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This happened a while ago and I'm cobbling it together from memory. This is the jist.
We got a call from a customer, a school system, who had an ancient license for our software. They had lost their disks and were hoping to get them replaced. We don't replace software which is eight years old, but since they were registered and had a license on record they did qualify for the newest version at the update price (which is less than half the price new customers pay for it).
Since telling people they have to pay to replace something they lost usually doesn't go over well, we always quote the price for a new license first, THEN tell them the much lower update price. Even if they aren't totally happy, at least they understand.
These guys seemed a bit glum about it, but didn't fuss much. They were told we'd keep the quote in our system for 30 days and that was that.
The next week I got a call from the same school board. The caller wanted to know our policy on replacing stolen software. It turns out somebody broke into their offices and stole all the computers, including the ones which had our software on them. I went to the database and saw the note about lost disks and the quote and got a little suspicious. Nevertheless, I stayed polite and let them know that we'd sell them a new software license at the update price (because they were registered customers) and retire the stolen license so the thieves couldn't use it.
Her response, "But it was stolen. We shouldn't have to pay anything."
I let her know that we'd be more than happy to work with her insurance company if they planned to file a claim for the stolen software. If the insurance company refused to cover the software, it would be no problem. Just fax us a copy of the claim rejection.
She stopped arguing and hung up and I made a note in the database.
Quite a few weeks later, I overheard Mark on the phone with somebody explaining our policy regarding stolen software. It kind of rung a bell and I went over and looked over his shoulder to get the license number he had on his screen. Sure enough it was our friends. I slipped him a note, but he was already on top of it. He finished the conversation without laughing out loud and filled me in.
It turns somebody broke in and stole their computers. Then the thieves removed our software from the computers, broke back in and returned the computers.
For whatever reason, this meant they couldn't file an insurance claim.
Mark had told them to just fax us a copy of the police report and proof that their insurance company wouldn't allow them to file a claim and we'd replace the software.
He also made a note in the database.
It was a couple of weeks before they called again and they made sure to talk to somebody who wasn't me or Mark. They used the name directory and wound up connected to our accountant.
Of course, she doesn't handle these things. So she put them on hold and came to me, "Dips? It's [NameChanged] School Board. They say lost their software in a fire. Can you help them?"
I took an unseemly amount of pleasure in picking up the line, telling them my name, and expressing my sympathies for the bad run of luck having two break ins and fire in a two month period.
We got a call from a customer, a school system, who had an ancient license for our software. They had lost their disks and were hoping to get them replaced. We don't replace software which is eight years old, but since they were registered and had a license on record they did qualify for the newest version at the update price (which is less than half the price new customers pay for it).
Since telling people they have to pay to replace something they lost usually doesn't go over well, we always quote the price for a new license first, THEN tell them the much lower update price. Even if they aren't totally happy, at least they understand.
These guys seemed a bit glum about it, but didn't fuss much. They were told we'd keep the quote in our system for 30 days and that was that.
The next week I got a call from the same school board. The caller wanted to know our policy on replacing stolen software. It turns out somebody broke into their offices and stole all the computers, including the ones which had our software on them. I went to the database and saw the note about lost disks and the quote and got a little suspicious. Nevertheless, I stayed polite and let them know that we'd sell them a new software license at the update price (because they were registered customers) and retire the stolen license so the thieves couldn't use it.
Her response, "But it was stolen. We shouldn't have to pay anything."
I let her know that we'd be more than happy to work with her insurance company if they planned to file a claim for the stolen software. If the insurance company refused to cover the software, it would be no problem. Just fax us a copy of the claim rejection.
She stopped arguing and hung up and I made a note in the database.
Quite a few weeks later, I overheard Mark on the phone with somebody explaining our policy regarding stolen software. It kind of rung a bell and I went over and looked over his shoulder to get the license number he had on his screen. Sure enough it was our friends. I slipped him a note, but he was already on top of it. He finished the conversation without laughing out loud and filled me in.
It turns somebody broke in and stole their computers. Then the thieves removed our software from the computers, broke back in and returned the computers.
For whatever reason, this meant they couldn't file an insurance claim.
Mark had told them to just fax us a copy of the police report and proof that their insurance company wouldn't allow them to file a claim and we'd replace the software.
He also made a note in the database.
It was a couple of weeks before they called again and they made sure to talk to somebody who wasn't me or Mark. They used the name directory and wound up connected to our accountant.
Of course, she doesn't handle these things. So she put them on hold and came to me, "Dips? It's [NameChanged] School Board. They say lost their software in a fire. Can you help them?"
I took an unseemly amount of pleasure in picking up the line, telling them my name, and expressing my sympathies for the bad run of luck having two break ins and fire in a two month period.
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