Support: North Ridge Reports

On a First Name Basis

Originally published: Spring 1997

"Hi there, this is Larry. I seem to be having a problem." This is normally how a call for service is initiated by customers of North Ridge Software. You could substitute your own name (Doug, Bonnie, Eugene, Frank, Pete, etc.) in the above sentence with the same result.

At North Ridge Software you do not need to supply a customer number or some other impersonal identifier to be recognized and receive service. We normally know you by your first name and have ready access to any of the other relevant information describing your environment in our customer database.

Service calls come at all hours, but the result is the same: We put aside what we are doing - product development, review of documentation, or installing a garage door opener - to devote our resources to identifying and fixing your problem as rapidly as we can. At times it's as easy as answering a quick question we have answered before, but you have forgotten in the stress of getting your job done. Other times it may take several days to identify the problem, design and implement a temporary fix, and test to insure the problem is resolved. Often we discover our products are not directly the cause of the problem, but we pride ourselves in finding a solution for you regardless of the source.

We spend considerable time and effort prior to product release to ensure our products are robust, stable and well-tested. It isn't always possible to reproduce the volume levels or complexities which can occur in real production environments. When real world problems arise we feel an obligation to resolve them as quickly as possible. Many times we are surprised by problems in products which may have executed without trouble for years. Suddenly a small increase in network traffic or other factor will uncover a design or programming flaw needing immediate correction. We accept that it is our job to deliver the service you require when you need it.

At North Ridge Software we will always remain committed to providing you with the highest quality of customer service possible in a highly personalized way (on a first name basis). We trust you agree with this approach and feel like you are getting the service you both desire and deserve. Please let us know what you think.