( ESNUG 291 Item 5 ) ----------------------------------------------- [5/27/98]
Subject: ( ESNUG 290 #6 ) Hotline's English & Synopsys Skills Lacking
> I am getting really fed up with the Synopsys hotline. Invariably I call
> with a problem and talk to someone who is a poor communicator and who
> seems to have little practical experience with Design Compiler (thankfully
> I am using mainstream tools). I don't understand how Synopsys can accept
> putting someone on the hotline who has trouble communicating verbally and
> in writing. In the last ten years I have worked with engineers who were
> born in India, China, Ireland, U.K., Malaysia, Israel, the former Soviet
> Union, Taiwan, and the U.S. and none has had as much trouble communicating
> as some of the folks on the Synopsys hotline. Once I do get through to
> people they seem to be little more than grunts who need a test case to
> reproduce my problem. I have not found engineers who can take a problem
> description and hypothesize causes and/or solutions. Most don't even try.
From: [ Father Knows Best ]
I concur 1000%! I avoid the hotline and use the Solvit submittals. Although
response times range from a record 4 hours to 36 hours. I also have to
describe the problem in the same manner that I describe things to my 8 year
old son. I always assume that the support personnel have NEVER designed a
circuit in their life and don't have a clue as to what the tools are for.
If I give them sufficient information for the error to be reproduced, they
will then locate a knowledgable engineer to get a resolution. After another
couple of e-mail exchanges I can usually even get them to file a STAR. It
appears to be official Synopsys policy that if a work-around can be found,
then the problem does not need to be fixed!
In short, Synopsys support sucks like a category 5 tornado.
Obviously, I need to be annonymous to keep even the trivial level of
support from Synopsys.
Thanks for all of your effort in running this unbiased Synopsys forum!
- [ Father Knows Best ]
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From: [ Lawrence of Arabia ]
John,
In response to ESNUG 290 #6, I agree 100% with the writer. I have the same
problem with the hot line. It takes a lot of effort and time to explain the
problem and let them understand the issues. When they do understand,
sometime the problem is worst by trying to understand what they are saying.
I guess that is enough, all I want to say is that, I share the frustration
with the writer. Just for the record I am not fluent in english language
either but I am not answering phones.
Pleae keep me anonymous,
- [ Lawrence of Arabia ]
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From: [ Abe Lincoln Wannabe ]
Hi, John,
Please keep me anonymous.
I AGREE, but Synopsys is not the only offender. Cadence is worse by my
experience. Worse than their command of English is the lack of real
understanding of the tools. Most of these guys have never done a real
design, and don't know why anyone would even care. Often they relay
messages from customer to factory and back along with a liberal dose of
translation noise (in both directions). Most effective engineers find
other ways to deal with EDA vendors to get around the so called support
centers.
QUESTION: How should an EDA vendor distinguish novice user questions
from experienced users with serious technical bugs?
Also, how much would we the EDA tool using community be willing to pay for
support personel with real knowledge and a good command of communications?
- [ Abe Lincoln Wannabe ]
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