Where is the impulse sale? Driver purchase is sooooo lame.....

[wappinghigh]

Last night I came across a couple of great new little drivers added to the EV site.

Like the ping driver and a couple of others I'd love to trial and buy.

But where is the facility for the "impulse" purchase?

Is this really how EV, Recluse, SethJ, DD and all the other great software and driver developers want to sell their drivers?

I mean I was sitting there wanting to purchase via paypal and push the "download now" button so I could get on with using these great new drivers and....

It was like stepping back in time 30 years..

Wait till next business day>Call the dealer>dealer has to register with EV>Dealer contacts EV (on the next but one business day)>then purchases the driver>Customer waits a couple of days/weeks for dealer to put driver onto system via Composer Pro>maybe if he/she is lucky via a remote in>dealer invoices customer by snail mail>Customer might take a month to pay invoice>Dealer gets money from sale 2 months after customer first wants to purchase driver>

Seriously

Is this really how software developers want to grow their business, improve cash flow and boost driver sales?

Do dealers like having a 2-3 month cash flow hole between purchasing the driver from EV on behalf of the user and the user finally paying the dealer?

Is this the way to sell software in the 21C?

[wappinghigh]

^

Now I propose a radical shake up of this.

Client of dealer (the "user") gets a special login ID from their dealer for the EV/Recluse/whoever website.

This login ID tags a margin on the sale for the dealer built into the driver purchase (each time a purchase is made)

The user then logs into the EV site, buys the driver direct from EV (via paypal or CC), then downloads the driver straight into their system

EV then reimburses the dealer the difference between wholesale and retail price on the driver. With a bit of luck Paypal might even do this automatically and instantly

The user still never needs to know this difference.

Everyone is happy

[wappinghigh]

Come on Control4

Make it easy to spend our money and support our dealers

[RyanE]

... Now I propose a radical shake up of this ...

Shocker, that.

RyanE

[wappinghigh]

Yeh. Real "radical"

:Like I'm the only one who's thought of it before :lol:

Sure. We all know it's a "no brainer"...

Seriously. Why the bottleneck and why doesn't the company do something about it?

[CFUG]

Yeah Control4- sneak it in before the Holiday break...

[AJ_]

This is easy to fix. All they need is a Driver Store, just like the App Store. Or just a sub-category within the current store. The tricky part is getting the driver installed but it probably is not that difficult at this point with 2.3+.

Btw, you can post all you want here but it may be noticed quicker if you email C4 or post on their Facebook page instead.

I just posted on their FB page requesting them to improve the aesthetics on their thermostat. It's just the housing that needs to be replaced. Everything else can be the same for now. I believe the Nest doesn't provide any more value to C4 users other than way better look and feel. No?

AC

[CFUG]

^I don't know about that. How many posts are there regarding (Control4 unit) deadband and out-of-the-box accuracy?

Lets tighten this up a bit. The unit does look like your grandma's stat- no doubt there. The current unit cannot use a wireless remote sensor- only wired and that is not good for retrofits. Two, the internal thermistor is sluggish as all hell- install a quality element! Three, there appear to many variables, in programming, that are inactive but could be useful to someone. Make them all available. Finally, documentation is so poor for this unit that many users struggle. Without getting into a hell-bent argument on pro vs. user, just make a white paper avail. on functionality.

[RyanE]

Why are you proposing that *Control4* change how Extra Vegetables sells their drivers?

You *do* know that they're *TWO SEPARATE COMPANIES*, right?

RyanE

[CFUG]

Last night I came across a couple of great new little drivers added to the EV site.

Like the ping driver and a couple of others I'd love to trial and buy.

But where is the facility for the "impulse" purchase?

Is this really how EV, Recluse, SethJ, DD and all the other great software and driver developers want to sell their drivers?

I mean I was sitting there wanting to purchase via paypal and push the "download now" button so I could get on with using these great new drivers and....

It was like stepping back in time 30 years..

Wait till next business day>Call the dealer>dealer has to register with EV>Dealer contacts EV (on the next but one business day)>then purchases the driver>Customer waits a couple of days/weeks for dealer to put driver onto system via Composer Pro>maybe if he/she is lucky via a remote in>dealer invoices customer by snail mail>Customer might take a month to pay invoice>Dealer gets money from sale 2 months after customer first wants to purchase driver>

Seriously

Is this really how software developers want to grow their business, improve cash flow and boost driver sales?

