Memberships Explained
By Richard Rost
2 years ago
Memberships Explained: TechHelp, Learning Connection, MYOLP
Welcome to Access Learning Zone, where we offer a variety of membership options designed to meet the needs of both beginners and advanced users alike. Whether you're already a member of our website or YouTube channel, or just considering joining, this guide will help you understand the different types of memberships we offer and the benefits each one provides.
Membership Options
At Access Learning Zone, you don't need to become a member to purchase individual lessons, templates, or seminars. However, membership offers significant perks, including discounts of up to 50%, access to extended cut videos, exclusive content from our code vault, and much more.
We offer three main types of memberships:
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TechHelp Memberships: Available in Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels, these memberships cater to various learning needs and offer access to our extensive library of TechHelp videos. These memberships are available on both our website and YouTube.
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Learning Connection Membership: Ideal for beginners, this membership provides a structured learning path that starts with Level One, available for free. Subsequent lessons are delivered weekly at a 50% discount. As a Learning Connection member, you'll progress through beginner and expert levels in a recommended order, ensuring a solid foundation in the topics you wish to master. The flexibility to adjust the delivery interval, whether it's every few days or every few weeks, makes it a perfect fit for those who prefer a paced learning experience.
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MYOLP Membership: MYOLP stands for "My Online Learning Partner" and is our all-you-can-eat buffet membership. With this option, you gain unlimited access to all video lessons within your chosen level, Beginner, Expert, or Developer. This membership is particularly beneficial for those who have been working with Access for some time and want to pick and choose specific topics, like DLOOKUP or recordsets, without following a set order. Additionally, MYOLP members receive the best possible discount for an annual membership, making it the most cost-effective choice for comprehensive learning.
TechHelp Memberships
Our most popular memberships are the TechHelp Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels. Each tier offers increasing benefits:
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Silver Members receive access to extended cut versions of our TechHelp videos, which dive deeper into specific topics. Additionally, Silver members enjoy a 10% discount on any other products and one free Beginner class each month, in order.
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Gold Members enjoy all the perks of Silver membership, plus access to our exclusive Code Vault, where you'll find a treasure trove of VBA code snippets and examples used in our lessons. Gold members can also download the databases featured in our TechHelp videos and benefit from a 20% discount on other products. Furthermore, Gold members receive one free Expert-level class each month, in order, once they've finished the Beginner lessons, allowing them to continue their learning journey through more advanced material.
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Platinum Members receive all the benefits of Gold membership, with even more advantages. Platinum members get a 50% discount on additional products, one free Advanced or Developer class each month, in order, once they've finished the Expert lessons, and priority placement in our TechHelp question queue. While there is no guarantee that every question will result in a video, Platinum members' questions are given top consideration.
Frequently Asked Questions
See the comments section below for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about memberships.
Links
Here are some links to other helpful pages with more information on memberships:
Thank You
Thank you for choosing Access Learning Zone. I'm Richard Rost, and I look forward to helping you on your journey to mastering Microsoft Access. Live long and prosper!
Regular Courses Not Included
Your Silver, Gold, or Platinum membership does not entitle you to all of my regular courses, seminars, or templates. You do get one free class each month, in order, depending on your membership level. See the Perks page and the Free Courses for Members page for details.
For Beginners...
If you are new to Access (or any other program) the TechHelp videos are not the best way to learn for beginners. TechHelp is basically a Q&A series. I answer whatever questions come in from my students in whatever random order I happen to choose. It's not a format that is condusive to learning if you're new to Access. If you are somewhat experienced with Access and want to learn new tips and tricks, then this is a great "almost-daily" video blog to teach you some new stuff. If you're a Beginner, you should stick to my Beginner lessons, then move up to the Expert lessons and perhaps then start watching the TechHelp videos. I recommend my Learning Connection membership for new users to Access.
Technical Support Not Provided
Signing up for a Membership of any kind gives you access to specific perks as listed. If you have questions about the material covered in a specific course, feel free to post them in the Student Forum for that course. If you have other non-related questions you would like to submit to be considered for a TechHelp video, you will be given priority consideration over non-members, however an answer is not in any way guaranteed. Even in the event your question is accepted, the waiting list is generally several weeks long. I will answer your question if I think it makes for a good video. Otherwise, I will do my best to point you to another video (free or paid) that may answer your question.
Membership does NOT include free technical support for your database problems. I do my best to answer questions for my students as I have time, however it is never guaranteed. I no longer provide technical support or one-on-one consulting. If you are looking for someone to help you with your database, whether it needs troubleshooting or you want someone to add something to it for you, check out my Access Developer Network. I've got a group of very knowledgeable Developers who are available to help you.
TechHelp is for generic questions that I can make videos to answer for lots of people to enjoy. "How do I...?" type questions. It's not to get support for your database issues. Sorry. There are only so many hours in the day, and I can't help everyone myself. While I love to get your questions, and I'll answer them if I have time, technical support is not guaranteed. You're better off posting in the Forums, and even then, a response is not guaranteed.
Keywords
TechHelp memberships, Learning Connection membership, MYOLP membership, TechHelp extended cut videos, Access templates, Access seminars, Access code vault, Access classes, Access beginner courses, Access advanced courses, Access databases, Access developer lessons, VBA tutorials
Intro In this video, I will explain the different types of memberships available on my website and YouTube channel, including TechHelp, Learning Connection, and MYOLP options. We'll talk about the benefits and perks of each membership, how to choose the right one for your needs, answers to frequently asked questions, details about member discounts, accessing your classes, cancellation policies, and more. If you're curious about how memberships work or considering joining, this video covers everything you need to know.Transcript Hey folks, this is Richard Rost with Access Learning Zone. Whether you are currently a member of my website or my YouTube channel, or you are thinking about joining, this video is for you.
I get tons and tons of questions from people asking about the different memberships, which one's best for them, how they get their perks, and all that stuff. In this video, I'm going to explain what the different types of memberships are, what you can expect from them, and we're going to go over some frequently asked questions.
I offer several membership options tailored to different learning needs. Whether you're new to a topic or an experienced developer, there's a membership for you.
You do not need to become a member to purchase my individual lessons, templates, seminars, or other things like that. However, being a member offers significant perks like discounts of up to 50 percent, access to extended cut videos, my code vault, and lots more.
I offer three different types of memberships. There's the TechHelp memberships, that's the Silver, Gold, and Platinum, available on both my website and on YouTube. Then there's the Learning Connection membership and the MYOLP membership.
The Learning Connection is what I recommend if you are new to Access or Excel or any of the other topics that I teach. This is ideal for beginners who want a structured learning path. You start with Level One for free and then subsequent lessons are delivered every week at a 50 percent discount.
You start at the beginner level, Level One, then work your way up, Level Two, Level Three, and then you get the Expert classes: Level One, Level Two, Level Three, and you take them in order. I do strongly recommend you don't skip around, which we'll talk about in a minute.
Yes, you can change the delivery interval. Some people want a class every three days, some people want one every two weeks or once a month, that's fine. You also get a 50 percent discount on any other lessons you might want if you do want to skip ahead, for example, or if you see any templates or seminars that you're interested in.
There's no cost to join the Learning Connection. It's a discount membership. You can find pricing on my order page for all of the classes themselves.
The next membership option is the MYOLP membership. It stands for My Online Learning Partner. Where did I get that name from? It goes back many years. Don't ask. I thought it sounded neat at the time. But basically, this is the all-you-can-eat buffet membership. You get unlimited access to the videos at your level.
There are three different levels: Beginner, Expert, and Developer. You can skip around. Now, I generally don't recommend that beginners skip around because my lessons are designed to be followed one after the other. But if you've been using Access for years and you know the basics already, and you just want to be able to look up particular things that you want to do like "I want to learn DLookup", "I want to learn recordsets," then this is the membership for you.
If you go with this, you do get my best possible discount for an annual membership though. So if you compare this to the cost of all the other classes, this is the way to go. Plus, again, if you want anything outside of your membership, you also get a 50 percent discount on things like templates, seminars, and so on.
So that's the Learning Connection and MYOLP memberships. Those deal with my courses. But by far, the most popular type of memberships that I have are the TechHelp memberships: Gold, Silver, and Platinum.
Now, what do these cover? Silver members get access to my TechHelp extended cut videos. Most of the stuff that you'll see released on my website and on my YouTube channel these days are TechHelp videos. A lot of my TechHelp videos have extended cut videos available as well, where I go into more specifics and a little more depth.
So Silver members get access to those extended cut videos, you get a 10 percent discount on anything else you'd like, and you get one free beginner class each month. Those people want access, so you get Access Level One for free. Then you get Level Two, Three, Four, Five, etc. in order. You've got to take them in order, you can't skip around. You just come to the website, log on, and you can get your free class every month.
The next level, Gold members get everything the Silver members get. Plus, you get access to my Code Vault. There's lots and lots of stuff in here. A lot of the source code that I develop in my classes and in my TechHelp videos goes in the Code Vault. There's tons and tons and years' worth of stuff in here. For instance, here's code to compact and repair your database with VBA. You click on copy, you drop it in your database, that's what the Code Vault is.
Gold members can also download the TechHelp databases that I make. For most of the videos, you'll see that there's a database download here for Gold members. You also get a 20 percent discount on other merchandise like templates and seminars, and you get one free expert class every month, in order, after you finish the beginner lessons. So once you've got Beginner One through Nine, you can start with Expert Level One and go all the way up through 32 levels of that.
Platinum members get everything the Gold members get. Plus, you get a 50 percent discount on other merchandise, and you get one free advanced or developer class each month in order after you finish the Expert series. Plus you get priority in the TechHelp question queue. I've got a gigantic list of all the questions people have asked me over the last couple of years. If you're a Platinum member, you go to the top of that. There's no guarantee I'm going to make a video out of it, but I'll definitely consider your question first.
Now let's talk about some frequently asked questions. I get tons of emails, tons of people posting this in the forums. Let's go over some of the questions that you're probably going to have.
First of all, which membership is right for me? That depends on what you want and your skill level. For beginners, I recommend the Learning Connection. So you start at Beginner One, Beginner Two, Beginner Three, and you follow along through design to be followed in order because I teach things in the order that I think they should be learned.
However, if you're a more advanced user, a lot of people come to me and say, "I've been working with Access for 15 years. I just need to learn some VBA." That's fine. MYOLP gives you unrestricted access to everything. So even if you do decide to jump into some of the more advanced developer levels and you realize, "Wait a minute, this stuff was covered back on the expert series, I really need to go over action queries and stuff," you can do that if you're an MYOLP member. You can watch whatever you want.
The TechHelp extended cut videos and those related perks are great for people of all skill levels, but they tend more toward advanced topics. Most of the TechHelp videos that I make are on the developer VBA level, but there are some beginner level videos thrown in there for good measure too.
Can you have more than one membership type? Certainly. A lot of people have either a Learning Connection or MYOLP membership with a TechHelp membership, so they get the courses and they get the extended cut videos. They're not mutually exclusive. I wouldn't have both Learning Connection and MYOLP though. That doesn't make any sense because one gives you all the courses and the other one gives you a course a week. You want one or the other of those.
Can you cancel anytime? Yes, you can. Learning Connection and TechHelp memberships can be canceled at any time. There's a minimum of one month though. MYOLP is a minimum of one year and then after your first year you can switch to monthly if you want. The reason why I do that is because when I first started, people would sign up for a month and then download everything and then cancel, and so obviously that's not fair. So I want to get everyone to sign up for a year first, then you can do what you want.
How do you cancel? There is a self-cancel tool on the website on your My Account page. Please note, I do not give refunds so make sure you cancel before your membership renews. If you cancel six months into a one-year membership I don't give refunds. I'll give you a credit towards something else if it's something that you realize you didn't want this membership, but I don't give refunds. Sorry.
Can you watch the extended cut videos on YouTube? This one's a little tricky. If you signed up as a member on YouTube, then you can watch the extended cuts both on YouTube and on my website. You just have to let me know you exist and I'll set up your account on my website and I'll pair it with your YouTube account.
However, if you sign up on my website directly, then you can only watch the extended cut videos on my website. You will not be able to watch them on YouTube. That is because I have no control over YouTube memberships. They handle the billing, they handle the accounting, all the account setup, and all that. So I can set you up an account on my website so you can watch it on both if you're a YouTube member, but I can't go the other way.
The benefit of signing up on YouTube is you can use their platform if you want to watch my videos on your smartphone or your TV or whatever. The benefit of my website is that I can give you a 20 percent discount if you sign up for a full year. So there are pros and cons either way. If you like watching YouTube on your TV, I do sometimes, then stick with YouTube. If you always watch my videos on my website and you want the discount, then sign up on my website.
How do you find the extended cut videos? On my website, they will be in the members section on the same page as the regular video. If you play this, it's the regular TechHelp video, right there is the extended cut video. You click on that and it will start playing. Greetings members. Sorry about that. And the downloads are right below that.
If you're on YouTube, YouTube does a pretty good job of hiding where the extended cut is. Down here under the video, you'll see this text block. Click on that, that'll open it up. If you look down here, you'll see "Members Only Extended Cut Video," you click on this and it will take you to the members only video. So it's in here, you just have to know where to find it.
Please note that not every TechHelp video has an extended cut. They don't all have one. Usually, I do one extended cut a week or so, so one out of every four or five videos will have an extended cut.
How do I get my free monthly class? TechHelp members get a free monthly class, my regular Access Beginner One, Two, Three, and so on. We just talked about those a minute ago. You'll find a link to redeem it on your My Account page. Go to the website, log on, go to My Account, right there that will take you to your account. You'll see down here under Membership, your different membership types. Yes, I happen to be a member on my own website. Over here to the right you'll see links to manage all of your different memberships, and this is where you can go to pause your delivery or change your frequency or all those things, but right there is the Get My Free Monthly Course Now link. Click on that and it will send you your next class, you'll have it in a few minutes.
Please note that you must come back to the website yourself every calendar month to redeem your free class. So if you missed August, if it's September 1st, sorry, you lost it. You can't save up three months worth and then get them all at once. This is my way to encourage you to get moving and learn. Come back to the website, watch your classes, get your free videos, all that stuff.
Also note that once you are out of classes at your membership level, the system will switch you to a different topic. For example, if you're a Silver member, you only get free beginner classes. Once you finish Access Beginner 9, it will switch you over to Excel and then to Word. If you want to get Expert level classes, you can upgrade to Gold, which for, I think it's $4 a month, is totally worth it just for the free class.
How do I get my member discount on other lessons, seminars, and templates? You will find a discount link on your My Account page. Click on that link to get your discount in the shopping cart. It's not automatic yet. I'm working on it; I'm rebuilding the entire shopping cart. For now, come to your My Account page and come down here. For example, I'm a Platinum member, Platinum members get a 50 percent discount. You click on Manage, it will take you to this page, and there's your discount link right there. Click on that and it will take you to the order form and you'll see this big box here, it says you're getting a 50 percent discount and you'll see it in the shopping cart. Don't submit your order if you don't see the discount. If you did submit your order and you didn't get the discount, I'm happy to give you a credit but I don't give refunds. So you'll get a credit for something else. Processing refunds is a pain in the behind with my system.
Here's another popular question: I'm a Gold member but I'm unable to download files from your Access Templates section. Why? Remember, your membership only includes the download files from the TechHelp videos. You'll find a link to those on the same page as the video in the members section. Your membership does not include all of the templates and other downloads on my website. There are tons and tons of them. You do get a discount though.
So once again to come back to this page, there are the Gold member downloads. These are database downloads for the TechHelp videos. If it's not under this TechHelp directory, it's not included. I've got tons of other templates and seminars and courses and such on my website; these are not included in your Gold membership. There are 20 years of other templates in here, so these are all available for purchase, but they're not included in your membership. Sorry.
Next up: I posted a question in your forums a few days ago but so far no one has answered me. I thought my membership included free help. I am very clear and upfront that memberships and other purchases from my website do not include technical support or assistance of any kind. You are buying access to my videos, templates, and the other materials. Support is not guaranteed and it's literally on the bottom of every sign up form.
However, with that being said, I am very proud of the moderators that we have in the website forums. I've got a fantastic group of guys who love helping people out. My guys do an amazing job in the forums, and the Microsoft Access forum here has lots and lots of activity.
While myself and the moderators do spend a lot of time helping people in the forums, I just don't want anyone to think that technical support is guaranteed, it's not. We try our best, but there are not enough hours in the day to answer all the questions that I get.
While I no longer offer consulting and support, if you do need help I have a list of consultants and tutors who are available to help you. You can find them at my Developer Network page. You'll find a list of my Access veterans who are longtime students of mine and other experienced Access developers. My Diamond Sponsors are great for helping people. There's an Access 911 service and a bunch of other consultants as well.
If you do need help I do have people available to help you; I just want you to know it's not included with your membership. All I do is record videos; I don't do any consulting work anymore.
Also with that being said, I want you to know if you have a customer service type issue, like you can't log into your account or you can't figure out how to download your videos or any of that kind of stuff, for customer service definitely contact me. You'll find my contact information on the website. That is my job, to make sure you can watch your classes properly. But as far as how to do something with your database, that's something you can post in the forums or you can contact one of my developers.
Next up: If I cancel my membership do I lose my courses? The only lessons you will lose are those that you gained as a free monthly perk. For example, Silver members, you get a free beginner class every month; if you cancel your membership, you will lose those free perks.
If you're a Learning Connection member, and you've been paying for the classes every month or every week at a 50 percent discount, you will not lose those.
I'm falling behind, can I pause my membership? For Learning Connection members, yes, you can pause your membership for up to 30 days. You'll find a link to do that on your My Account page. I generally don't pause the other membership types, the TechHelp members or the MYOLP members, but if you have a hardship, such as hospitalization, loss of income, that kind of stuff, just email me and we'll figure something out.
Learning Connection members, can I get more than one class per week? Absolutely. For Learning Connection members, you'll find a link on your My Account page that says "Send my next class now" and you'll have it in a few minutes. Do this in the event that you're planning a binge weekend and you haven't had enough torture listening to my voice yet.
My Account page, Learning Connection, there's Get Next Course Now, and here's the Manage link also. You can change the frequency of how often you get your classes, you can pause delivery for 30 days, you can cancel your membership; everything's on here under the Manage link.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my membership? Sure you can. In fact, one of the ways to not lose your free monthly classes is to downgrade to Silver. I sometimes have a lot of Platinum members who tell me that their business is seasonal and they're going to be busy all summer, they're not going to have time to watch the videos and they're worried they're going to lose their free perks. So I just say, "Well, instead of continuing your Platinum membership over the summer, let's just downgrade you to Silver and then when you have time again to resume your studies, we'll bring it back up to Platinum." You can continue to get your free Platinum classes. You can upgrade at any time, but I generally only allow someone to downgrade once a year. I don't want people taking advantage of it: upgrade for one month and then get your free class and then downgrade for six months and disappear and keep doing that over and over again.
Can you share your membership? Technically, legally, my memberships and lessons are sold on a per user basis. You may not share your account with others. However, I don't mind if you share your account with your spouse or your kids that live at home, but that's it: immediate family living with you only. Don't be giving copies to your cousins and your sisters, brothers, cousins, former roommate. I am very flexible when it comes to families.
Businesses may not share accounts between multiple users. If you want to have multiple users signed up as a membership, they each need to have their own account. You can't just purchase one of my Access lessons and have 15 people in the office pass it around. It doesn't work like that. It's not like a book. Think of it like going to a movie, everyone who wants to watch the movie has to pay to get in the theater.
Those are all the most commonly asked questions and the reason why I put this video together. There's tons more on my website. You can find them at the Frequently Asked Questions page. It covers all kinds of stuff like what forms of payment do I accept, do the courses expire, all kinds of stuff. You can read through all these questions that I posted here for many years on the website that no one ever reads.
The last thing I want to show you, because this is also something that everyone asks (and it's not necessarily just for members but for everybody), is how do you get to your courses that you purchased. If you purchased a handbook or a template or a seminar, they're all under your My Courses page. I know it says My Courses, it's more than just courses, but they're all under here. Click on this. Not this Courses page, this black link is the public link that everyone sees. This link up here above it that's got your name over here on the right, this is just the log on user page. You have your My Account, your Courses, the pages you viewed, your bookmarks, subscriptions, notifications, and don't judge me, yes I've got eight unread messages in my inbox, I'll get there.
My Courses is where you can view the courses that you have purchased. That'll take you to this page. You'll see the last couple videos you watched right across the top. That's what this Views option is for, so if you want to know where you left off, right there. Here is a hierarchical menu of all the courses, or if you want to see just the stuff you've purchased, click on My Enrolled Courses Only. That will take you to this list, and you'll see just the stuff that you're enrolled in, just the courses that you have. If you click on the link here it should take you right to that page.
Oh, and one more thing, if you do have questions, you can click on the Contact link right here. You can contact me if you want to. I also have new chatbots. I program these chatbots with all of the questions that people ask me on a regular basis, so if it's customer service related, like questions about your membership or how to get access to my classes or how to cancel, all those things, you go to the customer service chatbot right here and you type in your question, "How do I cancel my membership," and the friendly bot will tell you exactly what you have to do. If you're not happy with the bot's answer, you can always contact me directly. Here's my customer service page. Just fill this in and it goes to me, just me and only me. I do not have anyone else that works for me that does customer service. The moderators and the guys help me out in the forums with your technical questions and I'm very grateful for that, but as far as business type questions, like account questions or issues with your credit card or any of that kind of stuff, it's me and me only so you don't have to worry about anybody else getting your information.
That's going to do it. If you have any other questions about memberships, post them down below, or you can always contact me like I just showed you how. I'm Richard Rost, thanks for watching. Live long and prosper. I'll see you next time.Quiz Q1. Which of the following is NOT considered a main membership type offered by Access Learning Zone?
A. TechHelp Memberships (Silver, Gold, Platinum)
B. Learning Connection
C. MYOLP
D. Membership Plus
Q2. What is the primary benefit of the Learning Connection membership for beginners?
A. Unlimited advanced course access
B. Structured learning path with weekly discounted lessons
C. Free access to all seminars and templates
D. Direct technical support from Richard
Q3. What is MYOLP best suited for?
A. Beginners who want to learn Access from scratch
B. Users wanting unlimited access to all courses at their level
C. Members who only want a discount on merchandise
D. People who need direct technical support
Q4. Which of these is a perk exclusive to Gold members but NOT Silver members?
A. Access to extended cut TechHelp videos
B. One free beginner class each month
C. Access to the Code Vault and TechHelp database downloads
D. 10 percent discount on merchandise
Q5. How can TechHelp Platinum members benefit uniquely compared to Gold members?
A. They get unlimited beginner classes only
B. Priority in the TechHelp question queue
C. Free Access templates download
D. Self-cancel tool is only for them
Q6. If a member wants the best possible annual discount and the ability to watch any lesson in any order, which membership should they select?
A. MYOLP
B. TechHelp Silver
C. Learning Connection
D. TechHelp Gold
Q7. What happens if you sign up for extended cut access on YouTube but want to watch them on the Access Learning Zone website?
A. It is not possible under any circumstances
B. You must purchase a separate website membership
C. Notify Richard so he can pair your website account to your YouTube membership
D. You only need to log in with your Google account
Q8. Which of the following is TRUE about the free monthly class perk for TechHelp members?
A. You can save up several months' worth to claim them all at once
B. You must return to the website every calendar month to redeem the class
C. It is automatically delivered to your email each month
D. You can select any class in any order, regardless of the sequence
Q9. If you cancel your Silver membership, which content do you lose access to?
A. All purchased and free content
B. All classes purchased at discount
C. Only the free monthly classes received as a perk
D. All website content including forums
Q10. How can Learning Connection members increase the frequency of receiving new classes?
A. Only possible once a month
B. Contact customer support each time
C. Use the "Send my next class now" link on their My Account page
D. Pay an extra monthly fee
Q11. What is NOT included as part of the Gold membership?
A. Downloads of TechHelp video databases
B. Code Vault access
C. Access to all Access seminar templates
D. 20 percent discount on merchandise
Q12. What should you do if you do not see your membership discount applied at checkout?
A. Submit the order and email for a refund
B. Re-enter your membership credentials at checkout
C. Go back, use the discount link again, and only submit if the discount is shown
D. Call customer service for a refund
Q13. Which statement best describes the technical support policy for Access Learning Zone memberships?
A. Unlimited technical consulting is included
B. Direct support is offered for how-to Access questions
C. Technical support is not guaranteed, but community forums and outside consultants are available
D. Members can expect same-day answers to all queries
Q14. Can you share your membership account with others?
A. Yes, freely with anyone
B. Only with immediate family in your household
C. With all coworkers in your company
D. With anyone as long as you provide their names
Q15. What happens to courses purchased at a discount through Learning Connection after you cancel your membership?
A. You lose access to them
B. You keep access to purchased courses
C. They expire after 30 days
D. You have to buy them again at full price
Q16. What is the minimum commitment required when joining MYOLP membership?
A. One week
B. One month
C. Six months
D. One year
Q17. If you post a question in the Access Learning Zone forums, what type of help can you expect?
A. Guaranteed immediate technical support by Richard
B. No responses allowed
C. Possibility of help from moderators or community, but no guaranteed technical support
D. Paid-only support options
Q18. Where can you manage or change the frequency of course delivery for Learning Connection?
A. The homepage
B. During purchase checkout only
C. The My Account page using the Manage link
D. By sending an email request
Q19. How are refunds generally handled if you accidentally purchase something without the correct member discount?
A. Full automatic refunds are given
B. No refund or credit is possible
C. You may receive a store credit, but not a refund
D. Discount is retroactively applied to the purchase
Q20. What is the correct way to view your purchased courses or materials?
A. Check the public Courses page
B. Use the "My Courses" page linked to your account after logging in
C. Email Richard for a list
D. Only accessible from the website's homepage
Answers: 1-D; 2-B; 3-B; 4-C; 5-B; 6-A; 7-C; 8-B; 9-C; 10-C; 11-C; 12-C; 13-C; 14-B; 15-B; 16-D; 17-C; 18-C; 19-C; 20-B
DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.Summary Today's video from Access Learning Zone focuses on the various membership options available on my website and YouTube channel. I regularly receive many questions from both current and prospective members about which membership is best for them, what perks are included, and how to access these benefits. Here, I will outline the different types of memberships, the advantages of each, and answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
To begin with, becoming a member is not required to purchase individual lessons, templates, or seminars, but membership brings several attractive perks. These include discounts of up to 50 percent, access to extended cut videos, entry to my Code Vault, and more.
There are three main categories of membership. The first is the TechHelp memberships, which come in Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels, and are available on both my website and YouTube. The second type is the Learning Connection membership, and the third is MYOLP, which stands for My Online Learning Partner.
The Learning Connection is ideal for those new to Access, Excel, or other topics I teach. This path gives beginners a structured series of lessons, starting with Level One for free. Each subsequent lesson is delivered weekly at a 50 percent discount. You proceed step by step, through Levels Two and Three, then move on to the corresponding Expert classes, all in order. I highly recommend following the designated sequence rather than jumping around.
You can also adjust the lesson delivery interval to fit your pace - for example, getting a new class every three days, every two weeks, or once a month. Plus, if you wish to skip ahead or purchase additional templates or seminars, you still get a 50 percent discount on those items. There is no cost to join the Learning Connection itself; you only pay for the classes.
MYOLP, or My Online Learning Partner, is designed for those who want unlimited access to video lessons at their chosen level. There are three levels: Beginner, Expert, and Developer. This membership is perfect for experienced users who already know the basics and prefer to focus on specific topics of interest - like Dlookup or recordsets - without following a strict sequence. MYOLP offers the best annual discount option. In addition, you receive a 50 percent discount on templates, seminars, and other products.
After discussing the course-based memberships, let's move on to the most popular—TechHelp memberships, which include Gold, Silver, and Platinum tiers. These memberships revolve around exclusive content and extra resources.
Silver members receive access to extended cut versions of most TechHelp videos, which provide in-depth explanations beyond the standard versions publicly available. Silver membership also comes with a 10 percent discount on other purchases and a free beginner class each month that follows the standard Access Beginner course order. You must take these classes sequentially.
Gold membership builds on Silver benefits. In addition to everything Silver offers, Gold members gain access to the Code Vault, containing a vast repository of source code developed over many years. Gold members can also download TechHelp sample databases and enjoy a 20 percent discount on templates and seminars. Plus, you receive a free expert class every month after completing the beginner sequence, again following the prescribed order.
At the Platinum level, members enjoy all the Gold benefits and more. You receive a 50 percent discount on templates, seminars, and other items. Platinum also offers one free advanced or developer class per month, available after you finish the Expert series. Platinum members get priority placement in the TechHelp question queue. While this does not guarantee your question will become a video, your query is considered first.
