We are completely fed up and over a particular brand of control system. It has been nothing but headaches. It makes no sense from a business standpoint to keep it any longer, so we're ceasing its use altogether. In fact, if we kept on with it, we believe we would be out of business. We are not the cut-and-run type and it was a hard conclusion to reach.

The problem is, our existing clients that are using it currently. We have 8 of these systems out in the wild, so, it's not that many.

To those of you that have done this, how have you approached this with these clients?

Our idea is to move them over by using a technology argument. In a nutshell, something like "better technology has been developed and we're moving forward with it". We also don't know if we should approach clients before they need us or when they need us. I'm sure there are 100 points to cover that we're not even considering.

Thoughts? Is there a dear Abby section on RC...

Say it ain't so.

Everyone graduates from Logitech eventually :)

I want to know what the brand/line is, IRKilla. This is like one of those annoying Facebook posts where friends arrive at hospitals and ask for thoughts and prayers - with 0 details.

I put a Harmony in my parents' house a couple weeks ago! :)

It's not easy. We have had the same situation with a system. We no longer sell it, but those customers of ours who do have said system we do our utmost to service and support them.

We still have stock of parts if anything fails, but when things fail we either replace with the stock we have or have that talk on "upgrading" their system. To be honest a lot of these systems have now become hybrid RTI systems which has helped the systems become more useable and stable to a point. Which is a good thing. When upgrading these clients we do them a deal to make it easier for them and get our distributor who flogged us the rubbish system and then dropped it so there is no longer any support for it in the UK to help us help our clients transfer to a working system.

It's not easy dropping a line with systems out there, especially if those systems have a high fail rate. But like I said we still support all of them out there to our best, and we have inherited a few other clients who we have helped create hybrid systems successfully.

Let me guess: Crestron??

All dealers will go through this. I did it with Prodigy (just about to replace those with regular Crestron).

Sorry for the pain man.

In other news I just spec'd an Autonomic MMS-2A ;-)

Bitwise-rti or procontrol?

Sorry about your issues bud, sounds like you need to go back to Vegas?!

I quit selling FROX years ago!

I sent him the same pm but added Savant lol

Not any of those. RTI's been our go to recently. Yes, an LV weekend would set us back straight.

don't keep us in suspense man...

if you fire them, they go out of business, or get bought out, the issue is the same. Try and deal with each client as they come up. Let them know that their business is important to you and you will do your best to maintain what they have.
Also let them know that if you were to continue with the current control system, you would be out of business, thus not be able to take care of them. Most clients see the light. This is one of the toughest jobs we face in our industry. Most factories could care less about your clients...we do. Most, not all, as there are exceptions, care only about their bottom line. They really forget that it is the customer who keeps us all in business.

Bottom line...take care of the client!

my nickel,
RR

Tell us who you are unhappy with.....chicken. :)

Before, or after they folded?

Nice insight Rhea. Your more insightful than you know as you personally described this company to me as "used car salesmen". Shhh

I'm not opposed to slingin' mud. I'm more than glad to do it. Just looking for insightful advice from fellow CI's that go through this siht.