Do dealers like having a 2-3 month cash flow hole between purchasing the driver from EV on behalf of the user and the user finally paying the dealer?

Is this the way to sell software in the 21C?

I'm gonna agree with you on this. My reaction, HOWEVER, is just to not bother with 3rd party drivers with the exception of legacy Card Access devices and Rhapsody. What it boils-down to, for me, is whatever Control4 brings under their umbrella is what I'll use. Media excluded of course.

[wappinghigh]

Why are you proposing that *Control4* change how Extra Vegetables sells their drivers?

You *do* know that they're *TWO SEPARATE COMPANIES*, right?

RyanE

Really? No. That never occurred to me

Hasn't it occurred to you even if they wanted to sell them to us directly.... how are we going to download them and put them into our system, if we don't have pro?

So a fundamental change would have to happen in composer to allow this to happen.

If end users don't rattle the cage on this, who will?

I have no idea why EV and others chose to set things up that way..that's their business.

But could I be so bold as to propose that maybe it was because they had no other choice?

I mean what software vendor in their right mind wouldn't want to sell stuff straight into the home?

And what dealer wouldn't want a take of the margin directly deposited into their account?

All I'm saying is it would be a heck of a lot easier if drivers could be purchased directly and another win win win for everyone if it was set up properly.

Might even boost sales. Particularly small add on drivers like the one I mentioned..

Anyway.

Cheers

[avittech]

That really isnt the case. I am an EV dealer. I invoice online, you purchase, I install. My cash flow is great as I am paid up front and install is done in a day or so. My customers are all happy. Maybe you need a new dealer.

[wappinghigh]

My reaction, HOWEVER, is just to not bother with 3rd party drivers with the exception of legacy Card Access devices and Rhapsody.

You have no idea what you are missing out on in that case

Nor do we have a clue what ideas are being throttled right now because software vendors can't get simple little cheap add ons quickly into folks homes because it is uneconomical to do so with the current model.

I mean what does everyone think? That end users aren't going to roam onto the EV and Recluse site and wish it wasn't a heck of alot easier?

Anyway

Cheers

[RyanE]

Mean what does everyone think? That end users aren't going to roam onto the EV and Recluse site ...

Actually, for probably 90%+ of users, you can just stop there.

Yep, that's *exactly* what I think.

RyanE

[wappinghigh]

That really isnt the case. I am an EV dealer. I invoice online, you purchase, I install. My cash flow is great as I am paid up front and install is done in a day or so. My customers are all happy. Maybe you need a new dealer.

Nope. They are great.

I'm talking about simple add on little drivers here. The sort of stuff independent from major third party hardware. That doesn't need much dealer input to add on...

Maybe EV etc al could have 2 ways of selling their drivers.

What would dealers care if they still got their margin?

I got the idea when I went roaming onto a scientific journal the other day. I purchased something via an associations website and logged onto the vendor selling the goods, downloaded it and it looked as if (to the vendor at least) that I was a member of the association. In effect I paid for the software via the associations subs.

All I'm saying is think beyond the square. Why couldn't dealers sell stuff that way. What do they care how? As long as they get the margin.

As I said anything to make it easier for us all.

Just giving you some feedback

Cheers

[wappinghigh]

Mean what does everyone think? That end users aren't going to roam onto the EV and Recluse site ...

Actually' date=' for probably 90%+ of users, you can just stop there.

Yep, that's *exactly* what I think.

RyanE[/quote']

Huh? 90% of C4 users don't have the internet and google? Your kidding right?

Yeh. And every C4 user get's updated every week from their dealer what wonderful new drivers are out there so easy to purchase..

Let me turn this around. Why *wouldn't* EV et al want to sell some of their drivers this way?

Why wouldn't dealers want a nice little simple income stream set up like this?

[wappinghigh]

This is easy to fix. All they need is a Driver Store, just like the App Store. Or just a sub-category within the current store. The tricky part is getting the driver installed but it probably is not that difficult at this point with 2.3+.

