Filed under: Business, IT Support, small business —
Posted: 20:54
June 3, 2009

I went out today to visit a client who was having problems with ESET Anti Virus.  It transpired that despite paying for the software from their previous supplier and it being licensed until September 09 it was having a problem with the username & password for downloading updates. They did not have a copy of the username and password details nor were they able to contact their old IT supplier as they did not seem to be in contact any longer. The simplest way forward was to contact ESET directly to try to obtain the details. After a brief conversation with the main switchboard I was told that they would get someone to call us back from tech support as soon as they were available, yeah heard that before! However I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call back from their tech support team asking how they could help. I explained the situation and gave the username that we had from the software, I was asked to hold. The next thing person to come on the phone asked if I had a “query regarding why the account was suspended”. I replied that I was just trying to find out what the password was as to was not downloading updates anymore. I was then told that the reason it had been suspended was because the previous IT supplier had not paid them for the software. I was asked if I was calling from the “end user” to which I replied “yes”.  Now at this point the client had paid the supplier for the software, however the supplier had not paid ESET so by rights the dispute was between client and supplier; ESET was under no obligation to correct this situation. What they actually did was nothing short of exceptional.  The man on the phone said “ok, I will re-activate the license to the end of it’s period in September. The only thing I ask is that when it is due you renew the product with us”.  This surpassed anything that I was expecting from this situation, the fact was as I said ESET did not have to put this right but the did. 

At the end of this, for the cost of a license, they have a very satisfied client who will tell a good few people how well ESET looked after them.  It was once said that sometimes you have to give something away free in order to get more business, this is a classic example of how to look after you client even if it may cost you a little; in the long run it will be worth.

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