The following is a rather disturbing tech support reply I received from HumanWare Canada technical support after making a request.  My response to that email follows, as well.

I’ll let the reader be the judge. 

I will say, however, that the email I received from HumanWare’s tech support makes me very sad and causes me to wonder if they are not forgetting the importance of their most precious commodity, their customers.

Mark

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From: André
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 11:43 AM
To: Mark
Subject: Nevada map

 Hi Mark,

I would like to precise something with you.  You understand that so far you have received from us in Canada, more than an excellent service.  I ask you now to be reasonable with your requests.  I hope you understand my position.  I had to zip this file then transfer it to the FTP site and only this operation took 12 minutes.  I hope you understand that we have other client to support.  More over, because you are United States, you should contactHumanWare USA for your future requests at this toll free number: 1-800-722-3393.   

Thanks,
André
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From: Mark
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 6:45 PM
To: André
Subject: A Saddened and Concerned Customer

André,

Your email saddens me.

Excluding the first week that I owned my unit, I have not called tech support for anything other than to acquire the correct version of maps for my unit. 

When I received my unit, I discovered that it had been shipped with incompatible maps.  Sam graciously agreed to post both CA and NV maps for me so that I could use my unit while I waited for the correct maps to arrive in the mail.  I subsequently received the correct version of the maps, v2.8.

I originally contacted HumanWare Canada to purchase my unit, not California.

Please be aware that your Canadian representative promised me that I would have Trekker version 3.0 within two weeks of purchasing my unit.  I told him that I was in the process of traveling extensively and that acquiring the latest version of Trekker was of paramount importance to me. 

I remind you that you, like others at HW,  told me that version 3.0 and its maps would be available for download as soon as it was released.  Do you remember?

Of course I understand that you are not responsible for the ultimate decisions of HumanWare but, nevertheless, HW has not kept its promise to me.

Appreciating my disappointment, Lucia graciously provided a download of Trekker version 3.0 and the California map.

All I did today was call tech support to ask for the Nevada map as I travel there quite often.

Frankly, André, I thought you were very rude to me.  I was willing to ignore your behavior, given that you and I have enjoyed a pleasant repartee over the past two months.  But now you tell me not to call HW Canada tech support?  This is outrageous.

André, I have worked telephone tech support for over 20 years and I hardly think that helping a customer at the expense of 12 minutes of your time is unreasonable as you seem to suggest in your email to me.  And Yes, I am aware that HW has other customers as evidenced by my participation on the user group list in which I try to help everyone. 

When I first approached your HW Canada representative to buy a unit I was told that I should contact HW Canada for advanced tech support questions.  I have also been referred to HW Canada tech support by your California branch.  Indeed, I am told that the only people who can place files up for download are those in Canada.

André, what you have done is make me feel unwelcome to ask for assistance from HumanWare and I truly think that is a very sad thing.

I am so disturbed by your attitude and email that I am sending a copy of this communication to Mr. Richard Mander at HumanWare headquarters in New Zealand.  As the president of the company, I trust he will be interested in how I was treated.

Most Sincerely,

Mark Taylor

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