Going to cancel Helios Support...

[SunDizzy]

do they require the return of their Dongle?

[sweetpea]

Shouldn't.... thats why you paid big bucks to sign up with them. You just won't get the support they have to offer if you ever need them. But I could be wrong.........

[Andy]

They do not require you to return the dongle .... BUT caution.

The maintenance fee you pay is for ongoing program updates ... with the Software Support Agreement in place you then also receive free technical support.

If you cancel and then in the future require assistance and/or wish to acquire an update to the program ... you will be required to pay (based on current policy) a re-enrollment fee of $399. PLUS all back monthly fees which you did not pay.

The $39.99 monthly fee is equilavent to less than the margin on ONE bottle of premium lotion ... if Helios helps you prevent ONE bottle of lotion from being stolen ... you are money ahead.

[Andy]

sweetpea ... not sure what the big bucks you are referring to ... there is no upfront investment for Helios ... just the monthly Software Maintenance fee of $39.99 (which can be paid annually if you wish)

[SunDizzy]

Andy, i know what you're saying... it's just that out of 8 salons; i have only used their tech support twice in the last 4 years! you have personally helped me via the board info here more then they have. i'm just finding it soo hard to justify $319.92/month for what seems like nothing. i'll consider it for another week i guess... but darn the cons are out-weighing the pros at this point.... that's a lease payment for a new BMW

[Teresa]

If you NEVER plan to upgrade the I guess cancelling is an ok idea. But I like to stay up with the times.....V11 is SO COOL!!!!!! And do you plan on ever networking your salons????? We have been using WAN for about 1.5 yrs now, it too is great.

[tanfixr]

Quote:
On 2004-06-10 16:22, Andy @ MyATSO.ca wrote:

If you cancel and then in the future require assistance and/or wish to acquire an update to the program ... you will be required to pay (based on current policy) a re-enrollment fee of $399. PLUS all back monthly fees which you did not pay.

The $39.99 monthly fee is equilavent to less than the margin on ONE bottle of premium lotion

This continues to be low point of Helios policies since the 1980's. The monthly fee is fine. Even the re-enrollment fee could be considered reasonable for those who have gone without the "support" plan for a year or more.

But requiring $400 PLUS $40, $400, or even, say $1400 if someone has gone 3 years is pure NONSENSE. Maybe they have a common practice of "waiving" the back-payment charges. If so, they might as well make it stated policy.

And any comments on how "cheap" $40.00 per month, per store, is is beside the point. That hypothetical bottle of lotion would be prevented from being stolen whether Helios was getting their $40 or not.

Unless or until this policy is changed, Helios will continue to have a blemish on their reputation. The old days of $800 for the program, take it or leave it were less gimicky and more honest. But those $40 charges keep the money rolling in for them so...

[engfant]

"But requiring $400 PLUS $40, $400, or even, say $1400 if someone has gone 3 years is pure NONSENSE."

Agreed. Although it seems more of a scare tactic to keep people from cancelling. You would think the $400 would be enough. OR even give a break to the places that have multiple setups. Dolla Dolla bill yall.

[Andy]

Of course you should pay for back months if you want (or need) the upgraded version or support ... why not ... your neighbor did.

The $399 is the penalty for cancelling ... the back months just keeps you on the same footing as other salons using Helios.

The monthly fee is NOT for Tech Support ... whether you call once a month or once a year or never is not the point ... access the ongoing program updates and enhancements that is the value.

If you do not believe that Helios can help you prevent the theft of a bottle of lotion in a month or MORE ... you need to attend my Advanced Helios Training ... just a short time ago I helped a salon by using Helios Report identify an employee that had been lifting a significant amount of money for a very significant amount of time. It was right there for anyone that took the time to look to see.

There are many functions with Helios that are of more benefit to multiple locations that single operators my not use ... Helios does not charge multiple operator more for that additonal support.

Monthly support was also applicable when there was a license fee upfront to use Helios, it was on top of that upfront fee.

You acknowledge the help I have provided, well if you respect my opinion and ability ... let me offer this very sincere advise ... maintain your Helios Software Maintenance Agreement for all locations.

as Seacrest would say .... Thompson OUT.

_________________

Andy Thompson
Authorized HELIOS Independent Consultant
Office: 877-777-6717
CELL: 317-529-0041
andy@myatso.com[ This Message was edited by: Andy @ MyATSO.ca on 2004-06-10 19:59 ]

[tanfixr]

Quote:
On 2004-06-10 19:58, Andy @ MyATSO.ca wrote:
Of course you should pay for back months if you want (or need) the upgraded version or support ... why not ... your neighbor did.

The $399 is the penalty for cancelling ...


Fine, then they should do one or the other. To have the audacity to penalize customers is a holdover from early Helios days. If my neighbor was stupid enough to pay the corner loan shark, that wouldn't be a reason for me to do it too.

It's sort of like homeowners insurance. If a home owner took the risk of letting their insurance lapse for a couple of years, the agents doesn't reqire them to pay for the missed years before they let them renew. That would be unethical.

The Helios policy is very close to that.

Quote:
The monthly fee is NOT for Tech Support ... whether you call once a month or once a year or never is not the point ... access the ongoing program updates and enhancements that is the value.

And it's good that they stopped calling it that too. It is a license agreement with a punative clause.

Quote:
If you do not believe that Helios can help you prevent the theft...

Of course everyone knows that. That is no more the point than whether somebody uses tech support or not. Upgrades and service don't prevent theft. The program does. If a salon owner needs support, added features and upgrades then sure they should pay the monthly fee. But bug fixes or updates aren't even available without that fee.

Those penalties are anything but fair. And trying to pass them off as fair is what drives me nuts. After almost 20 years, since the very first dos versions, I think Helios is still the best tanning salon program out there. But fairness has nothing to do with it. If a compulsory monthly fee is what keeps Helios in business and keeps them improving the program, then fine. But it should be called for what it is. Do they really need to be so heavy handed? The quality of the program and the upgrades should be able to speek for itself - without penalties.

[ This Message was edited by: tanfixr on 2004-06-10 23:25 ]

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