My most recent interaction started was this morning. Why did I need to contact adobe you ask. Sometime, earlier this year, when CS3 came out, I obtained a copy, a valid copy. Sometime this last week, I uninstalled my old fireworks 8 from my laptop and decided to install the copy of CS3 I had (Which, btw, the install time on a P4 2.6 Ghz machine is mind boggling, but that's a whole other issue) . As I wasn't at home at the time, I didn't have my serial number with me. I tried to run it in trial mode with the intention of activating it when I got home. It didn't work. I got some error message about being unable to activate the trial period, and I must enter my serial number or nothing. Either that or try re-installing it. I did, twice. Nothing. Well, there ends my work for the day. But hey, can't be helped right?
I get home and enter the serial number in my fireworks installation. It decides to go online and activate the software. After about a 5 dog years, it comes back and tells me everything is fine. And then I get this little window that says "License expired". WHAT!!! I just installed spent the last hour installing this stupid software and now I can't even use it? I pick up the phone to call Adobe Customer Service, dreading my next experience, because the last two times were so pleasant. I get put on hold, and then finally connected.
Adobe CS Person: Hello, can I have your customer number please?
Me: Uh, I don't know where it is at the moment, do you absolutely need it?
Adobe CS Person: Okay, sir, may I have your phone number?
Me: I give it to him
Adobe CS Person: Goes away to put a coin in the meter and comes back a minute later. So, how may I help you sir?
Me: I'm having some licensing issues with Fireworks, I had Fireworks 8 installed on before.....
Adobe: music, music, music.....
Me: What now? Did I bore him to death already? I hear a music and a couple of clicks
Interlude: Here's my question. Any self respecting customer service agent, knowing that you were speaking with a customer before, and you got cut off, doesn't it seem logical to call that customer back since you have his/her phone number?
Adobe: click, click, silence, click, after a minute, new person.
(for the purposes of this section of the conversation, we'll call this person moron #1 (heretofor Adobe CS Moron)
Adobe CS Moron: Hello, welcome to Adobe Sales, how may I help you?
Me: Well, I was talking to (Person) at Customer support before, and suddenly, I got cut off and now I'm talking to you.
Adobe CS Moron: Well, sir, maybe I can help you, what seems to be the problem.
Me: I'm having licensing issues with Fireworks, I had Fireworks 8 installed, but now after installing a clean valid copy of Fireworks CS3, I keep getting the error message "License has expired" .
Adobe CS Moron: (Sounds lost) Uh, well, what version of Adobe Studio is this CS2, CS3?
Me: Fireworks. FIREWORKS CS3, not studio. Running on Windows XP (trying to be helpful)
Adobe CS Moron: Did you try uninstalling and re-installing
Me: (thinking I'd save us both some time) Let me give you some background, I tried to run this software as a trial version before because I didn't have my key blah blah.............. so now, I've put in my key, and here's the error it gives me. And yes, I have gone through three install cycles, the third as I'm writing this blog post (each one takes about 2ominutes, no joke)
Adobe CS Moron: Did you obtain the software from Adobe Online, get a disc, etc?
Me: I got it from Adobe, legally. (For the reader: I didn't have to pay for it. I did get it from Adobe the company directly, but because of legalities, I can't get into details. I did explain the details to him though)
Adobe CS Moron: Oh, well, because you didn't pay for it, we are not obligated to support any software that we give away.
Me: Why? Why should that matter? I got the software legally.
Adobe CS Moron: because you didn't pay for it, we are not obligated to support any software that we give away. If you'd like to put in an order for a fireworks CS3 Product, I'd be happy to process it for you.
Me: Are you kidding? So, you're telling me more or less "too bad buddy, sorry, can't help you, you're on your own"?
Adobe CS Moron: Uh, well, no. I wouldn't put it that way. But we don't support software that we give away.
Me: Let's say hypothetically, that I bought the software, which btw, I'm not very inclined to do right now, is this supposed to happen?
(And here's the best part)
Adobe CS Moron: Um, well, no it isn't, but since you didn't buy the software and there's no way to know if it's a valid copy or not, I can't help you. If you'd like to buy a customer support package, or order a new copy of Fireworks, or Adobe Studio, then I can help you.
Me: Huh? (Is he implying that I stole it)
(Fuming at this point, reach out for my trusty zen media player with the available microphone so I can record).
Me: You know, every time I've called Adobe Customer support since Adobe merged with Macromedia, it's always been a pain. What the heck is going on?
Adobe CS Moron: Well, sir, like I said, since I can't determine whether or not you have a legal copy of the software...
Me: Implying what? That I stole it?
Adobe CS Moron: (Realizing what he's saying, back pedals... ) Well, sir, that was absolutely not what I was implying. (Liar)
Me: What the heck is going on over there? Plus, you're not encouraging me to be honest right now. I could very well have said I got this via Adobe download, and you would be none the wiser.
Adobe CS Moron: Well, sir, sometime during the conversation, we'd have asked for your serial number;
Me: Which I have, a valid serial number.
