this morning. He outlines some additional steps that can be taken to escalate a support case to get the resolution that you feel you deserve.

      If you have a case that is not getting the resolution that you feel it should, follow these steps to escalate:

      1. If emailing tech engineer, as to have their manager call/ email you
      2. Call the toll free number, press zero, and enter case number. Ask operator to speak to the tech engineering manager for the tech engineer
      3. Log on to the online support site, and in the “Call Tracker” log, there is an escalate button

      He mentioned to me that it is very unusual for someone to publically express their dismay in PTC's tech support. I told him that MANY people are dismayed at it; they just do not make it known publically.

      Folks, if you want change, you have to ask for it; demand it sometimes. I'm not one to have our company pay for a maintenance package and then receive inferior support. Take PTC to task if you feel that you are not getting what you need.

      I also had an email from Mark Hodges this morning, stating that this would be taken up with the support management team and they would let me know the outcome.

        P
        PaulLenfest1-Visitor
        1-Visitor
        May 16, 2012

        Thanks, Kris. I also described these case escalation options in Mark Hodges' Voice of the Customer Blog last year along with additional details on how we respond to and use that feedback to improve:

        http://communities.ptc.com/blogs/markhodges/2011/01/14/ptc-technical-support.

        Kris, our team will also be following up with you in the next days on the specific cases you and I discussed on the phone this morning.

        Paul Lenfest

        K
        KrisR1-VisitorAuthor
        1-Visitor
        June 1, 2012

        I heard from Paul yesterday, so I will update.

        When calling in before 8AM EDT, there is no way to get to a PTC operator when you already have a case number assigned. You will have to wait until after 8 to press zero and reach an operator. PTC will address this when they do a phone upgrade in the next year or so. Their goal is to have the ability to reach an operator at any time of the day. They were unaware of the issue.

        NDA paperwork being sent out to people that request it will be faster, as well as getting log in info for the secure PTC FTP site.

        The amount of time taken to solve my critical case issue was unacceptable, both to me and the PTC staff. This has been addressed with the tech engineers.

        Ability to understand the techs is an ongoing process, as they are tested and certified to be "understandable" before they are allowed to be in the phone cue. Some retraining has happened with some of the techs I have had for support cases.

        All in all, I feel that PTC does want to know when things go wrong so they can be addressed. But THEY NEED TO KNOW. If you are unhappy with the support, escalate your issue and speak with a manager. In a previous post in this thread I laid out how that can happen. Please let PTC know.

        B
        BrianMartin13-Aquamarine
        13-Aquamarine
        June 7, 2012

        Hi Kris...

        I completely feel your pain here. Nothing you said was out of line. Nothing you said was incorrect. The only difference between us... is that I love PTC products and I really don't want to use anything else. So I want to hammer this issue so the support gets better (at least to the level of other CAD software companies), not run away because support is so abismal.

        I don't blame you for being ticked off. My best advice is the same I'd give for anyone having a problem in any facet of life. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. I personally don't like being "squeaky" but for a business critical issue, I'll do whatever it takes. Call them, write them, demand your call get elevated. Be a thorn in the side and you can usually get someone's attention.

        I once wrote a scorching email that got so much attention, I started getting called from PTC executives. My letter made it to the top of the food chain. Ultimately my issues were heard... and today I'm in the same room as some of the people who responded to that barn burner of an email. Things CAN change. It's sad that we have to fight for that change as hard as we do... but you CAN make yourself heard.

        Good luck... if there's anything I can do to help in a situation like this, please feel free to call or write. Sometimes, given my "employer", we have some back channels we can utilitze to get the proper phones ringing a bit faster than going through the normal methods. I'm here to help... don't be shy about asking!

        Thanks!

        -Brian

        K
        KrisR1-VisitorAuthor
        1-Visitor
        June 8, 2012

        Oh, I'm never shy... Thanks for the offer!

        P
        ptc-47660991-Visitor
        1-Visitor
        July 15, 2013

        Oh Kris,

        I know exactlly how you feel.

        I have reluctantly switched from SolidWorks to Pro-E/Creo, or whatever it's called this week. I am sick of being routed to India EVERY time I call for Tech support. I worked thru a re-seller for tech support with S/W for ten years and alwys spoke to someone who spoke perfect english, and had issues resolved in <5 minutes.

        People who like Pro-e talk about it being able to handle more difficult modeling. Who cares about that, if you can't even get the simplest things done easily.

        Everything about Pro-e is painful... And if I wanted pain, I'd stick my head in a vice..

        Still pullin my hair out with PTC

        D

        R
        rohit_rajan15-Moonstone
        15-Moonstone
        July 16, 2013

        be carefull of what you speak David....we Indians are very proud off ourselves...do not blame it on us..and we surely speak much better english than you..if that is what you want to hear!...do not divert the topic of discussion....

        and yes Pro/E is much better than solidworks..which is nothing but a glossy copy of Pro/E..!

          V
          vzak12-Amethyst
          12-Amethyst
          October 15, 2013

          +1 ... on both items 😉

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