I am writing this letter because I believe others should know how the people who work at ALSoft treat their customers. Recently I sent them my Font DA Juggler Plus version 1.04 to be updated to version 1.10. This new version was shown and sold at MacWorld Exposition in August. My old disk came back to me a week later with no accompanying letter of explanation and it had not been updated.
I phoned ALSoft and told the person who answered my call what happened. He explained that owners of the previous versions would get a four page letter with some sort of offer for an upgrade. OK, fair enough. But, I was curious. I asked him why the package returned to me did not have a letter of explanation. He stated "It did not come from this office." I couldn't believe this response. I told him that his answer was unsatisfactory. I told him to hold, put the phone down, and got the package as shipped to me. I told him the post mark showed that it came from Spring, Texas. He did not answer me. Instead, he asked why I was being antagonistic. I told him I was not being antagonistic. I told him I just wanted an answer. I told him that the package came from Spring, Texas and his reply to me that it did not come from that office was out of line and did not answer my question. He again asked me why I was being so antagonistic. I told him I was not being antagonistic just trying to get a straight answer. He continued to bait me. I asked to speak to the person who sent me the disk back. He told me he didn't know who that would be. I asked who gets returns and he told me the secretary. I asked who she gives them to and was told that was none of my business. I could not believe that he did not know exactly what the route for a return would be. In fact, if he didn't, then why was he speaking to me? Why not route my call to the appropriate party?
At that point and only at that point did he tell me he meant that the return to me did not come from his office. That meant his personal office not the ALSoft office where he was. So what! I was inquiring as to why I got the package back with not one word of explanation. Why didn't he simply tell me it was a mistake, that they normally send back a written reply. Why was he trying to get my goat up? Why was he playing games with me?
At no time through any of this did I raise my voice. I must certainly have conveyed my frustration in my replies to him as he continually told me I was being antagonistic. Really, all I wanted from him was a single straight answer. His approach to me, a paying customer, was to be rude, unconcerned, and completely evasive.
Now this matter could be considered simply one of catching one guy in a bad mood. But this has happened before with them. At MacWorld I went to their booth and asked what the upgrade path for previous Font DA Juggler Plus owners would be to upgrade to Master Juggler. I was told they had not formulated the policy yet but that I could buy a copy of Master Juggler at the show special for $49.00 (a $30 dollar discount). I asked why I would have to pay the same as someone who was a first time buyer of the program and was told they consider the two products completely different. I then watched a demo of Master Juggler and discovered that Master Juggler contains all of the features of Font DA Juggler Plus and some new additions. Hardly a "completely new product."
I have had one other communication with them with similar rude and offensive results. Now, I'm not one to get angry with people. I have learned that if you want information or action from someone, it is much easier if you are nice, if you have them on your side. In fact, I pride myself in my ability to negotiate. I am a part time student of the art of negotiation. With the people from ALSoft, and particularly the one I spoke to today, I have never raised my voice. I never used an offensive word. I never threatened them. But, I did hang up on the guy today but, only after he told me he should have hung up on me "a long time ago."
I don't understand why I was treated this way. I don't understand the games these people are playing. Perhaps their success has gone to their heads.
The Macintosh community deserves better treatment from those who get our business and our money. There is simply no excuse for them to put us on the defensive. The guy I spoke to today is a master at that (and that isn't meant to be a compliment). He certainly does not deserve to be in contact with the buying public. And if the company continues to treat its customers that way, then they deserve to be boycotted. I for one will no longer buy anything of theirs.
