Xara Customer Service is Terrible

[vman]

Check out this thread of communications from Xara.


To Whom it May Concern: (this is from me, a customer of many years to Xara)

I have been a user of Xara software for a number of years. I have also suggested your products to many folks I know (personal and business) and have probably generated quite a bit of sales for Xara over the years.

I presently have Web Designer Premium and Photo and Graphic Designer 2013. I have a need to also now have your newest product: Page & Layout Designer. I actually made a suggestion about a year ago in where I asked that the very functionality of Page & Layout Designer be developed. As I knew that with a few tweaks and additions, Xara could make a powerful Word Processing package.

In any case, If I now purchase Page and Layout Designer, I will have 3 separate software packages that essentially do the same thing as 1 (Designer Pro 9). I also will have paid for all three separately. Is there an upgrade path where I can get Designer 9 for the same price as Page & Layout Designer.

I see there is an upgrade path for each: Web Designer and Graphics Designer but not for those of us whom have more than one software pack. Considering my patronage, length of time using your products and the fact that I already have most of what's included in Designer Pro 9, can I be provided A serial number for Designer Pro 9. This can give me the functionality of Page & Layout Designer in an integrated package.


Thanks,



LG - Support



Posted On: 21 Jul 2013 12:09 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi,

Unfortunately we do not currently offer an upgrade path from multiple products. (this is the answer from Xara Customer Service)

Lewis



vman@sympatico.ca



Posted On: 22 Jul 2013 02:59 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lewis / Xara, (this is my rebuttal)
Absolutely terrible answer. I have generated many customers over the years for Xara and this one line slap is all I get as a response for my "years" of patronage.

Well you just lost one of your Champions. I will still use Xara products as I have invested a lot of time learning the software and money purchasing product and upgrades over the years. However, I will no longer suggest Xara to friends / associates. I've noticed your customer service slipping over the years and this answer is the latest example.

I already own almost "all" the functionality of Designer 9 due the fact that I have Web Designer (MX Pre) & Photo & Graphics (2013). You wouldn't be loosing a ton of money to keep one customer happy, as I would be purchasing the only functions of Designer Pro that I don't have which is the Page and Layout portion.

You would have me shell out another $149 (cheapest Upgrade path for me) for a program that I already own 80% of the functions. The cost of Page & Layout is $70. Therefore doing the math, 149-69=80, I'd be paying another $80 for functions I already have. Why would I want to pay $80 for the convenience of having one program do the work of 3. I'd have to either be stupid or a fool with my money, and I am neither.

It is very unfortunate when good companies turn bad. I hope your flippant answer and closed mindedness is not indicative of the direction Xara is taking as a company. You make good products and it would be unfortunate if company fortunes started to take a turn for the worse because you forgot why you are making product in the first place (to sell to customers).

I will grudgingly still buy your products, for now. I used to be a happy customer, happy to purchase, happy to recommend. The joy is now gone and I feel like I'm paying because I have too. Well I'm sure you can read the tea leaves when too many of your customers feel the same. In any case, I wish you the best of luck in the company direction you have chosen to take.

I hope the company rethinks its priorities. I really liked Xara, I want to like it again.

V,
An unhappy customer....

[mwenz]

So my upgrade cost $100. Yours would cost $50 more to go to XDP. You then no longer have 3 applications to upgrade in the future which should be a net gain. I am not seeing the issue here.

[vman]

mwenz,
I still don't like the idea of paying now for "potential" future savings for upgrades. But you make a pretty good point, I would save on the future on upgrades. Maybe you should work for Xara's customer service. The replier to my inquiry just said No! with no explanation at all.

[mwenz]

They wouldn't want to afford me

In any case, the savings would be realized in the next update cycle which is about one year. So it isn't a long wait. Personally, I don't like the upgrade cost...but it beats certain alternatives. I also have kept illustrator updated, which until recently (per cloud) was around the same price. Now that CS6 is the last perpetual license, I can easily justify throwing the money at Xara. Almost feels like I am saving money each year.

Take car, Mike

[gwpriester]

Perhaps part of the problem is Xara/Magix have been evolving a marketing strategy over the last few years. Similar to all the different permutations of a tube of Crest toothpaste. Something for everybody. Some users only need the web development program. Others do more photo editing. Or print work. And then there is a product that does all of these.

But, as this marketing strategy has not been shared with the public, it creates unhappy situations such as yours.

One hopes that the product segmentation marketing strategy solidifies so users can make an informed buying decision.

[Big Frank]

i feel for you v, i really do
i have never been in your position
from the first time more than one xara product was available i took the pro path
this has possibly saved me an awful lot over the years
its given me the opportunity to see what's coming in future pro upghrades
to try them out without paying
even though some of the stuff i will never use like presentations
and a lot of the photo stuff
but its good to know i have it all

but

i do think the xara sales team could be more flexible
existing customers are the sales and marketing you dont have to pay for
you need to look after them and sometimes this is forgotten
in their position in an economic slump i would gladly have given you a super discount
knowing you would continue to shout the company name from the rooftops
at very little cost/loss to me

i run my business my way
they run theirs their way

[vman]

gwpriester,
You make a good point. My first Xara product was in around 2005 with Extreme. At the time I was using Illustrator and Dreamweaver and Xara was a side program I'd use as I found it a bit easier for many tasks. Over the years, Xtreme became my graphics software of choice for the obvious reasons that I'm sure I share with others here, its a better user experience. I still used MSWord/WDP for word Processing and would curse Microsoft for not creating software as loose and forgiving as Xara. For websites, I'd code by hand with either Dreamweaver or HomeSite. When, WebDesigner came out, I purchased within the first few months, hand coding is now a rarity for me. Last year, I wrote a post to Xara asking for some minor tweaks to Photo & Graphic (Xtreme). The thread address is at the bottom of this post. The requested tweaks are what is essentially Page & Layout.

Through product expansion / updating, I now have multiple versions of what is essentially the same software. The only difference is that some functionality is disabled in each of the software packages. It would be nice to have an Upgrade Path for folks like myself that are now stuck with multiple copies; considering that the only reason I have multiple copies is because I've been a customer for so many years.

Your Right Big Frank, They run their business their way and I run mine my way. I'll tell you through, I'd never alienate a customer over a pittance.

http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...ht=#post460933

[pauland]

I'm with Xara on this one. It would be nice if they cut you a break, but you are the architect of your own dissatisfaction.

There's been no secret about the way Xara has devolved specialist, cheaper versions of their core product and it's always been clear that the pro version of the product has always included new features that may appear in the baby versions.

There's never been a compelling reason to own more than one version of the software, just a bit of patience.

[ I think that at one time you could buy/upgrade XWD and then get a credit of some sort when the designer product was released - effectively making the XWD purchase free/inexpensive - did I imagine that? ]

[Boy]

Through product expansion / updating, I now have multiple versions of what is essentially the same software. The only difference is that some functionality is disabled in each of the software packages. It would be nice to have an Upgrade Path for folks like myself that are now stuck with multiple copies

I agree with you and support your altogether reasonable request for an attractive upgrade path to Designer Pro for those who have two (or three) of the three Designer non-Pro software packages.

PS: I understand your disappointment but find the title of the thread a bit harsh though.

[haakoo]

Let's get it straight,for I might be missing the point here.
I get a left-door at a Mercedes dealer for 100 bucks
The next week I get the fuel pump at the same dealer.
So next month I must be getting the whole Mercedes for less then the normal price?

C'Mon