What is a VAR suppose to do? 1

[darnell]

I would like your opinion on what a VAR is suppose to do? I have posted questions here in the past as I can get a faster answer here then if I placed a phone call to the VAR. I have seen other posts where they say to ask your VAR but in general, we pay $1295 a year per seat to Solidworks and I am not sure what we are suppose to be getting for that.

Sorry if the question sounds stupid but thanks to those who give a sincere answer!

 

[Beggar]

My experience with our VAR is that it's very dependent on who actually answers the phone. Some of the folks there are totally dialed in while two that I've spoken to really need some help.

On the plus side, though, even when the person hasn't been able to help me "on the fly," they've always been able to call/e-mail me back with a response - usually within a couple of hours but sometimes it takes a day or two. It all depends on the complexity of my question.

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Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

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[aamoroso]

While your VAR is responsible to answere your calls, user forums and groups are not. We do not have to help, the Var has to help. You can ask your questions here and we can answer many of them but we can also ignore them. I don't think I have used my Var more than 2x's in the last 4 years but I feel better knowing they are there. I personally would not substitute user groups for a VAR unless budget was a serious problem. I usually only contact my VAR when I have a question or problem that needs to be addressed by the SolidWorks Corp, which my VAR can reach much easier than I.

 

[aamoroso]

I am sure Scott has something to say regarding this question.

 

[SBaugh]

When you pay that price you get:

1) Technical support from your VAR. Your VAR should be in almost direct contact with SW. Depending on their work load. I myself am a little overloaded due to the fact I'm a single person here and our customers continue to grow. But help is on the way... finally! If your VAR has only one person he/she might be in the same predicament as myself. No excuse, but still something to consider.

2) You get all the SP and major versions of SW, for that year that you paid your Maintenance.

3) Any issues that are holding you back or keeping you from doing your work, can only be escalated by your VAR. There cannot be a work around to enforce this procedure. (This may vary between VAR's)

4) Some issues that can be handled by VAR Tech support. can either be handled through an AE within the VAR (meaning they come out to help the customer with the issue). All other means have to be explored by VAR Support Team, before it gets to that. Or in a worst case... VAR Tech support could put you in direct contact with SW Tech support team.

The VAR should be your first line of contact. If you come out here and ask questions that your choice too. You can't blame your VAR for that. With you aksing questions out here your answer will probably be quicker because we (VAR) have a chain of coammnd that must be followed. But by asking out here your going to get a wide variety of people that may have dealt with the same problem as you or builds the same things as you do. Where as your VAR tech maybe knowledgeable about the software. He may not understand your question because he doesn't understand your line of work. Example I understand sheet metal in SW, but I don't understand in the real world applications. You have to realize not everyone does what you do. A lot of people take it for granted and think just because they are talking to me they think I understand what they do. That's not always the case. I have been around, but not every where.

This should also be considered when getting Tech support -

http://www.scottjbaugh.com/Tips_Tricks/Getting_Help_from_Tech_Support.htm

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

If you are in the SW Forum Check out the FAQ section

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[Standing]

Our VAR has never failed us in answering our questions. Does not mean I always like the answers. Also remember, you get upgrades with your subscription. SolidWorks also improves the product with the help of our subscription support.

Bradley

 

[SBaugh]

I would have posted earlier but the Cable man was here... and you know you can't pass up the cable man. "I have black bars on 2 and 7" (From the movie "Delirious" with John Candy).

While your VAR is responsible to answer your calls, user forums and groups are not. We do not have to help, the Var has to help. You can ask your questions here and we can answer many of them but we can also ignore them.

Good point about the NG's! That's what I wanted to say, but never made it there.

Thanks aamoroso ,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

If you are in the SW Forum Check out the FAQ section

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[darnell]

Thanks for the responses. In general, I did understand about updates, service packs and the support. I was asking about the level of support.

For instance, the cad support guy left our company. His duties of cad support are being absorbed by myself and another guy. We, along with our IT, have asked the VAR to come in and give us an overview of creating images, networking, and everything inbetween. I did not know if this was a part of the tech support we should be getting.

I believe the VAR has one AE and if they are out of the office, we may or may not get a call back and if we do, it might be two or three days later. This is why its easier to post a question here.

 

[Standing]

darnell,
I know everyone does not want to be a CAD support guy. I really try to encourage everyone to learn more that just the commands to get the job done. The excuse I always got was “I want to do SolidWorks without your buttons”. After the layoff those are the ones who are calling asking “How did you do that”. Then they ask for the code, which I give them.


Bradley

 

[SBaugh]

There is already a large amount of information out on the web about what you are already asking.

Images - Photoworks or screen shots - Depends on what your asking for. If your asking about photoworks then you need to go to training.

That is something I forgot to mention - Your VAR must have facility to do training in for their customers.

Networking - Don't use Novell, get a Windows 2000 server. Run a search here. This has been discussed within the last year or so. Search

http://www.google.com

under comp.cad.solidworks - As for your VAR they can only recommend what is the best out there if they know. It's not their job to tell you what to use. That a decision you have to make.

Everything in between - Training - If you need to know more about SW pay for the training or by some books and train yourself. You VAR Tech support is there to help with questions not to train you over the phone. Anytime I get lots of questions from user that are training questions I bring the salesmen in. I also make the user do it themseleves more often. This will make them learn to use the software and not rely on me for everything. If they go to training I usually don't hear much from them anymore. On occasion I do, but their questions are now harder. Which makes my job more fulfilling. You just have to understand VAR tech support is there to help not to train. If I was doing training I would expect a lot more money then what I'm getting now.

Tech support is harder then you think. I get the brunt of the POed people that call in. I get cussed when the program doesn't work like they think it should. Sometimes it's irritating and sometimes it's funny (To keep from screaming ). Most of my customers are cool ones. I have only a few I'm not crazy to hear from. But it's my job and I try to help all my customers just the same no matter who or what the problem is. My only complaint now is I can't give the attention to my customers like I would like to, being the only open here. Some of the big jobs I don't have alot of time to work on. So it's a pressing job. You guys have products you have to get out the door. I have to get the Software working or find a workaround ASAP to help you get to the market faster. We all have to work together and we can make it happen.

I have been on the end of getting support, now I'm on the end to give it. I hope that if I change jobs I'll have a Tech support Technician help me out like I liek to think I help mine. I'll bend over backwards if I can to help them out.

All and all - Be nice and calm before you call your TS. You will get a lot better response back. Believe me... I have talked to a lot TS people in my time and this has been handed down to me, and I'm handing out to you all. Just be nice because the person on the other end might be someone you have to talk too for something you want some day... Just a thought.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

If you are in the SW Forum Check out the FAQ section

To make the Best of Eng-Tips Forums FAQ731-376

 

[MadMango]

I miss the days of being able to call SW directly for help (back when I first started using SW96). But a users benefit of the VAR depends grealy on the VAR. Meaning some are going to be better than others, and some much better than others.

Remember, you always have the freedom to change VARs if your current one is not living up to your expectations (at least I think this is the case) and it's geographically possible.

Ray Reynolds
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
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[TZellers]

Well just like most other products that are sold thru a resller network, some good some bad.

Some are truly VARs, some just Rs.

I've been using IV since 4 and SW since 2003 over a period of 4 years. I haven't found much help from the VAR. For instance, when I tackled drawing a pump volute in these programs, it was the ADesk support forum that really shined. The VAr couldn't get there. That is one thing I miss about IV.