Dear Richard,
While you raise some legitimate points in your recent posts to
the BrailleNote list, you miss some significant issues as well.
One reason a person sometimes gets conflicting information from
different tech support people is that there are multiple
possibilities for solving an issue. With computers there is
seldom a cut and dried "this is how we do it" solution. A lot
depends on how the equipment is being used, and the skill level
of the user. Further, different information may be given to
different tech support people.
You're correct in that the blindness AT industry has a small
market. As a result, every customer counts that much more. As
someone who has worked for several AT companies, I can flat out
GUARANTEE you that your assertion that these companies just
assume one is locked in is DEAD WRONG! Quite the opposite
happens. Blind AT users talk and word gets around if something
isn't going the way it should. The end user may not be making
most of the AT purchases, but consumer choice is a popular wave
that is sweeping the US. And even in states that don't have an
official "consumer choice" model, purchasing agents get their
information on what to buy from somewhere, and often that
somewhere is the end user. Just look at how the BrailleNote
decimated Braille Lite sales when it hit the market some years
back.
People who work in this industry WANT to work in this industry.
Most could be making more money working elsewhere. What draws
folks to this industry is the knowledge that what we're doing
allows our fellow blind people to get jobs and to enjoy a vastly
enhanced state of independence.
If you want to experience second class service, try calling
Microsoft, Del, HP, Toshiba or a myriad other mainstream hardware
and software companies. But have your credit card handy; most of
them will want that number up front so they can bill you several
bucks a minute for the call. I'm betting this experiment won't
go so well.
This email is not meat to suggest that everything is perfect.
It's not. But the assertion that the AT companies just don't
care; so you're receiving second class service is simply off the
mark.
Dave Wilkinson
___
To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit
http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
