customer support at Checkpoint Software is getting worse

From: Lists (lists@digitaltravel.net)
Date: 09/28/01 

Message-Id: <5.1.0.14.2.20010928122041.0751f568@pop3.norton.antivirus>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 12:21:30 -0700
To: security-basics@securityfocus.com
From: Lists <lists@digitaltravel.net>
Subject: customer support at Checkpoint Software is getting worse

Hello everyone,
I wanted to share my recent experiences with customer support at Checkpoint
Software as it indicates a trend for the worst.
Let me point out some major things first:
With Checkpoint Software you are not even able to purchase a support
contract if you have not already purchased a software subscription. Also,
the technical database (SecureKnowledge) is only available with a valid
support contract; other companies offer that for free on the web.
But it gets better: If you have purchased a support contract that does not
mean you really get what you might expect. According to the SLA of
Checkpoint's support contracts it states that "...provides
assistance with diagnosis of anomalies and/or failures in Check Point
Software to conform with Check
Point published documentation when the Software is installed and operated
according to Check Point
Software specifications." This means that you can call in to get help with
something that is already broken but not to prevent that is breaks. I
called in when I upgraded my Firewall-1 to the new NG version and wanted to
make sure that the upgrade went well and that the new general properties
are correct set (I am an experienced user). The answer I got shocked me.
They referred me to their professional services unit because according to a
technical support manager at Checkpoint, their support "only helps if the
Firewall is down or the software does not run the way it supposed to".
Of course you have to pay extra for professional services. So let me get
this straight:
In order to become a customer of Firewall-1 from Checkpoint you need to:
1. buy the software
2. pay for the software subscription
3. pay for the support contract
4. pay for professional services
So to me it looks like this: The more unreliable and complex they make the
software the more money they make. Interesting concept.....
If I remember right a company ought to fix if a product does not work the
way it is advertised and should work according to common law. This means
that what they claim to cover with their support contract actually should
be for free and a service.
Btw, other companies love to help us be a happy customer and try the
approach to make sure things do not break in the first place, especially if
we have paid for an additional service like a support contract.
So the feeling I get is being ripped off and not appreciated as a customer.
But I have choices, there are other vendors who might appreciate a happy
customer more.
So my Firewall-1 licence is up for sale now. I will switch to another
product where they help me when I need it, do not try to squeeze more money
and contracts out of me and their goal is that I am and stay a happy
customer so I come back to buy lots of more products in the future.
What this experience reminded me of once again is the fact that the quality
of the software is only once reason to purchase a product but it is way
more important to have good support and an attitude of the company that is
customer friendly.

Nils Puhlmann

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