This is the exact reason why we recently changed our price structure. Now the price of a resource increases with the size of the plan. Now discounts won't hurt so much.
Five years ago I've created an update policy that defines how long after the purchase you receive the latest version for free. That was five years too late for this specific customer, but that customer already paid for updates since then. I wondered why the update fee bothered him now.
Yes, I did that and they accepted without comment. Interestingly enough, the total invoice that included some programming work was four figures. The update fee on the other hand was only $99.
Five years ago I specifically added the clause that updates are free within twelve months after purchase. So the customer is kind of right to be surprised if he bought the software before that time.
On the other and, that exact same customer already ordered and paid for updates. That's one of the reasons I'm annoyed to have had that update discussion.
It's an online appointment scheduling software, btw.
> It's an online appointment scheduling software, btw.
Oh, I thought it couldn't be appointmind, because on that website you literally say "We take care of software installation, updates and data backup.", granted right after saying "Monthly terminable".
I think your pricing model, customer flow, and messaging is incredibly confusing; and I don't think I would necessarily know whether or not ongoing updates are free of charge from your website.
I think the problem lies entirely in your marketing and presentation.
Thanks for your feedback. Five years ago we switched from a software that you install yourself on your own server to a Saas offering. The reason for this was that customers didn't want to update their software and if they wanted to do it, they didn't want to pay for it.
The trouble is exclusively with old customers that don't use the Saas, don't want to use it, and still run the software on their own server. They believe they bought the software and therefore own it. Paying again for something you own is, understandably, not something people gladly do. But then again, software isn't a thing, it's a work in progress. A concept hard to grasp for some people.
> To me it didn't look like they tried too hard to take the picture from the same angle etc.
And to me it looked pretty spot on. I imagine it's pretty hard to find the exact same position after twenty years.
> I remember a person from the old West Germany saying to me that they'd like that wall back twice as high and the same depth underground because of all reunification cost and the entitled attitude of 'osties'
That sounds like a very selfish person. Freedom for our east german brothers and sisters, unless I have to contribute...
>And to me it looked pretty spot on. I imagine it's pretty hard to find the exact same position after twenty years.
There are digital cameras and laptops. There's really no excuse for not comparing directly and seeing if you got it at least kind of right.
>That sounds like a very selfish person. Freedom for our east german brothers and sisters, unless I have to contribute...
It's not like people were completely opposed to it. But now after so much time has passed we're still paying an extra tax that exclusively benefits the eastern states. And if you read the local newspapers in Eastern Germany you still hear a lot of complaints about "Wessies" (Western Germans). It kind of breeds resentment if you put your hands in someone elses pockets for 28 years, and still complain you're not getting enough.
What we need to do is wean the East off of these extra taxes. There are large parts of Western Germany which have just as many unemployment problems, and didn't get any of the infrastructure investments.
> It's not like people were completely opposed to it. But now after so much time has passed we're still paying an extra tax that exclusively benefits the eastern states.
Which tax would that be? If you mean the Solidaritätszuschlag: It isn't actually bound to any task and is used for more or less everything the government wants, not to help East Germany (just like any other tax). It is also payed by people in both West and East Germany.
Just one of the many stupid myths people tell themselves on both sides that breeds sentiment.
Disposable mail account that expires after 60 minutes. Costs $60 to host and generates a monthly revenue of $200. It doesn't require any involvement on my part anymore.
