ATTN: AutoDesk corporate - Why only 1 day?

[mgunnisoncollins]

This is addressed only to the top managers and decision-makers and AutoDesk:

Why does your customer relations model not allow for a more indulgent engagement with customers.  Why limit the feedback loop to a single day?

Do you ever have focus groups with people who use the software?  If not, why not?  If so, who gets invited and how do I sign up?

[michael.mizuno]

Hi:

On the AutoCAD team we have traditional beta groups as well as other more feature-specific group called customer councils. These councils are smaller groups of users who we ask to try out features under current development. We mostly recruit out of the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT groups on beta.autodesk.com

[rob.maguire · Accepted solution]

Hi mgunnisoncollins,

To add to what Mike is saying, we constantly evaluate and attempt to improve the status quo of our customer engagement. It is of paramount importance to us. The most timely evidence of that is this very event which is an experiment on our part to see how the community responds.

I believe your question has two aspects: post-sales support, and product development feedback.

Post-sales support is delivered year round in one of many different ways:

• Traditionally your reseller should be providing some level of support
• Subscribers are entitled to web support (from basically the same people involved in this event). And please note that as already publically stated, perpetual license sales will no longer be available after Feb 1, 2016, which means that all customers after that date will be entitled to web support.
• The Autodesk Community offers Forums which have literally millions of customers and Autodesk employees ranging from community managers to designers, developers and product managers.
• The Autodesk Help Webinar Series (http://www.autodesk.com/help-webinars) a live set of interactive training sessions hosted by our Technical Support Specialists offers time-saving tips and tricks that can be used to immediately increase productivity.

The AutoCAD team engages customers constantly, starting with conceptual research, through widespread beta testing with thousands of customers months before the actual release.

• Initial concepts start with everything from a casual conversation to an idea that comes through the Autodesk Product Feedback mechanism (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=1109794)
• Individual feature teams create customer councils (as Mike described) which are typically recruited out of one of these other mechanisms, with an intent to focus on the right company size, industry, workflow, etc.
• Towards the end of the release we host an ever-expanding-audience beta (http://beta.autodesk.com). Once you register you might get notified of betas when they become available if you match the intended profile.

Hopefully this helps to explain our strong intension to support and engage customers for the duration of the product lifecycle. It is by no means a one day affair, hopefully this is the first of many in the Autodesk Answer Day series.

[mgunnisoncollins]

Thanks for the digestible feedback Michael. Good to understand your recruitment process.

[C3D_TomR]

If you're interested in joining the Autodesk Feedback Community you can access it here.

http://beta.autodesk.com

[hassand]

Hi There -

We are definitely working on having closer relationships with our customers company-wide. Answer day is certainly one avenue for engaging with our customers, but it's not the only. 

We do rely on focus groups to answer questions about product usage. We draw from our product specific customer councils that you can sign up for at beta.autodesk.com. We have just started an AutoCAD LT council that is working on a focus group project right now. Feel free to join if that is your primary product.

Also - we do have a "feedback" tab on the home screen when you open AutoCAD. If you send us feedback there, our team will get it and take it into consideration as we move forward. 

Thanks for taking the time to submit your question!

[mgunnisoncollins]

Hi Hassand,

I'm really glad Autodesk put on this Answer Day and I'm glad to hear there's an impulse to build a better relationship with your customers.  I hope the resources going forward are as easy to find as they have been today.  It's been helpful.

Thanks,

Matt

[mgunnisoncollins]

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your thorough response.

I'm on subscription via the website, so no reseller for me to engage.

When I first got the product for Mac in December, I used the web-support Forums a little, searching old posts for answers, and found some resolution to a couple issues. But generally I found the experience frustrating. Many threads lead to dead ends. And AutoCad for Mac inquiries were usually related to earlier releases.

It's good to know about live Webinars and the Councils. I was not aware of them before.  I'm in New York and I've never heard of anyone being a beta-tester for unreleased software.  Thanks for the links.

And I'm so glad that you did this event today.  I've found a few helpful resources that I can call on in the future. In particular Klaus Shumann, Dan908, and BeeKeeCZ were able to give direct and helpful answers. Knowing about this email address offers me comfort I previously did not have: feedbackacadmac@autodesk.com.  I imagine I will put this to use in the future.

For $200/month, would you guys ever consider adding a call in help-line?  It'd go a long way to making us olds feel like we can get help when deadline frustration hits hard.

Thanks,

Matt

[ParishSouthBdx]

well put sir.  I'll just bve reiterating what a number of folks have already tabled............Asking why just one day is the second tier of expected verbiage.  The first teir has to be in thanks and gratifute for Autodesk being pro-active in thinking of us end users and possibly how our real life issues in using autocad is in real time.  the pay if forward circle is if autodesk supports our efforts for success, we help our companys in their efforts for success, and in turn can afford to stay the course of utilizing Autodesk products, supporting  Autodesk in their success in helping the end user.  

thanks to all for their enduring patience............both sides of this equation.  

[maxim_k]

Hi Matt,

If you will have troubles with AutoCAD for Mac or just some questions - you are always welcomed at AUTOCAD FOR MAC GENERAL DISCUSSION forum here:
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-for-mac-general/bd-p/520

Ask your questions there, I always try to pursue the case....

Maxim

[troma]

I believe that platinum customers do get a number to call ... vague recollection of something I once heard ... not sure how to confirm that information, sorry.

[C3D_TomR]

Is this what you are requesting?

Autodesk Advanced Support

http://www.autodesk.com/support-offerings/advanced