Informix support: Where are you?

In some previous articles, Mr. Hogg has complained about being told that Informix knows about a bug, but hasn't fixed it yet, and doesn't know when it will be fixed... In article <1992Apr24.130830.501@halexv.uucp> greg@halexv.UUCP writes: >>In article <1992Apr22.123342.492@halexv.uucp> greg@halexv.UUCP (Gregory F.> Hogg) writes: >>}Let me restate my position on INFORMIX tech support. I understand >>}that they can not allways drop what they are doing and fix the bugs I >>}find. Thats just not going to happen. >> > My clients pay me to fix there >problems. They have never liked my answers that INFORMIX can not >help us and we will just have to wait for the next version. The next >question they ask is why do they pay you money for tech support if the >answer is to wait for the next version? My answer is that to get the >updates they need INFORMIX requires maintaince. I suggest that you remind your clients that there are a lot problems that can't be solved overnight. It seems that you are giving them the impression that these bugs are inconsequential. Perhaps you aren't aware of that, but you are. Why else would they feel that paying for tech support will fix all their problems immediately? I don't think they'd have that impression without your help. I don't mean to pry, but do you provide programming services to your clients? If you do, aren't you in the same boat as Informix when one of your customers comes up with a bug that you know about but haven't had the time or resources to fix? The search for a major bug in even a medium-size program can take days, even months. Then there are the decisions to make about how to fix it, which again may not be obvious. Even with today's object oriented methods there is no guarantee that the fix to the bug will not introduce more problems than it solves. Tack on the time and money needed for thorough testing, and you have a pretty good idea of why maintenance of code is always more expen- sive than its creation. Since Informix is no small program by anyone's measure, you can imagine the time involved in finding and extinguishing a logic error that is not readily apparent. If you do not provide this service for your clients, you are doing them a dis- service when you imply that Informix is at fault for not fixing "your" problem in a few days. Since you don't have access to Informix's inner workings, and you have no experience with the design-implement-release-maintain cycle, all you can offer them is speculation about why Informix has not provided them with a solution. Please note that I am writing this in response to the article in which you have found out about the update-only maintenance service, and I am fully aware that your beef is not with Technical Support. I am trying to explain to you that carping about being told by a software developer that they know about a problem but they don't know when it will be fixed is a no-win situation. You will not get the problem fixed any sooner and you will not make your customers any happier. You will be seen as El gringo con boca gigante y no saber by both the developer and the customer, though. If Informix is creating such a problem for your business that your customers are unhappy, wouldn't it make more sense to find their competitor and see if they have a better solution? I can guarantee you that your customers will vote with their dollars, so why shouldn't you? If you can not find a suitable substitute, it still makes more sense to have good relations with Informix, so you can be well informed about their developments. You might even be able to develop your status with them to the position of beta customer. I've never been one for Informix, but I can tell you that beta sites in general receive better treatment than the general customer, simply because they are closer to the development process. The bottom line is that getting steamed at your business partner only makes business worse. --- Racists think the world is flat. [Ralph Alves, 1992] Juan@Noyles.pha.pa.us