FileMaker Pro: A Masterclass in Customer Service
29 July 2025
Let me tell you a little story about modern customer service excellence, starring Claris and their delightful FileMaker Pro upgrade experience.
It's May 2025, and I'm looking to upgrade my trusty FileMaker Pro to the latest version. I reached out to Claris requesting a formal quote. You know, the kind of thing businesses have been doing for decades when making purchasing decisions, and the thing that procurement departments need to handle purchases.
But, apparently, formal quotes are last century. I was informed by the sales representative that they don't provide "formal quotes" and that I should simply complete my purchase via their website. Refreshingly modern and simple! Who needs transparency or documentation when you can just click "buy now"?
In the end procurement at our end gave in and I got my upgrade license. Money changed hands, software was installed, and all was well in the world.
Fast forward two months. Every time I start FileMaker Pro now, I'm greeted by a cheerful little pop-up. "Just wanted to let you know that FileMaker Pro 2025 is out! Your current license doesn't cover it though, so you'll need to purchase another upgrade license."
Given that purchase had been completed not even 2 months ago, I contacted Customer Support, thinking there might be some misunderstanding. Surely, if a sales representative had mentioned that a new version was imminent – literally just weeks away – I would have made a different purchasing decision. It seems like basic sales courtesy.
But again, sales courtesy seems to be last century. The response from Customer Support was a masterpiece of customer relations: "I would like to inform you however that the version 19 of FileMaker Pro is not eligible for the upgrade price for the latest released version and you would have had to pay the full price for the version 2025."
Of course I completely understand that I purchased an upgrade license for FileMaker Pro 2024, and that new versions require new licenses. But here's a wild idea: maybe, just maybe, when a customer is making a purchasing decision, they might appreciate knowing that their investment will become outdated in a matter of weeks?
It's the kind of information that most sales professionals might consider … relevant? Revolutionary concept, I know. Instead, I find myself in the enviable position of having purchased an upgrade license that was essentially obsolete before the credit card charge had even cleared.
The whole experience has been truly enlightening. Who knew that modern customer service could be so efficiently unhelpful? Claris has managed to create a system where customers can feel simultaneously uninformed and overcharged, all while being told that this is exactly how things are supposed to work.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another upgrade license to purchase. Because apparently, that's just how we do things now.