MYOB Australia: Customer Service (NOT)

[DOCCA]

Another fantastic product that you can use is Wagez for Windows, it's is only $95 a year for a Single user licence and it very easy and simple to use. If you have Multiple companies you can buy a Multi Company version for $195 from place like Harvey Norman.

If You only need a simple General Ledger system and don't need to keep track of stock or don't need a fully integrated Debtors/Creditors sytem and don't want to do any more data entry then talk to your Accountant about BankLink.

What happens is your Accountant signs you up to the BankLink service and your Bank then provides your Bank Statements to your Accountant on a Monthly/Weekly basis in an electronic format. A Lot of your transactions will be very repetive and if you use BPay a lot or Pay anyone you could potentially code up to 100% of you entries. The average is probably more like 50% - 80%.

Your Accountant can either send you a BankLink Coding Report or Notes/Books file with a lot of your transations already precoded into the correct Income/Expenses etc. You then code the remaining items and send it back to your Accountant. TYour Accountant can then do your BAS or you can do it yourself.

If you are interested check out their website. They also have a Standalone Debtors and Creditors Module if you need it.

Who wants to key in their data into any program. We all have better things to do with our time. BankLink can also export the fully coded data back into MYOB or Quickbooks if you want to keep using that as well.

Cheers.

NGE Note: See forum rules re links and advertising.

[gbs]

Hi, The picture with MYOB is not that much better from their partners viewpoint. I've been an MYOB Certified Consultant (MYOB CC) since 2004 and all the sales and support staff have all vanished (ie left or gone). The only one I know is My Account Manager who I order software through. Although the roles have been replaced new staff don't even come downstairs to say Hi when we have partner meetings in their own office - Disappointing.

Last Nov I decided that just being an MYOB CC was a huge exposure to my business. I could see MYOB loosing its market dominance or being split up. All my clients have seen in the last 2 years in MYOB really has been the tax tables and that is an expensive way to acquire them.

So I looked for a better solution and settled on Xero (www.xero.com) as providing the best solution for the General Ledger and Paycycle (www.paycycle.com.au) for Payroll. I've picked up quite a few new & converted some of my existing clients over. All of us have never looked back. Clients who have used MYOB and then use Xero/Paycycle really appreciate the Xero Interface and Features. Better yet they don't have to install upgrades Xero/Paycycle does this about every 4-6 weeks.

What I'm telling my Payroll Clients now is that rather pay for lack of service and frustration for a payroll system get into Paycycle. It's priced on the number of active employees. 1 is Free. 2-5 is $19 per month, up to 10 is $29, up to 20 is $39 etc. No Lock in Contract. You can import your employee data from MYOB into Paycycle and you can link your journal with Xero or MYOB. Xero works a treat.

Honestly I showed a client Paycycle this morning and its a dream to setup and run. You can have unlimited users but just the payroll people and it puts a journal back to the accounting system (Xero in my case this morning). The reports are great, emails a payslip, its quick and clean.

As a consultant I'm often asked to setup systems. Yes we all want integrated Payroll its critical. The we get to implementation and its Oh I only want Sam and John to access the payroll. But then you have to explain well its integrated so you have to let the person reconciling the bank to see it and I've got to shut the other 10 doors for everyone else. The best security on Payroll is put it in another system and just let the people that need it get it. Put a combined journal in the General Ledger. You're done.

Just a couple of tips... MYOB only has an upgrade for Accounting Plus. If you are on Premier or Premier Enterprise then you have to go on to MYOB Cover to get the updates. If you purchase MYOB Cover by the month then you have entered into a contract with MYOB of paying the cover in 12 parts. The contract then renews and you get a new invoice. Paycycle have a 30 day trial. You can put an opening balance into Paycycle to transfer you from one payroll to another.

So if you want to try xero or paycycle you can or drop me a line if you like some assistance.

[accountshq]

While MYOB has previously had a good product, their support is certainly not customer focussed and at times can be frustrating. About a year ago I looked to other providers to partner with as I got annoyed with my clients having to continually upgrade costing them time and money.

Can I suggest you have a look at Xero (www.xero.com) - you can contact me for a free trial, I partnered with them about a year ago just so I could offer my clients accounting software that they never had to upgrade themselves (or pay anything for an upgrade) and they would be entitled to free support anytime they needed it. It's gotten about 22,000 users now so is giving MYOB a run for its money. While it doesn't have a built in payroll, Paycycle (www.paycycle.com) is very good and their support even better - every time I ask a question it is answered promptly for free and they've incorporated most of my suggestions into their upgrades (which I never have to pay for or install myself). Once again, can give you a free trial if you would like to suss it out for yourselves.

We partner with 4 different accounting solutions (we're an outsourced accounts/bookkeeping company) and I do that because I believe in the best solution for the client. Admittedly we are taking a lot of our clients down the Xero line simply for the convenience and support, but if you want an opinion on some others then please don't hesitate to contact me and I can talk you through options (which definitely don't have to include any solutions from us) - I'm just passionate about making business financials easier :)

[BusinessBattler]

Just want to be fair to MYOB.

I eventually received a reply from the lady in Kuala Lumpur who assured me that they'd finally sorted out the access issue. Was I offered anything for my troubles? No. Was I offered extra time for the downtime? No.

Then eight (8) days later I received an email reply to my initial email support request. That's right, 8 days. The writer noted that everything appeared to be sorted out, noted that my membership was soon to expire, so then took the liberty of forwarding a quote for renewal of my support membership.

