Background: We have a freeware program we bought the rights to from another company. An artifact from the other company is that is has a registration scheme. Since it is freeware we don't have tech support for it, nor do we offer registration by phone. The instructions for registering by email are very easy and the screen guides you through step-by-step.
We also have a free new beta version of the same product, which doesn't have a registration scheme. It's on the same download page as the older product.
On to yesterday's phone call:
Me: [Opening spiel]
Caller: Yeah. I went to your web page to get your [freeware] program and it gave me two choices and one was a beta and I clicked on the other one and I clicked Run and I installed it and now it says I need a registration code?
Me: OK. You do that by email. Just send your hard drive ID to us at the address on your screen and we sent one back to you.
Caller: Hard drive ID? What's that?
Me: It should be showing on your screen.
Caller: Does it start with a "B?"
Me: It varies. It has four letters or numbers, a hyphen, then four more letters or numbers.
Caller: Oh. OK. So what do I do?
Me: You send that to the email address on the screen.
Caller: This is kind of hard. Can you guide me through it?
Me: I'm sorry, but you have to do it by email. If you prefer not to, you can download the beta version, which does not have a registration requirement.
Caller: Oh. So what email address do I use?
Me: The one on the screen.
Caller: Can you give it to me?
Me: Activation. At. [company email domain]. Dot. Com.
Caller: Is "activation" that "A" with a circle around it?
Me: No. You spell out a-c-t-i-v-a-t-i-o-n, then the at-sign, which is the "A" with a circle around it, then [spells out email domain], then a period, then c-o-m. Just like on the screen if front of you. Look over the hard drive ID. Do you see it?
Caller: OH! So they'll send back a registration code?
Me: Yes.
Caller: OK. Thanks.
Me: [closing pleasantries]
I monitor the email address I gave her. It's almost a day later and I never got the email. I don't know what to make of that. I'm hoping it's because she went with the beta.
OK. I know what you're thinking after reading this. Wouldn't it have been less painful to just give her the registration code on the phone?
The answer is that of course it would. But registering the program is the easiest aspect of using it and we don't offer tech support. If I held her hand all the way through the registration I'd be setting her up for far greater failure and disappointment when she tries to actually use the program.
Not to mention setting myself and my co-workers up for endless frustrating phone calls because I gave her an expectation that we'd spoon feed her through every aspect of using her computer.
It's much, much better to give her a chance to do something for herself and that feeling of pride when she realizes "I did it!"
What can I say? I like to give.
Just as long as she doesn't get carried away with it and start editing the registry. <shudder>
We also have a free new beta version of the same product, which doesn't have a registration scheme. It's on the same download page as the older product.
On to yesterday's phone call:
Me: [Opening spiel]
Caller: Yeah. I went to your web page to get your [freeware] program and it gave me two choices and one was a beta and I clicked on the other one and I clicked Run and I installed it and now it says I need a registration code?
Me: OK. You do that by email. Just send your hard drive ID to us at the address on your screen and we sent one back to you.
Caller: Hard drive ID? What's that?
Me: It should be showing on your screen.
Caller: Does it start with a "B?"
Me: It varies. It has four letters or numbers, a hyphen, then four more letters or numbers.
Caller: Oh. OK. So what do I do?
Me: You send that to the email address on the screen.
Caller: This is kind of hard. Can you guide me through it?
Me: I'm sorry, but you have to do it by email. If you prefer not to, you can download the beta version, which does not have a registration requirement.
Caller: Oh. So what email address do I use?
Me: The one on the screen.
Caller: Can you give it to me?
Me: Activation. At. [company email domain]. Dot. Com.
Caller: Is "activation" that "A" with a circle around it?
Me: No. You spell out a-c-t-i-v-a-t-i-o-n, then the at-sign, which is the "A" with a circle around it, then [spells out email domain], then a period, then c-o-m. Just like on the screen if front of you. Look over the hard drive ID. Do you see it?
Caller: OH! So they'll send back a registration code?
Me: Yes.
Caller: OK. Thanks.
Me: [closing pleasantries]
I monitor the email address I gave her. It's almost a day later and I never got the email. I don't know what to make of that. I'm hoping it's because she went with the beta.
OK. I know what you're thinking after reading this. Wouldn't it have been less painful to just give her the registration code on the phone?
The answer is that of course it would. But registering the program is the easiest aspect of using it and we don't offer tech support. If I held her hand all the way through the registration I'd be setting her up for far greater failure and disappointment when she tries to actually use the program.
Not to mention setting myself and my co-workers up for endless frustrating phone calls because I gave her an expectation that we'd spoon feed her through every aspect of using her computer.
It's much, much better to give her a chance to do something for herself and that feeling of pride when she realizes "I did it!"
What can I say? I like to give.
Just as long as she doesn't get carried away with it and start editing the registry. <shudder>
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