This doesn't go with the subject line!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Powers, Terry \(NIH/OD/DEAS\) [E]"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "Braillenote List" <[email protected]
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2006 14:41:40 -0400
Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Disappointed with Humanware Tech
Support
Hi Chris;
The Braille Mate is a note taker with a Braille keyboard and if I
remember right, about a 3 cell display. I was wanting a Braille
and
Speak at the time this thing got dumped on me, and as you can
guess, did
not have the money for it. I was happy to have something, so I
said
nothing. I knew nothing about the system and to this day, do not
remember how it even works.
I do not even think they are even on the market today.
Terry Powers
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Hallsworth [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 11:57 AM
To: Braillenote List
Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Disappointed with Humanware Tech
Support
Well I have cerebral palsy, which of course can cause memory
problems,
so yeah, menus or letter navigation is an excellent feature of
Keysoft.
Can I ask what is the Braille Mate? Just curious. I heard
Window-Eyes
supports it, but that's about all I know. Thanks.
Powers, Terry (NIH/OD/DEAS) [E] wrote:
Hi Mary and Others;
Just like the days when I was training on a Braille mate and did
not
have a good teacher. Then we found errors in the manual. It
made me
just give up. At that time, I had not even been asked what
device I
wanted. It just came with my new computer, or you might say, it
was
dumped on me. I think they were trying to get rid of them.
It is just sitting...
I love my M-power and the logic behind it. I am thankful for
the
choice
to use menus or letters. Menues cuts down on what commands I
have to
memorize. Those out there, with memory problems, I am sure will
know
what I am talking about.
I have not had any problems with customer service, but I have
only
used
them 2 or 3 times. A tole free number sounds like a great idea.
Three chears for Humanware and also Roger Bemm!
Where are you Roger. You have been rather quiet, lately.
Did not find you at convention. Miss you!
Terry Powers
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Ward [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 12:13 AM
To: 'Braillenote List'
Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Disappointed with Humanware Tech
Support
Richard:
I wonder if articles about our problems with bad tech support
could be
published in consumer publications like Braille Monitor and
Braille
Forum, also by AFB publications.
A few years ago, I remember there was an article in the Braille
Monitor
about companies who sold very expensive Braille displays,
Braille
note-takers and Braille embossers but didn't provide any Braille
documentation for their products. There were a few companies
that did
provide Braille documentation, but the quality of the Braille
was so
bad
that it was almost as if they were thumbing their noses at us.
Suddenly, after this article, these companies decided that
Braille
documentation was important after all.
I don't remember the year or month of this article, but I
remember its
effect.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of
Richard
Ring
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 2:51 PM
To: Braillenote List
Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Disappointed with Humanware Tech
Support
First impressions mean a great deal.
I can tell you horror stories about every company in the
blindness
field. I have said it before, and I will say it again; if the
companies
who sell these products were in a mainstream business, they
would have
gone belly up a long time ago. For the most part, none of them
provide
first class service, they do not provide first class customer
support,
and they do not seem the least bit interested in improving upon
this.
And now ladies and gentleman, here's the reason why. If you
have
purchased a Pac Mate, or a Braillenote, it is highly unlikely
that you
will suddenly be able to afford to purchase the other product.
In
other
words, if you've had had a difficult time with Freedom
Scientific,
chances are you will not be able to simply go out and purchase a
Braillenote. And the reverse is also true. These devices are
too
costly, and the majority of the purchases are made by state and
Federal
agencies in the United States and the companies who are not
providing
first class technical support and first class repair services
don't
have
to change anything because people are still purchasing their
products.
What is needed is some way to make all of the companies in this
field
feel that they are indeed accountable. If a car manufacturer
produces
bad cars, the news media are on it like flies on dead meat.
Unfortunately, when we deal with products whose total market is
probably
less than one per cent of the population, that isn't going to
happen.
I
am not damning or praising any particular company here, I am
stating
that in this man's opinion none of the companies in this field
are
providing either technical support and/or customer service at a
level
that reflects much respect for their customer base. No one
should be
told that a call will be returned and then no call is ever
received.
I
have also seen cases where individuals call a company and
receive
conflicting information. The only way I believe that this
situation
will ever change is if an independent group of individuals from
state
and Federal agencies and consumer organizations and other
interested
parties forms and attempts to monitor the kind of service that
customers
are receiving from these companies. Perhaps such a watch dog
group
could publish newsletters discussing the kind of service people
are
receiving. Without such a mechanism in place, we always receive
second
class service from all of the companies in this field.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of
Milissa
Garside
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 9:00 AM
To: Braillenote List
Subject: [Braillenote] Disappointed with Humanware Tech Support
Hi Everyone,
For those of you on the list who live in the united states, what
has
your
experience been with Humanware tech support? I have called tech
support
out
in California several times regarding a battery issue with my
voice
note
MPower. Each time I have called, I have always been told either
by an
actual
person or by a recorded voice to leave a message and someone
from tech
support will get back to me. This method is all well and good
except
that a
humanware tech support person has never returned any of my
calls.
Considering I have paid over 2000 dollars out of my own pocket
for my
MPower, not being able to get in touch with a tech support
person is
unacceptable! I hate to say this but, in terms of tech support,
Freedom
Scientific takes much better care of it's customers than
Humanware in
the
United States does. I have been more than happy with Humanware
in
every
other aspect accept for tech support. It should not take me a
month
and
a
half to get in touch with a tech support person.
For those of you who are part of humanware on this list, how can
I get
in
contact with a humanware tech support person? I suspect that my
MPower
is
going to need to be sent out for repair. I begin my fall
semester of
school
on September 5th. If in fact my MPower needs to be sent in for
repair,
I
need to send it bakc very soon and need to have it back in my
hands by
Tuesday September 5th. Any help you can give to expidite this
process
would
me much appreciated.
Thank you.
Milissa
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