Comments on: Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys.

By: Customer Care Training

Customer Care Training — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:42:12 +0000

Thanks for the information. You made an interesting point about the fact that the only way to contact Google is through email, which involves a 24 hour waiting period. As more of us are using email as a main form of communication, I wonder how much customer service is going to suffer? Just like face-to-face customer service, email etiquette is going to have to be a focus to promote customer care.

By: Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys.

Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys. — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:33:34 +0000

[...] Another fellow blogger placed an observative post today on Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys.Here’s a quick excerptEmail Marketing Systems » Blog Archive » Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys. says:. […] Another fellow blogger added an interesting post today on Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys.Here’s a small readingFor tough … [...]

By: Email Marketing Strategy » Blog Archive » Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys.

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:02:25 +0000

[...] Another fellow blogger added an interesting post on Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys.Here’s a small excerptEmail Marketing Systems » Blog Archive » Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys. says:. […] Another fellow blogger added an interesting post today on Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys.Here’s a small readingFor tough … Peter Cohen, SaaS Marketing Strategy Advisors says:. Excellent point. A SaaS solution isn’t a product; it’s a promise. And it’s more than the set of features, narrowly defined. It’s the support, the ease of deployment and … […] … [...]

By: Miklb's Mindless Ramblings

Miklb's Mindless Ramblings — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:22:35 +0000

[...] was a sponsor of, yet another reason to be a fan) posted an article on their blog today about the difficulty of Saas.SaaS is not just a new distribution method for software with a lovely revenue stream. It’s a new [...]

By: Alan

Alan — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 04:23:22 +0000

I’m not sure how long it’s been this way or was an outstanding issue, but the page shows last updated yesterday (1/29/09) and the status of that problem is “resolved, but contact us if this is affecting you.”

By: Email Marketing Systems » Blog Archive » Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys.

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:59:14 +0000

[...] Another fellow blogger added an interesting post today on Google proves SaaS is hard, even for big guys.Here’s a small readingFor tough problems, I often tell people my name, email address, and phone number so they can “wring my neck” if the problem is not resolved. I wouldn’t pick on Google if this was a one time issue, but if it is a known issue they definitely deserve … Peter Cohen, SaaS Marketing Strategy Advisors says:. Excellent point. A SaaS solution isn’t a product; it’s a promise. And it’s more than the set of features, narrowly defined. It’s the support, the ease of deployment and … [...]

By: May Chu

May Chu — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:13:54 +0000

I was just having a conversation with someone who said that SaaS accounting / invoicing is a risky space to get into because it is so easy to make a invoicing application — anyone with some programming skills can make an invoicing / accounting application. But the process certainly has not been easy for us and I do not assume it has been easy for FreshBooks. It seems like years after FreshBooks first started, they continue to hire a team of developers to innovate and respond to customer requests.

The SaaS space also calls for a different kind of approach to customer service, fast and personable –which I know Sunir is very good at

At the end of the day, a company like FreshBooks is successful because it has great people who provide great customer service and continuously innovate with their product offering.

By: lubos

lubos — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:46:54 +0000

This guy was using Google Apps for free and registered domain through Google for how much? $10 bucks? Google failed to delegate renewal, but you can’t just blame Google. He should take responsibility as well for not checking with eNom whether his domain was successfully renewed.

For Google, providing these services is a way how to move more people into webbrowser. They don’t do it for profit, it’s more about weaking Windows dominance and destroying their main competitor’s cashcow. Therefore they can’t prove whether SaaS is hard or not because they’re not really doing it.

By: Cos

Cos — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:04:44 +0000

This is an excellent post, your final point is very well received.

Thank you.

By: Peter Cohen, SaaS Marketing Strategy Advisors

Peter Cohen, SaaS Marketing Strategy Advisors — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:55:17 +0000

Excellent point. A SaaS solution isn’t a product; it’s a promise. And it’s more than the set of features, narrowly defined. It’s the support, the ease of deployment and configuration, the buying process, the entire experience.