VidaBox Review - Chris Purser of Autogy : "VidaBox - Loyal, proactive, devoted."
AV Dealers: Not sure which Movie Server Manufacturer to go with? Hear from a fellow integrator and their VidaBox Experience.
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Chris Purser, President of Autogy, Inc "VidaBox - Loyal, proactive, devoted." |
Whenever I get together with my ConnectHome Integrator network to discuss all the new exciting products and ideas for our customers that are coming out in the near future, it never fails that the new guys will ask one question, no matter what: “How do you choose which manufacturer to partner with?” Certainly as an integrator, this is a question we often ask ourselves, albeit from a different point of view: “Am I using the right criteria for choosing, and am I working with the right manufacturers?” And the answer is not a simple one since there are so many important factors to consider. The product alone has several…
* Is this a good product?
* Is this product marketable?
* Is the product usable, reliable and serviceable?
* is the price affordable and the margin fair?
* And Can I repair it or return it??? Right?
However, These are the only questions that the customer really need to know the answers to before THEY buy. But what ELSE to we need to know before WE buy. We are not only putting money out there (like our customer will), we are putting out our necks. Let’s not forget the equally critical side of this coin, which is… Who is this company?
* Who is this company?
* Who are their people?
* What do they stand for?
* Do they stand firmly behind their products?
* Will they be there for you (and your customer) when there is a problem?
I’m sure you’d agree there are many more factors, but these few, I have learned, are the most important.
About 3 years ago I picked up a line of products from a relatively small firm (at the time) building Media Center Products. They seemed to understand my needs as a systems integrator and seemed to have a solid product. We commissioned them for a single unit, something called a LUX Media Center.
We discussed the specific and optional features and compared them to my customers particular wants and needs and determined this was the best product to fit those desires.
About a week passed before the unit from Vidabox arrived. Along with extensive paper and online manuals, instructional videos and help forums, this purchase came with what would become a benchmark for ourselves as an absolute requirement for choosing a manufacturer… aggressive and comprehensive customer phone support.
With some small challenges getting the unit set up (without an ounce of advance training) the customer was off and running, using what they would then describe as their favorite room in the house, for a media experience they had never imagined. Simple, elegant, powerful. Approximately 9 months later, and after having visited that customer twice for other upgrades and modifications to other hardware we had installed, (yep – recurring customer) I got an email from one of their technicians, Steve. “Chris, I noticed that the LUX you installed last year has had a hard drive crash. I have implemented a recovery application on the unit (remotely) to better protect the data in the interim, and I am shipping you a replacement (and newer) hard drive, with instructions and videos for how to change it out in the field.”
WOW, I thought. I wish EVERY manufacturer was like this!
I knew, at that moment, I that wanted VidaBox behind me on all my jobs. What a relief to have a company out there, as concerned about my reputation as I was. Sure it wasn’t completely selfless on their part, they had a customer to keep too, me. Now, it’s my experience that many manufactures go out of their way to dodge the bullets that will most certainly come. But Vidabox is like that one Secret Service Man whose job it is to stand in front of the bullet. That’s his job… Not go after the bad guy, not disarm the gunman, but just to stand in front of the bullet so it doesn’t hit the target. That’s Vidabox.
“Chris and Autogy really set themselves apart from other technology companies when they notified us of a potential problem with our system that we had not even noticed. They came and fixed the trouble and were on their way. We never knew we had a problem. They were really great. I have complete faith in their work and their ability to take care of my needs.”, was the testimonial I received 4 days later in a “thank you” card with a gift certificate to a restaurant inside.
“Man, I can sell this (company’s) stuff all day long”, I thought.
They shipped me a box to return the LUX in, and when they got the unit, they got right to work. Here is the ONLY time I have been disappointed with Vidabox, and I have to say, it lasted about 4 minutes. Once again, they rose above the issue and took care of things. Here’s what happened. I was informed about 4 days after Vidabox had received the unit for service, that during the infection cleanup, the technician had accidentally erased ALL of my customer’s home movie library. Steve was beside himself, this was clear. And once again, they explored the options, selected the fastest and most effective solution, and implemented it without pause. They just owned it. No big deal, right? People make mistakes, hardware has trouble sometimes, but when it happens to the guys over at Vidabox, they own it. They accept their limited flaws, come up with a solution and implement it as fast as possible. They just owned it. No sweat. The customer’s collection was restored and the unit returned, in perfect shape.
Once again the hero, and I didn’t lose any money.
Now there are some details I left out for sure. But I never once felt abandoned during the process, and more importantly, neither did my customer. Steve was aggressively in contact with me during the process both times. Late night emails that were responded to usually within an hour, even on weekends. Phone support all hours of the day, and yes, even on weekends. Remote support – yep – you guessed it – even on the weekends. He would even check on the unit remotely, time to time, and let me know it was running perfectly. The response time for emails is usually around 10 to 15 minutes and telephone support is usually instant. I have only twice, I think, gotten voicemail and had to wait a whole ten minutes for a return call. The list really does go on and on.
Bottom line…
* Product is great. Sexy, lots of bells and whistles. Everybody wants one. It’s simple and fun to use, works well and is easy to service.
* Affordable? sure. Margin sure. But those two things are superficial when “sales” really does add up to “more sales” and that to “even more sales”.
* And Vidabox??? There’s just no question. No question. Loyal, proactive, devoted.
There’s just no question!"
By Chris Purser of Autogy (Sunrise, FL)
Dealer since April, 2008