Adobe CS Moron: Well, that serial number would have told us what we needed to know. But for right now, unless....blah blah
Me: So, the long and short of this conversation right now is go figure something else out, Adobe is not going to help you today.
Adobe CS Moron: Yes, sir, that's more or less the case.
Me: Okay, then, well, thank you very very much, you've been absolutely no help.
Adobe CS Moron: Well sir.. you're very..(click. I hang up)
Me: Uh, I don't know where it is at the moment, do you absolutely need it?
Adobe CS Person: Okay, sir, may I have your phone number?
Me: I give it to him
Adobe CS Person: Goes away to put a coin in the meter and comes back a minute later. So, how may I help you sir?
Me: I'm having some licensing issues with Fireworks, I had Fireworks 8 installed on before.....
Adobe: music, music, music.....
Me: What now? Did I bore him to death already? I hear a music and a couple of clicks
Interlude: Here's my question. Any self respecting customer service agent, knowing that you were speaking with a customer before, and you got cut off, doesn't it seem logical to call that customer back since you have his/her phone number?
Adobe: click, click, silence, click, after a minute, new person.
(for the purposes of this section of the conversation, we'll call this person moron #1 (heretofor Adobe CS Moron)
Adobe CS Moron: Hello, welcome to Adobe Sales, how may I help you?
Me: Well, I was talking to (Person) at Customer support before, and suddenly, I got cut off and now I'm talking to you.
Adobe CS Moron: Well, sir, maybe I can help you, what seems to be the problem.
Me: I'm having licensing issues with Fireworks, I had Fireworks 8 installed, but now after installing a clean valid copy of Fireworks CS3, I keep getting the error message "License has expired" .
Adobe CS Moron: (Sounds lost) Uh, well, what version of Adobe Studio is this CS2, CS3?
Me: Fireworks. FIREWORKS CS3, not studio. Running on Windows XP (trying to be helpful)
Adobe CS Moron: Did you try uninstalling and re-installing
Me: (thinking I'd save us both some time) Let me give you some background, I tried to run this software as a trial version before because I didn't have my key blah blah.............. so now, I've put in my key, and here's the error it gives me. And yes, I have gone through three install cycles, the third as I'm writing this blog post (each one takes about 2ominutes, no joke)
Adobe CS Moron: Did you obtain the software from Adobe Online, get a disc, etc?
Me: I got it from Adobe, legally. (For the reader: I didn't have to pay for it. I did get it from Adobe the company directly, but because of legalities, I can't get into details. I did explain the details to him though)
Adobe CS Moron: Oh, well, because you didn't pay for it, we are not obligated to support any software that we give away.
Me: Why? Why should that matter? I got the software legally.
Adobe CS Moron: because you didn't pay for it, we are not obligated to support any software that we give away. If you'd like to put in an order for a fireworks CS3 Product, I'd be happy to process it for you.
Me: Are you kidding? So, you're telling me more or less "too bad buddy, sorry, can't help you, you're on your own"?
Adobe CS Moron: Uh, well, no. I wouldn't put it that way. But we don't support software that we give away.
Me: Let's say hypothetically, that I bought the software, which btw, I'm not very inclined to do right now, is this supposed to happen?
(And here's the best part)
Adobe CS Moron: Um, well, no it isn't, but since you didn't buy the software and there's no way to know if it's a valid copy or not, I can't help you. If you'd like to buy a customer support package, or order a new copy of Fireworks, or Adobe Studio, then I can help you.
Me: Huh? (Is he implying that I stole it)
(Fuming at this point, reach out for my trusty zen media player with the available microphone so I can record).
Me: You know, every time I've called Adobe Customer support since Adobe merged with Macromedia, it's always been a pain. What the heck is going on?
Adobe CS Moron: Well, sir, like I said, since I can't determine whether or not you have a legal copy of the software...
Me: Implying what? That I stole it?
Adobe CS Moron: (Realizing what he's saying, back pedals... ) Well, sir, that was absolutely not what I was implying. (Liar)
Me: What the heck is going on over there? Plus, you're not encouraging me to be honest right now. I could very well have said I got this via Adobe download, and you would be none the wiser.
Adobe CS Moron: Well, sir, sometime during the conversation, we'd have asked for your serial number;
Me: Which I have, a valid serial number.
Adobe CS Moron: Well, that serial number would have told us what we needed to know. But for right now, unless....blah blah
Me: So, the long and short of this conversation right now is go figure something else out, Adobe is not going to help you today.
Adobe CS Moron: Yes, sir, that's more or less the case.
Me: Okay, then, well, thank you very very much, you've been absolutely no help.
Adobe CS Moron: Well sir.. you're very..(click. I hang up)
My first mistake was continuing a conversation with a nitwit in sales instead of just reconnecting to speak to customer support.
I love Adobe products, in general, but honestly, if the customer support remains subpar, it completely ruins the experience. I have the last bit of my recording with said nitwit on my zen. I'll have to figure out what to do with it.
