Autodesk Support & "Elite Expert"

[DaveP]

What's the deal with Autodesk support lately?
Most of the Support Tickets I've filed lately are being answered by someone in the "Expert Elite" program.
Has Autodesk turned their Support into Uber?
Seems like their first point of contact is someone from the Elite program - so basically a formalized version of RFO.
Only if they can't handle the problem does it get bumped to an actual Autodesk employee.
So, what are our Subscription dollars for? Are the "Elites" volunteers?

[MPwuzhere]

The secret society of the Autodesk Elite. I have seen some of their answers to questions on the Autodesk Forums and it makes me wonder how they are considered "Elite". I applied last year and didn't even get a response...and I only applied as they got special seating at AU. Mentors got herded along with everyone else.

Think of this way, Alf might be helping you...

[Dave Jones]

Think of this way, Alf might be helping you...

well, at least he's helping you for free...oh wait, Subscription dollars, I forgot :crazy:

[MPwuzhere]

They aren't paid... Here is what they get:


Reputation

• Community badge
• Expert Elite Recognition Certificate
• Program welcome gift
• Video interview opportunities
• Social recognition (Twitter and AutodeskHelp blog)
• Discussion forum privileges e.g. mark or unmark accepted solutions

Access

• Private Expert Elite community
• Escalate community forum posts to Autodesk Technical Support (for most products)
• Access to Autodesk speaker series
• Expert Elite member monthly meetings
• Interactions with Autodesk Product Designers or Managers
• Access to Autodesk software products*

[Dave Jones]

must be nice to have the time to do all of that for free...Community badge? WTF??

[Chad Smith]

I think you've missed the bigger problem, which is that your IP and project confidentiality is now going to someone else. Someone else who isn't Autodesk, and could even be your industry competition.

[snowyweston]

Access

• To all your stuff

and that really irked me.

[Steve_Stafford]

...Most of the Support Tickets I've filed lately are being answered by someone in the "Expert Elite" program...

I'm part of EE but I don't get any support tickets. I don't know what makes that happen but I'm guessing it is a separate opt in process.

[MPwuzhere]

In the top 20 all time solution authors....still not part of EE... I miss the Mentor program...

[Alfredo Medina]

I'm part of EE but I don't get any support tickets. I don't know what makes that happen but I'm guessing it is a separate opt in process.

Same here. I am part of the EE group and I have no relation with support tickets at all. I understand that this is an optional service, called Directly, for which the EE member applies to, and does receive payment for each issue solved. When an Autodesk client writes to technical support, Autodesk mentions Directly as an option.

I would not be concerned if I needed help, and the help comes from someone competent affiliated to Directly. For many types of questions, he or she might be a better resource than someone inside Autodesk, because the members of Directly are usually working at AEC offices, on projects.