AC

Well sure. 100% agree on what you propose.

Right on.

But can you please elaborate on this. Is there something about 2.3 that has fundamentally changed re driver installs?

[wappinghigh]

^ As an example all I am saying is having read about the little EV Ping driver and how useful it might be, it would have been nice to have a play with it over the Xmas break. Would have been nice to pay the developer on the spur of the moment, and shunt some quick cash onto my dealer.

As it is, it won't happen.

Not to worry. Who really cares?

It's the end of the world tomorrow anyway.

So this will be my my last post :cool:

[CFUG]

My reaction' date=' HOWEVER, is just to not bother with 3rd party drivers with the exception of legacy Card Access devices and Rhapsody.[/quote']

You have no idea what you are missing out on in that case

Nor do we have a clue what ideas are being throttled right now because software vendors can't get simple little cheap add ons quickly into folks homes because it is uneconomical to do so with the current model.

I mean what does everyone think? That end users aren't going to roam onto the EV and Recluse site and wish it wasn't a heck of alot easier?

Anyway

Cheers

I'm back to the basics with Control4. You can only get so frustrated then realize that life needs to be simplified. The idea of HA is great but the execution is flawed by economics and abstract thinking. No more automated toilets, no more, no more.

[wappinghigh]

^ hahaha +1

You're not wrong. Things are about to get real simplified tomorrow!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon

[RyanE]

Wap,

My point is that this is the *same* "simple suggestion" you make every time you make a suggestion.

i.e. have a way for end users to install drivers, do more 'DIY' with Control4.

EV *could* sell their drivers and have you auto-install them today. There is a mechanism with Flash Apps that lets the app install a related driver. They could go that route to sell their drivers through the 4Store. They don't, because they can do better having *dealers* sell the drivers for them.

*STRAW MAN ALERT!!!*

As usual, you're mis-interpreting my statement, then proving the misproven statement wrong. I never said 90% of Control4 users don't have Internet. I said 90% of them don't care about how their Automation system works enough to tweak it and want to install EV's ping driver. Now, 90% of the users *here* very well may want that, but that's a different argument altogether.

Also, I have no doubt that even if the world *were* to end tomorrow, you'd still find a way to come on here and post.

RyanE

[wappinghigh]

^ Ryan.

Your not wrong. I'll find a way

And please. Can the following post live forever beyond 21/12/2012

I'm back to the basics with Control4. You can only get so frustrated then realize that life needs to be simplified. The idea of HA is great but the execution is flawed by economics and abstract thinking. No more automated toilets, no more, no more.

This is *the* post of 2012.

May it live into perpetuity

[Godzilla]

My reaction' date=' HOWEVER, is just to not bother with 3rd party drivers with the exception of legacy Card Access devices and Rhapsody.[/quote']

You have no idea what you are missing out on in that case

Nor do we have a clue what ideas are being throttled right now because software vendors can't get simple little cheap add ons quickly into folks homes because it is uneconomical to do so with the current model.

I mean what does everyone think? That end users aren't going to roam onto the EV and Recluse site and wish it wasn't a heck of alot easier?

Anyway

Cheers

I'm back to the basics with Control4. You can only get so frustrated then realize that life needs to be simplified. The idea of HA is great but the execution is flawed by economics and abstract thinking. No more automated toilets, no more, no more.

i just read an article that smart phones are making us dumb.........lol.....................so now were lazy and dumb

[CFUG]

^Negative, but the person-to-person interaction is far less meaningful today than prior to the smart phone explosion.

"Hold that thought, someone just texted me... OK, now what were you saying??"

[CFUG]

^ Ryan.

Your not wrong. I'll find a way

And please. Can the following post live forever beyond 21/12/2012

I'm back to the basics with Control4. You can only get so frustrated then realize that life needs to be simplified. The idea of HA is great but the execution is flawed by economics and abstract thinking. No more automated toilets, no more, no more.

This is *the* post of 2012.

May it live into perpetuity

And another thing to add: I understand there are happy users out there, yeah, I was one of them once too. And, sometimes I see these users come on here and go JRiver on us all when ONE thing goes wrong. Thread after thread of the same thing. Is this the way people are suppose to act? I do believe (although I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV) there is some disorder named after that...