Re: DSC phone line technical support is terrible

[Jim <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Thursday, May 10, 2012 5:19:09 PM UTC-4, tourman wrote:
> On May 10, 2:28=A0pm, Jim <alarmi...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> > On Thursday, May 10, 2012 9:05:33 AM UTC-4, tourman wrote:
> > > I hope DSC is listening and getting this message ! Their phone line
> > > support is not adequately manned, with wait times up to hours not
> > > minutes. While I realize that a lot of questions are from installers
> > > asking questions they should know if they were trained properly, or i=
f
> > > they would take the time to read the install manuals, that does not
> > > excuse this terrible level of support. As installation companies, we
> > > suffer the same thing, with questions from end users who can find the
> > > answer on page one of their user manual; however, that is not an
> > > excuse. Suck it up as we do, and continue to provide proper support !
> >
> > > Please fix the problem or you are going to find a lot of people
> > > switching alarm suppliers to manufacturers who do support their
> > > customers
> >
> > I have never used DSC all through the years. Occasionally, when I run a=
cross their equipment I usually pull it out and replace but I do have a few=
 that I've continued to service. The first thing I notice about their equip=
ment is that it is "flimsey" Thin metal, soft plastic, "cardboard" PCB's, c=
omponents "look" cheap, etc, which translate to me as .... well ....."cheap=
". It's not that their products don't work .... it's just ..... cheap.
> >
> > Awhile ago, someone asked me to evaluate their cellular radio. Getting =
through to technical support and waiting were a problem but getting their t=
echnical support people to give me answers to directly asked questions was =
even a problem. Me, having a very questioning mind, there were things that =
didn't make sense to me about the fucntioning of the device. I'd say that, =
.... I had to call as many as twenty times and gradually "PULL" the answers=
 that I needed, out of them. That is .... the answers could have been given=
 to me at any time during our conversations but I guess that it may have se=
emed better to the people I was talking with, to not open up the can of wor=
ms of providing me a reason to ask more questions ..... of THEM.
> >
> > At the end of it all, my opinion was that each person I spoke with knew=
 what the ultimate answers were that I was looking for but rather then THEM=
 taking the time to give them to me, they knew that I was going to have to =
call back again and that I'd probably get someone else who would have to ta=
ke the time to talk to me. The problem was ..... everyone I spoke to did th=
e same thing.
> >
> > In addtion to all of this, the reason I had to call and ask questions i=
n the first place was because the "manual" that came with the product was a=
 crookedly made photo copy of a hand typed and stapled 12 page manual that =
had little more than hookup instructions in it. They utimately had a recall=
 of the unit because it was doing periodic checkin's even though it wasn't =
able to transmit during an alarm. NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
> >
> > There are other products from manufacturers that are out there that I d=
on't use, simply because I'm satisfied with what I'm using. But I don't use=
 DSC on purpose.
>=20
> RHC: Well.....I can totally agree with you on their tech support. Most
> of the time, and generally speaking, I know as much as, or more than
> their technical support phone staff. When I call Paradox tech support
> though, those guys are right on the ball, and have the answer in most
> cases. When they don't, it's most unusual.
>=20
> On your comments regarding the cheapness of DSC equipment, I can't say
> I really agree with you. They are no better or worse than most other
> panels I deal with. If you compare to older makes of panels, perhaps
> your comment applies, but I don't think it's totally fair otherwise.
> Their products are simply the result of modern manufacturing
> techniques and are used by the vast majority of Canadian alarm
> companies.
>=20
> DSC is not my primary line of panel; it's my secondary one, but
> overall, I would rate the equipment as good. I just put up a new
> partition on an older version 832 and I must say that was a bit of a
> challenge, but I got it.  Needless to say, I didn't bother calling DSC
> tech support for assistance....:((

As I say, I don't use anything but Napco, and only occasionally come across=
 other mfg's ( mostly Honeywell, in my area). so that's mainly what I'm com=
paring it to. Napco's thicker metal boxes, sturdier PCB's made of fiberglas=
s. The components look "better" than those that I see on DSC. I know looks =
don't count with reliability but very seldom do I get a bad product from Na=
pco. I can scratch the plastic on DSC wireless transmitters with my fingern=
ail. And Napco just last for decades. I don't know about DSC as far as reli=
ability but .... as I say ..... it just looks and feels cheap.

Maybe I should look at their products like a Timex watch. Costs and looks c=
heap .... but just keeps on tickin! =20