American Dictation Support Explained

One of our great pleasures is the ability to help professionals get the most from the purchase of digital dictation, transcription and speech recognition products. What good is a full-featured digital voice recorder if you can't use it for what you intended?

Long ago, we decided to provide unlimited technical support for our professional customers. We learned shortly thereafter that if we could install the software, configure the hardware and software, and train the user, our tech support calls went down by a huge amount. So, we began offering free installation, configuration and training for our professional products. While most other dealers charge for this service, we find that almost all our customers will allow us to install their purchases, which means they become immediately productive. Otherwise, those who consider installing professional dictation systems to be within their realm of technical knowledge soon become constant callers to our tech support department as they find the software to be more complicated than they imagined.

So What About this Free Tech Support?

It's true that with each purchase of professional products, you receive free, unlimited technical support. However, to make this work best for both of us, we have a couple of policy guidelines you should be aware of:

• Free installation is one, initial installation of a licensed software item. If you need the same software installed again or on another machine (depending on licensing restrictions), we charge $29. This applies even if you re-install the software, but need us to re-configure the settings.
• We get busy. Some days are busier than others, and playing telephone tag is not a game we enjoy. Therefore, we often times will ask to set up an appointment when both you and we are ready to go.
• We take appointments between 7a and 5p Pacific Time.

Make Tech Support Work

Whenever you do have a problem with your equipment, we want you to feel you can call on us for help. It's our calling and our pleasure. And, if we do a good job for you, we hope you tell your friends and colleagues where to shop for dictation products.

However, when you do need technical support, we want you to take some actions on your own before calling:

• Make a note of any error messages. Even cryptic messages may help us identify the problem you're having. Read the message yourself. You may realize how to solve the issue yourself.
• If you're not having an error, but just want to figure out how something should work, consult the "Help" menu found in the software. You'd be surpised how much is offered these days in the on-line Help.
• Make sure you're using the latest updated version of your software. With the latest releases of the Nuance, Olympus and Philips software, you can easily check for new updates. For older versions or non-Pro versions of the software, see our Downloads section on our Support Web page.
• Restart your computer. Often times, a restart will "reset" your Windows and fix a problem.
• Update your operating system. Make sure you have the latest updates to Windows and Mac OS installed. As with the dictation software, updates often cure bugs.
• Replicate the error. After doing all the above, see if you can still repeat the problem. If so, call right away. It's helpful for us to see the error "in action," in order to diagnose. Of course, if we have to set an appointment at a later time and you need to move on with your work, we don't expect you to keep an error message open and hindering your work. If you can make a screen capture of what is on your monitor, that could help.

When Your Appointment Arrives

If we have to schedule an appointment time to work on your issue, we do try to be punctual. We know how valuable your time and ours is these days. Before the appointment, make sure you can be at the problem computer when we call and that it is on and logged in. Have your recorder or other devices used with the software handy for testing, configuration and validation.

What if You Didn't Buy from American Dictation?

Every day, we get calls from folks who bought digital dictation devices from other retailers, but find that they can't get competent technical support. Believe us, we feel your pain. While you're welcome to call us, we unfortunately cannot provide free technical support for products not purchased from American Dictation. In these cases, you can:

• Call the reseller. The first place to go is to the place from which you made your purchase. Granted, Staples or Amazon is not going to be able to provide much assistance, but fortunately only low-end consumer products are sold through these channels. If you bought a professional grade item, your dealer is required to provide technical support, although it may not be free.
• Contact the manufacturer. Look in your owner's manual or go on-line. Most have toll-free numbers you can call for assistance. Olympus and Philips will not provide technical support for professional-level products; support is only provided by authorized dealers, such as American Dictation. Nuance may charge you for technical support, depending on your product and purchase date.
• Purchase an Elite Tech Support Plan. If you can't find a good resolution from the above suggestions, you may purchase an unlimited support plan from American Dictation. See our Support page for details.

While we hope you never need technical support, if you do, we want it to be fast, efficient and productive. You already know you don't get some off-shore call center when you call American Dictation at 866-408-1383. We only hope you'll help us help you by paying some heed to these guidelines and suggestions.