With the DA2 interest now coming in - how services actually 'clock down' is becoming a common talking point.
The flexibility of the service is a big draw (and being highly marketed) - but how it actually plays out is less clear - and buyers want to know before a purchase.
example - I have an actual quote building now for a client expecting to have sporadic use (especially over the winter).
He asked for a quote of 4-months of service (provisioned as (4) separate 1-month blocks).
[Assume a purchase and start of Dec 10.]
He will activate one 30-day block right away on Dec 10. Expects to not need the next one until say Feb. - that sporadic need.
Specifically - what happens at the 90-day mark from his over-all purchase date.
He will have 'spent' a block from Dec 10-Jan 10. Say he started block two Feb 1st.
That will carry him to March 1st. He then has two untouched blocks on March 2nd - but his day-90 from POS comes on March 10th.
What specifically happens to block 3 and 4 on March 10th?
Bottom line - how do folks best plan for sporadic use and service ?
I have let people know buying brand new service if needed in NOT an instant quick turnaround.
Think: a Public Works use case with an urgent response need - like a water main break on a weekend late evening or holiday. This type of scenario has been posed to me by clients several times already...
Helping these things be clear for the Sales cycle when answering client questions will help quite a bit.
So far, in my experience, there are lots of questions and confusion here. They don't want to spend unused service "just in case" it is needed.
(Add in the wrinkle when thinking about 'recurring' online purchases vs. quoted fixed blocks from a Rep, too).
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Gale Shea, GISP
MGIS Rep, WI
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2020 10:26
From: Christine Iksic
Subject: Re: 90-day auto-activation on subscriptions
I'm pretty sure that if you buy a block of 3 or 5 months the 90days of
activation is for the whole block. I.e. If you start and activate the day
you get it then 3 month will activate or turn over at the start of the 61st
day from when you activate it, and so on for consecutive months. If you
wait til 90days then the clock starts on 91 days for your first month and
it will then consecutively burn through months 3, 4, 5 as it reaches that
timeframe from the 90 day mark when it auto-activated. Does that make
sense. When you sell as block that is how it would work. If you should them
5 months to be applied to 5 separate users versus a block they all activate
at the 90 day mark and you would burn through all 5 months in the 30 days
following the 90 day period.
Hope that makes sense.
Cheers,
Christine Iksic
Mapping, GIS Sales & Support
Precision Laser & Instrument Inc.
412-512-5665
cmi@laserinst.com
www.laserinst.com