Should I buy 'support and maintenance' together with Trados? Thread poster: Mara Ballarini
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Mara Ballarini 
Australia
Local time: 16:27
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
Hi everyone! I'm about to buy SDL Trados with the Proz.com Group Buy Sale, but I'm not sure whether to buy the 'support and maintenance' they offer with it. It's nearly an extra 90€ for a year coverage. Would you recommend it? I especially don't understand about the support: does it mean if I don't get it, I won't receive any support in case of problems?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Mara
| | | | Jerzy Czopik
Germany
Local time: 08:27
Member (2003)
Polish to German
+ ...
this is "only" 90 Euros, compared to previously something about 300 Euro for a year coverage.
I would invest this money - it is a kind of insurance
Personally I did and I am using it.
Regards
Jerzy
| | | | Mara Ballarini
Australia
Local time: 16:27
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | more info about the support | Aug 2, 2006 |
thanks Jerzy. What does the support actually consist in?
| | | | Jerzy Czopik
Germany
Local time: 08:27
Member (2003)
Polish to German
+ ...
| You get help on priority | Aug 2, 2006 |
When you get a problem and contact the support, your case will be treated with priority, so you can hope for an answer within 24 hrs.
The rest depends on the problem - either you´ll get the solution directly or the support will be working on the solution together with you.
Regards
Jerzy
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Jerzy Czopik wrote:
either you´ll get the solution directly or the support will be working on the solution together with you.
Oh, really?
| | | | Mara Ballarini
Australia
Local time: 16:27
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | thanks - got it | Aug 2, 2006 |
well, Jerzy, thank you very much again!
I bought it now anyway, hope it's gonna be useful! it seems to be at least for the free upgrades.
Tectranslate, hi!, why did you say 'sure?', you didn't know, or you think it's not true? hope for the first now I got it!
| | | | | I heard reports to the contrary | Aug 2, 2006 |
Mara Ballarini wrote: Tectranslate, hi!, why did you say 'sure?', you didn't know, or you think it's not true? hope for the first now I got it!
I think it's not true / they're not as helpful as one would expect.
I thought I'd heard someone tell me about a problem he had recently where the Trados support person simply told him that "his file is in an invalid format" when it actually wasn't. That's not a solution, in my opinion.
Regards,
Benjamin
| | | | Mara Ballarini
Australia
Local time: 16:27
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | hope it turns out to be a good service | Aug 2, 2006 |
oh! no, that's not good, especially if that person had spent money (like me) on the 'support'. Well, first of all I hope I'll never have any problems! in case I do, if it turns out to be a good service, or not, I'll let you know - if you want me to, of course!)
thanks for your comments,
Mara
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Ralf Lemster
Germany
Local time: 08:27
English to German
+ ...
| Hands-on experience | Aug 2, 2006 |
Hi Mara,
I don't have any experience with Freelance support, but I have taken out a support and maintenance agreement for several Team Pro licenses. So far Trados Support staff have been extremely helpful.
Best regards,
Ralf
| | | | Jerzy Czopik
Germany
Local time: 08:27
Member (2003)
Polish to German
+ ...
| One case makes not all bad | Aug 2, 2006 |
Indeed the support could be better - but OTOH when you have a problem you are not alone.
There are problems of this and that kind - so my personal cases are not representative enough. And even if I did not get help in any situation, I got some valuable tipps from the support - some of them were then presented here in this forum.
So I think this is als everything in life - not 100% perfect, but still better than nothing. Certainly an advantage to have a support contract, as when you d... See more Indeed the support could be better - but OTOH when you have a problem you are not alone.
There are problems of this and that kind - so my personal cases are not representative enough. And even if I did not get help in any situation, I got some valuable tipps from the support - some of them were then presented here in this forum.
So I think this is als everything in life - not 100% perfect, but still better than nothing. Certainly an advantage to have a support contract, as when you don´t have it, you will surely not get better support
Regards
Jerzy ▲ Collapse
| | | | | 90 Euros is not that much money | Aug 2, 2006 |
Sorry for coming across as such a nag, but I'm not the kind of person to call for help as long as I think I can fix it myself (or that the problem may be my own fault*). And I think I know fairly much about using CAT tools in general and Trados in particular.
So whenever I do contact the support, it is a grave problem I'm dealing with, not just a minor nuisance - and in ... See more Sorry for coming across as such a nag, but I'm not the kind of person to call for help as long as I think I can fix it myself (or that the problem may be my own fault*). And I think I know fairly much about using CAT tools in general and Trados in particular.
So whenever I do contact the support, it is a grave problem I'm dealing with, not just a minor nuisance - and in that regard, my experience with Trados support has been, well, shall we say "so-so"?
Most of the time, it was a real, reproducible program bug that took months for the developers to fix, and there wasn't any quick remedy. So, having a support contract didn't help me / would not have helped me any in those situations.
I guess for 90 Euros, I'd probably buy the support option, too, even if I weren't sure whether it would actually pay off.
But as an LSP, I probably won't get support for a mere 90 Euros, anyway.
B
* I'm also the kind of person who won't go to the doctor unless I get worried that I won't be able to stop the bleeding on my own. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jerzy Czopik
Germany
Local time: 08:27
Member (2003)
Polish to German
+ ...
| My position is similar to yours, Benjamin | Aug 2, 2006 |
with the slight difference, that I could buy the support option for not a big amount of money in the Early Bird action. AFAIR it was even less than 90 Euros.
So maybe therefore I´m not expecting too much.
Regards
Jerzy
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Mara Ballarini
Australia
Local time: 16:27
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I already had to use the support | Aug 3, 2006 |
tectranslate wrote:
Sorry for coming across as such a nag, but I'm not the kind of person to call for help as long as I think I can fix it myself (or that the problem may be my own fault*). And I think I know fairly much about using CAT tools in general and Trados in particular.
well, then I'm sure I got a deal, I'm not an expert at all, actually, I love working with computers but I absolutely hate working - let's say - ON computers. Dunno nothing of what's inside their 'mind' and the problem is I don't even want to. and it seems computers know that and sometimes play weird tricks on me!!!
ANyway had a little problem yesterday, just like that straightaway downloading trados, generating a license (apparently a button has been removed but not from the instructions, so I was lost) didn't want to start with the wrong foot straight from the installation! So I contacted them, and well, a very easy thing, but at least I got help straight away. A good start, I think!
Thank you all for YOUR support!!
P.S. for Tectranslation: with doctors is another thing for me too!!
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I would pose this issue from another perspective. Is it fair for Trados developer to release a version that translators encounter many problems dealing with then the company imposes support fees for such version?!
I understand that it is hard to get something perfect but exploring Trados forums we can find a huge number of posts requesting support.
I like Trados so much and it is of great help to me but I wish developers work upon it to come up with a well-tested version. I may hear ... See more I would pose this issue from another perspective. Is it fair for Trados developer to release a version that translators encounter many problems dealing with then the company imposes support fees for such version?!
I understand that it is hard to get something perfect but exploring Trados forums we can find a huge number of posts requesting support.
I like Trados so much and it is of great help to me but I wish developers work upon it to come up with a well-tested version. I may hear developers whispering: “How then we get extra money from support?”
Regards
Ahmed wadan ▲ Collapse
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