# MX980 software cont'd



## geckoutca (Dec 30, 2009)

Hello all!!!

i purchased my 980 recently and it has worked wonderfully....however i was of course in the dark as to the whole software issue so when i recently bought a new receiver and mac tv and a PS3 i was troubled to learn from my dealer that the only way to get those items on the remote was to schedule time with them for 100$ an hour to set up the remote....now this all happened as company was in town for the holidays and of course there is a 3 week wait to have someone come out and get my remote working!!!! seems crazy to me that now i have to wait and schedule someone to come out here each time i decide to add to my system!!! i read on this thread that people have been able to get some of the software sent out and wondered if a few of these kind people could help me out as well!!! 

thanks in advance,

john


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

It would be illegal for anyone to give it to you other than your dealer, but I have never heard of a dealer not giving a copy to their customer for programming. Who is your dealer and maybe I can give them a call for you.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Lots of dealers will not give out the software. This is one of the reasons that they like URC. They can maintain leverage to get the labor for programming and keep their clients coming back. Ironically, this often backfires, and people find the software anyway if they keep digging.


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

Other boards have tons of requests for the same software. Some people are successful, others aren't.

I had to sign up for a dealer account with Philips to get firmware updates for my Pronto -- so this kind of behavior isn't limited to URC.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

geckoutca,

have you registered your remote with URC and tried to download the software from them?


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## geckoutca (Dec 30, 2009)

the site won't allow for one to register the mx980 model  so they won't open it up for software


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Like Leonard stated... this philosophy can backfire on dealers and even on URC in some cases. 

There are some users out there who will never buy another URC product because they got bit by a dealer on buying the remote. In some cases it may have been an unauthorized dealer and the user was simply unaware of the fact. People buy off ebay all the time and do not realize what they are buying has no warranty. In the case of the URC "Professional" remotes, they do not realize the software is not included. They will blame the dealer and URC, regardless if it was their own fault. In other cases it may be that the customer purchased the unit from a legit dealer and the dealer told the customer that they would program it and if they needed changes to give them a call and they would come out and reprogram it for them. Oh... by the way, it's a hundred bucks every time we come out and it may be 2-3 weeks before we get there. Unhappy customer just quit shopping with that dealer.

If I am a dealer and want to provide excellent customer service, this is what I would do. If possible and feasible I would have the proper staffing to handle tech calls including remote programming, otherwise I would not offer this type of remote without the customer understanding that they will have to learn how to program it themselves and I would provide them with a copy of the software. I would explain to the customer that they do not need to buy it unless they are certain they can learn to program it because I do not have any techs to come out and program it for them. Even if I do have techs... I will still give the customer a copy of the software and tell them that we will be happy to come out and program it for them if needed, but it will cost them $100 per trip and in some cases it may be 2-3 weeks before we can schedule a visit, therefore here is a copy of the software if you would like to do the programming yourself. Happy customer!

Most likely though... if I am a dealer, I do not want to fool with programming remotes. If a customer lives 30 minutes away, I have to drive an hour round trip to spend 30 minutes to an hour programming a remote. I have to check and double check my programming (every single button) because I certainly do not want to leave there and the customer call me a few hours or days later to tell me that one of the buttons is not working properly. You have to test every button... it can be a pain at times. I have owned 6-7 of these remotes and it never fails that some commands I have attempted to get the remote to learn did not take. It is generally something minor... and sometimes it is something that I do not realize until I start digging deep into the equipment menu and find the up button does not work and I have cycle through all the options again... or whatever it may be... I have to reprogram it. Anyway... the dealer has possibly 2 hours in something that makes him chump change when he could possibly be doing something to make him a better return on his time.

In some cases the dealer may have to make those programming trips if it is one of those customers who simply does not want to have to fool with that sort of thing, but a dealer can charge those customers accordingly and it could be profitable. BUT... making a customer wait 2-3 weeks and have to pay $100 can not be wise and profitable by any means. That dealer needs to get a lesson in customer service.


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