( ESNUG 366 Item 1 ) --------------------------------------------- [02/23/01]
Subject: ( ESNUG 365 #3 ) Another Customer Pissed About Synopsys Hotline
> Synopsys used to have a maintenance option that allowed customers to pay
> for software updates & Solvit access. This was significantly cheaper than
> paying for full support. Synopsys no longer offers that option and with
> the increase in tool prices my maintenance bill is up almost 60%. I don't
> understand why I should pay for services I don't use. Calling the
> Synposys hotline is useless. All they do is ask for a test case and file
> a STAR. And the FAEs who are any good work for the consulting group and
> Synopsys charges $$$$ for their services. I haven't heard many complaints
> on this. Is everyone else OK with this?
>
> - [ I Am Sparticus ]
From: [ Rage Against The Machine ]
Hey John,
I'm pretty sure that the problems that people have with Synopsys support is
one of those things that have people so pissed off that nobody has the
energy to talk about it anymore. Not getting decent answers or fixes from
the Synopsys hotline is just something users have come to expect. Perhaps
we don't want to bring up the topic because we're all too embarrassed
that Synopsys somehow got us to pay out the nose for their crappy service.
As far as my own experience, I will call the hotline only as a last resort.
When a problem or an issue has everyone in the office stumped, when I can't
get in touch with our local AE, and when I've exhausted every other option,
I'll end up saying to myself, "Aw, what the hell, maybe they can actually
help me with this one".
Nope. I'd have to say that in nearly every case, my call or e-mail to
Synopsys support personnel has resulted in one of the following ways:
o "No sir, you are wrong. I won't explain why, because you'd probably
catch a flaw in my logic. Can I please close this issue?"
o "I need you to spend the next 8 hours of your life putting together a
very large and cumbersome testcase for me, which probably won't give
me any more insight than I already have. Can I please close this
issue?"
o "I'll have to get back to you on that one, I'll call you back in 30
minutes"... (one month later)... "I was just checking to see if that
problem you had was resolved. Can I please close the issue?"
o "Yes, I think you've found something there. I've submitted a STAR that
will have you up and running again whenever we get around to fixing
that bug. Can I please close the issue?"
o "Yes, that may be an obvious bug, but that's just the way it is, and
nothing can change it. I'll close the issue for you now."
I may have sounded overly sarcastic there, but all of the situations I
described above have happened to me at one point or another. I'm thinking
that these guys only get paid if they can get PRs closed in less than 5
minutes. Anything they are presented with that might take more than a
day to resolve just isn't worth it to them.
Spartacus, you're not alone.
Please take my name off this, John, as there are still a few good Synopsys
FAEs out there who can help me.
- [ Rage Against The Machine ]
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