The new price for 12 months "support"? $493.05. I wonder, if they doubled the fee, if they'd get back to me in half the time?

And ponyrider, I'm not looking to start a war with you, but I don't consider 70 minutes spent NOT sorting out an issue caused within MYOB's own infrastructure a fair use of my time. Nor do I consider 8 days to reply to an urgent email good business practice.

If MYOB spent 1 hour 20 minutes stepping me through a process I couldn't get my head around, that would be different, but my issue was denial of service for which I paid real cash. I think they're two very different things.

Kangaman, can you tell us what application you chose?

mdibari, thanks for the link. Unfortunately they don't seem to support AccountEdge for Mac, but I'll contact them to confirm.

[mg788]

Given how user unfriendly the MYOB software is, it's no surprise that their 'customer support' is structured similarly.

[5095]

Tax rates are based on current PAYG "Statement Of Formula" available from ATO for computerised payroll software.

[ponyrider]

I think you are being too harsh. For almost every working day of the past three years, I have called and dealt with MYOB Support. You complain about a 40 minute wait on hold, I can beat you there: I've on occassion spent 1 hour 20 minutes dealing with them. But you know what? We get there in the end.

MYOB is not a complicated product. If you don't know how to use after six months, I suggest you try something else. There are numerous Dummies guides out there that might help.

[Kangaman]

I was given a copy of MYOB with a password when I first started business some 12 years ago. I found it to cumbersome for my business. I understand that different businesses need different programs.
Now I see what people are paying for MYOB, I'm glad I did use it. I pay (about)$198/year for support and upgrades. I can talk to an english speaking person in South Australia, with a wait time of 5 minutes when its busy.
Tax table upgrades are included in the annual fee.

[Binawa]

As someone who is in the process of planning a new business and sussing out accounting software, I'm so grateful I've read these comments now. Everyone raves about MYOB but it seems they've grown a little too big for their once humble boots. Once a company outsources its customer 'service' functions out to a developing country, it's a sign (to me, at least) that the customer is no longer the priority, but money is. Looks like my task of finding good, all-round software will steer me clear of MYOB. Gosh, I love this site and I hope the others who've already bought the software and aren't getting what they expected get a better deal, and soon.

[Binawa]

As someone who is in the process of setting up a new business and sussing out accounting software, I'm so grateful I've read these comments now. Everyone raves about MYOB but it seems they've grown a little too big for their once humble boots. Once a company outsources its customer 'service' functions out to a developing country, it's a sign (to me, at least) that the customer is no longer the priority, but money is. Looks like my task of finding good, all-round software will steer me clear of MYOB. Gosh, I love this site and I hope the others who've already bought the software and aren't getting what they expected get a better deal, and soon.

[mdibari]

I am of the same opinion regarding their "support"
I have only ever received automated responses.
I purchased and started using their software in April with no problems.
Can you imagine how annoyed I felt when, less than 3 months after spending $700+ to purchase the software, it was out of date?!
Apparently I need to spend another $500+ to update the software just because the tax tables have changed.
I do not consider the tax tables to be part of the software. The tax tables are data that are publicly available and used by the software.
I can see the need to purchase new software or an upgrade when systems change (eg introduction of the GST) or software provides new features that I desire.
Having to spend 70% of the original purchase price every year to keep the tax tables up to date, I find unconscionable.

The thing I found most annoying is that the changes that occurred at the end of last financial year were in the pipeline and known. Why weren't they included? When I purchased the software MYOB knew it would only be good for less than 3 months.
MYOB's system of keeping the tax tables up to date is rapacious.
I should at least be able to update the tax tables manually. Why isn't this facility available (it was once)?

I have found a solution.
http://www.fghtables.com/
You can purchase the most common tax tables for a bit over $50

[NGE]

I've just ended a frustrating 50-odd minutes talking (or listening to) MYOB technical support and customer service trying to work out why I cannot access their support website, despite having paid $469.00 for the privilege to do so. And that's not the first time I've tried. Yesterday I sat on hold for 20 minutes, only to have the line drop out. Then I sent an email message via the MYOB website, but haven't received (other than an initial robot response) the courtesy of a reply to that.

This has all happened because I needed the new 2010 Tax Tables, to which you're only entitled if you've paid for MYOB Support. And last year, that MYOB Support cost me $469.00. For that I've received one software upgrade and now, after 50 minutes of hassle, my tax tables for the coming year. Hopefully Wayne Swan won't change them again, or that will be the end of me!

If you're thinking about buying MYOB, please be aware that the day you buy it, you catch a ride on a "Customer Support" merry-go-round that will cost you year in, and year out, for the rest of your natural life.

When Customer Support first started, it entitled you to upgrades, phone support, a business magazine subscription, a business "pod-cast" type service mailed to your office each month, and published manuals addressing key issues for MYOB users. And it was reasonable at about $240.00.

Now you get (very) basic support from people based in Kuala Lumpur, the odd upgrade if you're lucky, and whole heap of discount offers for other MYOB products and services that the average business battler is unlikely to use. All for twice the old price!

And when you complain to the tech, when you finally reach one, that you've been waiting a long time, he'll point out to you that the average wait time at "this time of the year" is 20-40 minutes. You'd think, after so many years, and considering their lofty Customer Service membership fee, they'd know they needed to put on a few more than the 40-odd extra people to provide the service they purport to offer.

I guess that's what they call "Making Business Life Easier Giving You The Solutions To Succeed".

I'm still waiting to be granted access to the MYOB site. Bet they won't credit me for the time I've been lock

NGE Member: BusinessBattler