I generally get my customers to pay me a small retainer to respond to support issues with any software I develop for them. Generally I expect this to cover questions on how to do something specific and maybe deal with any bugs in my code.
[snip] ...
but am interested in what others tend to consider as "support"? Any specific contracts/clauses that you use?
Bugs in my code are my responsibility. They are product defects, which I believe common law in most places, and morality everywhere, requires me to make good, at no additional cost. I will track down and fix any bug that can reliably be reproduced, for free, as long as anyone who is using software that they paid me for asks me to do so.
My policy on questions is: You have been given an extremely complete manual. Read it and follow the step-by-step instructions therein. I have also provided up to 4 hours of free training, along with the installation. If you ask me a question that the manual answers, I will calmly tell you to read the appropriate section of the manual, and contact me again only if that does not solve your problem. If you have a question that the manual does not cover, I will help you figure out the answer, for free, up to and including using TeamViewer to work through it with you.
My software is guaranteed to respond to some specific government-mandated requirements--indeed, it exists in order to do so--and if those requirements change, I will modify the software accordingly, for free.
My software consists of standard features and several optional add-in modules. There is an extra charge for optional modules.
I will consider customization requests and reserve the right to implement them for free or for a cost, or not implement them, as I see fit.
Of course, I am the in-house developer for a social service agency, not a for-profit software consultant. We do sell my products to some similar agencies though, and those are the policies I use for them.
I realize that I am considered old fashioned for regarding software as primarily a product, not a service, but that's how I do regard it, and I do my best to avoid doing business with software vendors who have the opposite view. Not always avoidable, sadly.
Ken Dibble www.stic-cil.org _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://mail.leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://mail.leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[email protected] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
