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Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 9:14 am
by caleb
Hi all,

I just thought I'd take the opportunity to make a comment about the customer service I received from John Bowen after purchasing Solaris.

We had a few problems with getting the appropriate key from Creamware (don't think I'll go too deeply into that). However, John ensured that he kept in contact with me - apologising for the delay, pursuing Creamware, offering refunds when the key didn't arrive promptly - everything he could to make sure that I didn't feel alienated by the whole experience.

I felt that John went out of his way to make sure that I was satisfied even under difficult circumstances.

If you were to ask me to rank John Bowen as a customer service professional I would give him a 10/10.

By the way - his synth is cool too. :smile:

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 10:00 am
by AEP
ditto on that one

great products + great service = great company

all hail john bowen!

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 10:39 am
by samplaire
Good people = good treatment. Once I just e-mailed John Bowen that I liked his web page and got a very warm and friendly answer!

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 11:07 am
by zezappa
I must agree with a 10/10 for john bowen

Great work and surprising good support

Long life to him :smile:

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 11:14 am
by sinix
John has not only provided some of the best products that you can buy for the Creamware platform, but I'll also confirm the customer service is outstanding.

He's never failed to respond to my emails asking for demo products, new updates or questions in general. My purchases have always been handled in a prompt and professional manner.

To anyone who hasn't puchased a Zarg (or Wine Country Pro-One / Prophet), don't hesitate! John's a first class developer and provider.

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 11:18 am
by King of Snake
Yes indeed. I've been in email contact with him several times regarding some Pro One issues and every time he seemed to come up with yet another small update and promptly sent me new versions of the thing.
Thumbs up!

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 11:43 am
by Shayne White
Yes -- he's great! I bought the Orion synth ages ago, and he still sends me new updates. Unfortunately there are a few problems the old Orion has with SFP under XP, but I'm sure they'll get resolved with the 3.0 update. I don't have very much money so I can't buy the Solaris just yet, but I am very much looking forward to buying new Zarg products in the future!

All the best,

Shayne

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 11:47 am
by deejaysly
Yeah, John Bowen is a top bloke!

Even if it's a general "just wondering" question whether to do with his products or not, he never fails to reply!!! Not only that, it's how quick he replies aswell!!

If there is anyone unhappy with the products and service that John and Zarg Music provides then they blatantly need their head tested! But I very much doubt that this is the case :smile:

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 12:26 pm
by Mr Arkadin
JB is the best. When the Pro One was having problems he was sending updates, i'd make some comment and he'd go back and re-do it for the following day.

OT. i've also found SpaceF very responsive regarding their free synth Synthetic, so big up respeck to them too.

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 1:22 pm
by samplaire
OT. i've also found SpaceF very responsive regarding their free synth Synthetic, so big up respeck to them too.
SpaceF rules, too! Recently I asked him to do me a favour regarding he's French and he offered me help without any question :smile:

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: samplaire on 2003-05-14 14:23 ]</font>

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 1:25 pm
by samplaire
I have a feeling everybody here (not counting a marigin of DXLish guys :wink: ) is friendly and would always give his helping hand!

Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 1:45 pm
by astroman
I've bought the Python synth which is marketed by Zarg and received the same resonsive kind of support as everyone else above stated.
John's engagement for other developers and for the benefit of the platform is remarkable :smile:
Thumbs up and a full 10 voting !
I'll buy the Solaris right after a DSP upgrade as with just a quartett of old Sharcies it wouldn't be that funky :grin:

cheers, Tom

Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 1:52 am
by spoimala
Guys!

Very nice to hear some good words on somebody these days! Everybody - except everybody on PlanetZ, of course :grin: - seems to just nag other people and spread bad words.

I don't have any experience with JB. I wonder why so many "customer servicers" are giving practically no service. As we now see, good support is one of the best things one can do to get customers. I'm sure JB will get new customers because of this thread (caleb, how much does he pay for you :wink: )

Let's say good things about others and keep up good atmosphere :smile:

Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 3:25 am
by caleb
Hi spoimala. As you would probably expect, John does not pay me to say nice things about him. Hehehehehe.

You know there are a few people around who I would "accuse" of being so wonderfully customer focused.

John Bowen is someone I've added to the list. The developers of Muzys would also be on this list.

It's no surprise to me that I can quite often support people by buying their products occasionally because I want to support them.

Just to drag this OT for a second, I found it in my interests to do everything I could to support Muzys. It is my preferred method of music production and it is not backed by a huge company like Steinberg. Therefore, I felt that anything I did to support the host was only helping guarantee me a long life of using a tool that I love that will continue to be developed and supported. There are, after all, more ways to support a company than injecting money.

The environment of the music software industry is such that I'm no longer just buying a product, I'm buying a relationship.

I really think I've bought into a good thing with John Bowen and I'm certainly not afraid to say so.

Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 8:47 am
by Jez
I agree - the service from John is always very personal and very prompt.

I'm so glad to see good words about his hard work in June's Sound on Sound in the UK. I wonder if his service can handle the new interest publicity in SFP, Prophet series and Zarg this should hopefully produce!!

Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 1:38 pm
by decimator
Same as above ... yawn ! :wink:
Responsive, open to suggestions, kind, passionnate and dedicated !!

Ok, enough talk, try / buy his stuff and support him !!

Posted: Fri May 16, 2003 5:20 am
by spoimala
So much praise about one guy and his products.. soon I'm going to buy Solaris only for these good words :smile:

I've read in multiple posts that everyone likes ALOT this synth. Anyone care to post some sound examples? I'd like to hear something that uses only Solaris.

Posted: Fri May 16, 2003 9:20 am
by Mr Arkadin
Email John Bowen and he'll give you a link to the Demo, which is fully functional (and big!)

Posted: Fri May 16, 2003 10:44 am
by johnbowen
Hi all,

John Cooper just made me aware of this page of comments...and I was pleasantly surprised!
Thanks to all of you who commented...I really do appreciate the 'positive vibes'.

However, I also want to offer some words in Creamware's behalf regarding caleb's comments. The team there has been under tremendous pressure as they worked LONG hours to finish the Noah project, and I was not aware that they were going to have some well-deserved vacation time off once it was released. I should have realised this was the case, and made other arrangements.

Over the many years we have worked together, I have rarely had any problems with the Creamware crew, and I feel that they often get 'negative press', when in fact, they are working as best they can to do <Em>what</Em> they can to make things better. I think it's not obvious a lot of the time, and as a small company of one, I can tell you that running and working for a big company carries obligations and complications that often can't be addressed in a way that puts as 'human' a face on it as one would like (and as I can as a small company). The team there are all great - despite any frustrations you might have, at the end of the day, it's this Pulsar/Scope system that has made it possible for me to design such things as Solaris, and for you as users to have access to all the benefits that the Pulsar architecture provides.

cheers,
john b.

Posted: Fri May 16, 2003 11:01 am
by samplaire
It all only proves you are very modest and frank person, John :smile: