The Future of Helpdesk

Hi all I dont know if you have seen the post by Rob of Trainz Team.
but to give a shortened version
Quote Technical support will now be limited to TRS2006 and later versions of Trainz only.
Where questions relate to earlier versions of Trainz, customers will generally be directed to use the Trainz Forum for answers.
In my opinion this is a big mistake, there are a lot of users that dont have TRS2006 or T.C and need the same sort of Technical support that the team will now only give to 06 or TC.
As a Betta tester for the SP2,SP3 and SP4 service packs for 04 and a DLS contributor I say that the technical support should not be diminished.
A lot of content is still being done for 04 and with it the need for support should continue.
Here is a link to the full post http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=21235

So what do you propose they do, given the current number of staff?

What happened to all the other staff?

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=19706

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=19926

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=19927

You didn't read all the news at the end of last year??

Obviously not..
Thanks 4 links.

robin-hoods,

I would not think they would discontinue support for 2004 along with 2006 and TC. I can understand prior versions, as I believe the numbers are dwindling and almost everything would be almost certainly have been addressed on the Forums ?

I would not give it too much concern, we are all going to have to fend for ourselves (the community), until things begin to "look up" !
And/or take a total ------- !

My thoughts ---DLR

I have TRS2004 and forum support is just fine.

I have TRS2004 and never had a technical problem that needed to be discussed with someone at Auran. The forum IS the best form of technical support from my experience. There are a lot of members who are glad to help. Have problem post it!

Natvander said:

So what do you propose they do, given the current number of staff?

Click to expand...

Farm it out to some call center in India?

Seriously, Robin Hoods is always helping folks who need it, and I have watched him toil away with no recognition for years answering questions about every version, versions I don't even remember the details of anymore! I would say he, more than anyone else has a good sense of just how much support the older versions require.

Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to change anything.

The new budget is going to impact some users, that's certain, and not In a good way.

Ed

...so what has changed?...

8) I have only once contacted helpdesk.

And do you know what my problem was?....my lack of experience with CIT.

Yes, I got help, but by thinking the problem through, and considering any changes I made to my computer via WindowsXP, searching the Auran Forum Community, and using Google to search definitions and such, I fixed the problem.

The Software Instructions, for Auran TRS, is thorough, and complete. I new this from the beginning. No question in my mind that Auran Games Rules!

I held out, even after I bought TRS2006, until the release of "The Loops" route, forced me to reinstall TRS2006, following instructions to the letter, written by AJ Fox, on my new computer, using Vista Home Premium.

I studied all the Third Party Websites I could find for answers to questions asked by the TRS Forum Community, and have no issue I cannot handle, using TRS2006.

I suggest anyone who is using any version prior to '06 to buy TRS2006 soon. All your present files, can be imported into '06.

backyard said:

8) I suggest anyone who is using any version prior to '06 to buy TRS2006 soon. All your present files, can be imported into '06.

Click to expand...

I disagree, Backyard. All creators should stay creating in '04, that way all versions of content can be seen and 'played' with.
If you're a creator, create in '04. If you're a player, use any version you feel comfortable with.

You don't have to create in any one version to make your creation compatible with a different version.
Ed

I think the change is reasonable. What issue other than a bad serial number or something related to the website couldn't be answered on the forum? The forum is a 24/7 helpdesk in just about any language.

Now if guests can't post then maybe a forum should be created for users who haven't registered yet. It would have to be moderated to keep spam out of course.

William

I'm a bit amazed they ever intended to keep offering tech support for a version now superceded by (at least) two versions.

Guess the issue is people with "Pride and Joy" Layouts in 2004 ... I have one ... But I never need any technical support for it (what's wrong with SP4?!) ... As said above, is there really any issues (other than bad CD) that "technical support" and not "user education" are required for?

Forums are for User Education - Technical Support is for broken products. And the answer to "broken product" (e.g. hypothetical: "won't run on Vista") is "buy a newer version".

One of the issues I always thought would arise with the (brilliant for users) Auran "business model" is that because we can all create content for free, one need not ever buy anything new ...

... not that the many companies who went down the "collectables" route ever made any money either

It might make a bit of sense to put up a dedicated TRS2004 (and earlier) forum, and auto-redirect TRS2004 HelpDesk to there, to make the policy clear (and easier for users to support other users).

(And I'd waffle on about the ending of free access to DLS ... and so on ... to improve the business model ... but it's lunchtime :udrool: )

pf

With other software packages the first support question is are you running the latest version?

Guess what the answer is if you are not.

I think it's reasonable.

Cheerio John

If you don't have TRS2006, you pry $10 out of that vice of a wallet and buy it. Now, I understand that some users prefer TRS2004 out of personal preference, and that's fine, just don't expect any support for it. At this point, there really shouldn't be any need for it anyway.

As for creating content, there really aren't any features of TRS2006 that don't work in TRS2004, however the content should be created in TRS2006 to ensure that it doesn't present any errors (as there are many things TRS2004 allows that TRS2006 won't), and then given a Trainzbuild of 2.4 to provide TRS2004 compatibility, if so desired.

Magicland said:

As for creating content, there really aren't any features of TRS2006 that don't work in TRS2004, however the content should be created in TRS2006 to ensure that it doesn't present any errors (as there are many things TRS2004 allows that TRS2006 won't), and then given a Trainzbuild of 2.4 to provide TRS2004 compatibility, if so desired.

Click to expand...

Precisely.
Ed

There seems to be a lot of if you havent got the latest version tough get it
If it wont work on your system tough go buy a new system.
I thought that when Aurun brought out these games they would run on most systems with the minimum of problems.
We are now in a position where a lot of users cant get 06 and CMP to work on their PCs.
I don't think this is just down to their systems but also with the way CMP and 06 works.
Now those of you with both 06 and 04 will know any layout ect made in 06 will not work in 04 and just changing the build number wont make it work either in fact no 06 content is backwards compatible without a lot of work being done to make it so.
You cant just stick 06 stuff into 04 and get it to work.
So just advising users to get the latest version is wrong and expecting it to work, because for a lot of users it wont

I would think that anyone who needs assistance with 04 or any other version can get it right here in this Forum. Call it support or whatever but it works.

Cheers

AJ

AJ_Fox said:

Call it support or whatever but it works.

Click to expand...

Call it community, AJ.

Other products don't even know what that concept means! :hehe:

Teaching the one who doesn't know is one of the universal common thoughts, and not necessarily coming from the original source, who can even teach less than the private eye . :hehe: Just a question of time committed to just playing and fixing! Is Adobe teaching me photoshopping? By no means at all! Not my intention or my wish, I prefer other private sources.

Alberte :wave:

I would like to remind everyone that there is also the IRC chat where there is almost always someone there who (at the very least) can point you in the right direction, and even share some laughs. There is a whole thread out there explaining the best ways to access the chat (so I won't go into that here) but if you are looking for a speedy response to your problem the IRC chat is probably the best place to ask.

peter