Like nearly all similar companies, we do not provide technical support via telephone for a number of sound reasons. For the vast, vast majority of users, that we don't provide support via phone is normal and logical, as they realize that we can offer better and more timely support via this helpdesk than we could via phone. However, for a small percentage of people, the concept of an online helpdesk may still seem a bit strange.

Occasionally (though thankfully very rarely), we get an angry message complaining that we are not a "real company" if we do provide free 24/7 technical support via telephone, despite the fact that many other small companies, including Microsoft and Google, have similar setups for similar reasons.

We understand that if you're having a problem, your first instinct may be get the phone number of somebody that you can call immediately to help you. This is certainly understandable.

However, staffing a full-time phone number with competent professionals would add significantly to the price that we'd have to chage for our products. Since the helpdesk has worked so well for the vast majorty of our users, it doesn't make sense to burden our customers with such an unnecessary cost.

Or, let's put it another way - we take pride in not just having the best software in its class, but also providing it at a reasonable price, and we believe that the vast majority of people prefer our current pricing to the $20 or more that we'd have to charge additionally per product to provide even a somewhat limited sort of quality telephone support.

However, matters of cost aside, there's the reality that this helpdesk just works better. By using the helpdesk, we can:

• Keep a good record of what has been communicated to and from you, including what has been tried, and so forth.
• For technical matters, provide you with EXACT information, such as web addresses, codes, and multi-step things to try that are extremely difficult and time-consuming to communicate via telephone.
• Provide you with quick help more hours of the week. Not only is quick-reference help available 24/7 such as via the Frequently Asked Questions documents and self-help guides that we have, but often our helpdesk staff tends to respond more often than a standard workday would normally allow.
• Connect you with the exact person that can help you. When necessary, this means the exact programmer who coded the software that you are having issues with, or a content expert with a very narrow field of expertise about which you have a question - like our resident Glider CFI, who spends most of his time teaching and soaring with students, but takes some time most days to see if a helpdesk question has been directed to him.

Many of Dauntless's experts are professional pilots who often find themselves in strange and exciting hotel rooms or on irregular schedules. Through this system, you can get help from the appropriate expert, but still allow them to keep their professional schedules which help them become and stay experts in the first place.

Additionally, our helpdesk allows you to access many self-help tools that can often provide more immediate assistance than even a person on the telephone could.

For example, a common problem that people have is that they have lost or misplaced their unlock keycodes. Over the telephone, security would be at issue, since in theory anybody could call up claiming to be anybody. Our software unlock help wizard, on the other hand, faithfully solves most unlock code related issues 24/7 and does so securely so that your information is kept safe. Additionally, in this helpdesk, you will find Frequently Asked Questions documents and other useful tools.

For the vast majority of people, our helpdesk system works very well. While we understand that some of you may be used to phone support, please give the helpdesk a try nevertheless. It really does work and ultimately will allow us to provide you with better service than through any other means.

Our sincere thanks for your understanding and your patience in giving it a try.