ABS Technical Support

In most support situations we are simply asked how to do something. Sometimes it gets more complicated. We try to limit our support to ABS products. Occasionally something comes up that is not an ABS product, but impacts its operation. A good example would be a hardware failure, or computer upgrade. Naturally we assist where we can. Sometimes non-ABS things come up that are simply beyond our expertise. We can’t know everything about every product. That’s when you may require local IT support. If that’s the case, we’ll tell you, and even communicate with your support people to save their time, and your money. 

Installation instructions

A full installation manual is here. It covers the server (Host) setup, as well as client workstation installation. Follow the instructions to the letter, especially step 14.

User Manual

Our user manual has been expanded from the original. However, our product is continually being enhanced, so the most recent information will be in the online manual, or the upgrade release notes. The online user manual ma be downloaded and saved and/or printed.

Phone Support

All technical support is conducted by phone. Even with remote support, you must be on the phone with us. We don’t know the passwords you have setup. We may also need you to demonstrate the condition that triggered the support call.

There are cases where a hardware crash or just a simple hardware upgrade has made it necessary to reinstall, or re-configure the ABS. You probably aren’t a computer scientist so we stand ready to assist where we can. When things are really hairy, and the office is shy on technical know how, you may be required to bring in your local computer technician.

Regardless of the level of support you need, we ask that you call us during normal office hours, so we don’t have to call you back. We do return calls, but if someone calls us before we can return your call, they get priority, and you get to wait. Our office hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific time. Our phone is (503) 659-6752.

Internet

Often the need for help is not urgent, and waiting for an e-mail response is okay. We typically respond to all e-mail questions within one working day. It is not uncommon for you to get a reply the same day, or within the hour. Call us if it takes more than 24 hours. Your email may have been trapped by our spam filter.

E-mail should be used for questions, not for help fixing something. We will not continue an extended email dialog. Call us. It will save us both time if we remote into your system and just fix it.

Training

In a recent article in act. (an on-line service of Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America,Inc) Mele Fuller, of SAFECO Insurance Company stated: “… as has been written for years, the only way to get the most out of an agency management system is through training.” Believe me, she knows what she is talking about. Obviously, training has been an ongoing issue for all management system providers. Many companies charge many hundreds, even thousands, for training on their product. We provide unlimited training, and include its cost in the $199 start-up fee. You’re right. That doesn’t cover our cost, so why is it essentially free? Simple, we want you to be proficient at using ABS so you’ll send others to us. We also believe the more you know about ABS, the less you’ll need to call for support.

Basically, we give training away so we need to control our costs. We do that by training on the telephone. While you’re on the phone, we use remote into your computer and show you how to do things. Training on your system gives us an opportunity to see if you’ve developed any bad habits. It’s much better than sitting in a hotel ballroom, and looking at something that is designed to be perfect. Training on your system is very effective, and a thrifty way to make sure you get the most out of our software. Unlimited, free training is a very good deal.