WestCode's response to InWords 1.1.1 message

[fadden@uts.amdahl.com (Andy McFadden)]

A lot of people like to blow off steam on c.s.a2, which is fine, but you have
to remember that there are PEOPLE behind the products that sometimes get
slammed.  WestCode has had a lot of bad P.R. lately because of slipped
schedules, which is understandable, but a few days ago they receieved some
rather harsh criticism over the InWords v1.1.1 upgrade for Apple //e owners.

I thought it would be interesting to get WestCode's perspective on the issue,
so I forwarded the posting to them.  They were a bit upset about how their
technical support has been received on this issue.

---------------------------------------------
The following is a long response by Tony Gentile of WestCode software
to a message about InWords 1.1 posted on June 22:

>Some time ago I posted two messages asking if //e owners were
>experiencing problems with InWords 1.1. I received the sound of one
>hand clapping i.e., nothing. 
>
>Turns out that there are problems for //e owners with RamWorks II/III
>boards. 
>
>[...]
>
>In any case, if you have a //e with the above boards there is a free
>upgrade to version 1.1.1. IF YOU NOTIFY THEM. 
>
>Do you find it ironic that these companies always ask you what
>hardware you have and yet when there is a problem with some
>combination they don't have a clue on who to send automatic upgrades
>to? 
>
>I was somewhat involved in that I lent a friend my RamWorks II board
>while he sent his RamWorks III to WestCode because they didn't have a
>source in all of California of a RamWorks II/III with which to test
>for his problem. This is the company that delayed for a year because
>they were "beta testing" the advertised FREE (only costs you $5)
>upgrade to version 1.1. 
>
>As far as I know, I've seen all mail from WestCode to my friend and to
>the present they have not REALLY thanked him for his persistence i.e.,
>"Select something from our catalog for your trouble and expense in
>finding a bug that is embarrasing to this company and which we denied
>its existence for many weeks until you beat us into accepting its
>reality." 
>
>>From my perspective, WestCode is not customer oriented. -- 
>
>                Joe Walters att!ihlpm!bird, NW 31-K14 (708) 224-7189 



Mr. Walters -

After reading your message, it is very apparent to myself and all
other Internet users that you have no concept of the software industry,
WestCode Software or the present state of InWords.

The problem that you mention regarding an Apple IIe with a RamWorks II/III 
card is, in fact, intermittent -- it does not affect all users with this 
configuration. If that had been the case, we certainly would have received a 
lot of calls. The problem was also related to the type of image being scanned.

The facts of this matter are that we were contacted by your friend when he
received his copy and was unable to use it. I personally spent several hours
attempting to duplicate the problem on our Apple IIe with a 1Mb RamWorks, 
with no luck. We then sent him a new disk, assuming he received
bad one. After he received it, he once again called us, letting us know that 
the problem still existed. By that time, we had heard from a second user, with
the same set of problems. At this point, we obviously had a problem, so we 
started to collect information on aspects of their hardware setups. 

Once we saw that both machines had a RamWorks card, we started looking for one
which was populated in the same manner as the one your friend was using.
Unfortunately, we were unable to locate one. Your friend OFFERED to send us 
his card, by FedEx, at our expense. We agreed, were able to duplicate the 
problem, and created InWords 1.1.1 in less than THREE days to fix the problem.

Version 1.1.1 is now available for free to all Apple IIe users who are 
experiencing difficulties. All they have to do is contact us. In your message 
you stated that this was unacceptable, and that we should [somehow] know who 
had an Apple IIe with a RW III card. We're no more telepathic than you are 
perceptive, Mr. Walters. To date, a total of five people out of the several 
THOUSAND who received the IW 1.1 upgrade have contacted us regarding this 
problem. Sending out new disks to all of our users, when less than ONE HALF OF
ONE PERCENT of our users are having problems is absurd. 

As far as not thanking your friend, nothing could be further from the truth --
just ask him. First off, I did personally thank him for his assistence. He and
I have been carrying on a conversation on AOL for quite some time now - I 
haven't noted any of the hostility that you show in him [why is that?]. He 
seems to be quite happy with the new version. Further, we never denied the 
existence of the problem - we were simply unable to duplicate it with our 
hardware confirguration. It's hard to fix something, if you can't make it 
break.  

Next your comments about the delays in beta testing InWords imply that we
intentionally withheld its release for some unknown reason. This is simply not
true. The software development process is a long and difficult one. I was 
personally responsible for the majority of the InWords testing process over 
the past year. InWords 1.1 is more than the promised free bug fix -- it is a 
complete rewrite of the program, with a dozen new features as well as a 
fantastic supplement manual.  

The fact that we charged $5.00 for shipping is not at all relevant. With the 
costs of the packaging and mailing alone, that $5.00 represents a substantial 
LOSS, not even considering the development time of the program or manual.

Finally, you state that "From my perspective, WestCode is not customer 
oriented." 

Why, because we identified a problem, and provided a quick and free solution?
Because we consistently turn out great products, with the best manuals and
support in the A2 industry? Because most reviews of our products mention our
fantastic customer and technical support? Because we're so confident in our
products, and put so much faith in the A2 community that all of our products 
are not only non-copy protected, but also come with a 30 day money back 
guarantee?

I hope you do a little fact checking the next time you decide to make 
groundless accusations on the Internet. Some of us get tired of reading 
letters written from an obviously distorted "perspective".

Tony Gentile, Support Manager
WestCode Software, Inc.

----- end of WestCode letter

-- 
fadden@uts.amdahl.com (Andy McFadden)
[ Above opinions are mine, Amdahl has nothing to do with them, etc, etc. ]