Now, let's address some frequently asked questions about memberships.
Which membership should you choose? It depends on your goals and skill level. If you are a beginner, the Learning Connection is the best starting point. You follow a structured path and learn concepts step by step. If you have advanced experience and want the freedom to move through lessons as you please, MYOLP is the best value. TechHelp memberships and their extended cut videos often focus on advanced topics, especially VBA and development, but also include some beginner content.
Is it possible to have more than one type of membership? Yes, you can combine a Learning Connection or MYOLP subscription with a TechHelp membership if you want both structured courses and access to extended content. However, it's unnecessary to have both Learning Connection and MYOLP, since one already includes all courses.
Can memberships be canceled anytime? Learning Connection and TechHelp memberships may be canceled at any time after at least one month. MYOLP memberships require a one-year minimum; afterwards, you can switch to monthly billing. This policy is in place to prevent short-term sign-ups aimed solely at downloading all the material. Note that no refunds are given for cancellations, but credits can be issued toward other products if needed.
How do you cancel your membership? The cancellation tool can be found on your My Account page. Be sure to cancel before the next renewal if you do not wish to continue, as I do not issue refunds for partially used annual memberships.
Can extended cut videos be watched on YouTube? If you join via YouTube, you can view extended cuts on both YouTube and my website, once your accounts are paired. If you register through my website, extended cut videos are only available on my site, due to limitations with YouTube's account management. Each platform offers different benefits; YouTube is great for those who like to view content on TV or mobile, while website members get an extra 20 percent discount for annual payments.
Where are the extended cut videos located? On my website, extended cuts are on the same page as regular TechHelp videos in the members section. On YouTube, look for them in the expanded description beneath the video.
Not every TechHelp video includes an extended cut; typically, I produce one extended cut per week.
How do TechHelp members claim their free monthly class? You can redeem your class from your My Account page each month. Keep in mind that you must manually claim it within each calendar month, and missed classes cannot be retroactively credited. This system encourages you to keep up with your studies.
Once your available classes at your membership level are exhausted, the system switches you to another beginner topic like Excel or Word. If you want to access Expert level classes, consider upgrading your membership.
To receive your member discount on other purchases, use the discount link on your My Account page. It will take you to the order form, where the discount should appear in your cart. If you accidentally order without the discount, contact me for a credit (not a refund), as refund processing is complicated.
Gold members sometimes ask why they cannot download certain templates. Gold membership includes downloads from TechHelp videos only. Other templates and downloads on my website are not included but are available for purchase separately, typically with a discount.
Some members expect free technical support with their membership. Membership only grants access to course materials, templates, and other products—it does not guarantee tech support. My moderators and I do assist in the forums as time permits, but there is no guaranteed response time. I no longer provide consulting services, but I do maintain a list of recommended consultants and tutors for those who need personal help. Customer service regarding account access, video download issues, or similar problems is handled directly by me.
If you cancel your membership, do you lose access to your courses? You will lose only the free classes received as membership perks. Any paid courses, purchased through the Learning Connection or otherwise, remain yours.
You may pause your Learning Connection membership for up to 30 days if you need a break. For other memberships, pausing is generally not allowed, but exceptions can be made in cases of hardship.
Learning Connection members can receive more than one class per week. Use the link on your My Account page to request additional lessons if you wish to study faster.
Upgrades and downgrades are allowed. If you anticipate being busy and want to retain your free monthly class perk, you can downgrade to Silver. Downgrading is allowed once a year to prevent abuse.
Sharing accounts is meant for individual use only. Immediate family living in your home may share your membership, but not extended relatives or friends. Businesses must purchase individual memberships for each user, as shared use across multiple employees is prohibited.
To view your purchased courses, templates, or seminars, visit your My Courses page after logging in. There, you can see your purchase history and continue any courses you have started.
For customer service or account-related issues, use the contact link or the customer service chatbot on my website. The chatbot can answer many common questions, and if it cannot assist, you can reach out to me directly. I personally handle all business matters, so your information is secure.
If you have further questions about memberships, you are welcome to contact me. For a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here, visit my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.Topic List This is an informational video describing the different membership options and frequently asked questions for Richard Rost's Access Learning Zone website and YouTube channel. |
