Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!cbmvax!grr
From: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.ultrix
Subject: Re: Ultrix 3.x/DILOG+Exabyte problem resolved
Message-ID: <7566@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 8 Aug 89 04:15:33 GMT
References: <3111@rti.UUCP>
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 42

In article <3111@rti.UUCP> rbw@rti.UUCP (Bob Warren) writes:
> In a previous posting we reported the following problem:
... 
> As usual with our calls to DEC, the Ultrix TSC support people failed
> to call back with status messages, even to say they could not solve
> the problem.   Eventually (after calls from us) TSC said the problem
> was being referred back to our local office.  In three weeks we never got
> a call from a local support person, despite calls to local field service
> management.
> 
> Admittedly this is a more difficult support case, with two vendors
> involved.  But DEC claims to support this particular configuration
> with hardware and software maintenance.  Unfortunately, our experience
> with Ultrix support has always been very frustrating, especially compared
> to the VMS support we get which is generally good.  We would be interested
> to hear from others whose experiences have been better on non-obvious
> Ultrix problems.

I've been thru a bit of the same run-around with the 3.1 LAT problems.
The CSC person referred the problem to the local office for "additional
support" and as a means of bumping up the priority for problem resolution.

Unfortunatly, the local office never called and the info from CSC didn't
provide *me* with a local contact.  After a week or so, I took the
initiative and got hold of someone in field service who was substituting
for whowever was supposed to be handling our account.  This person
engaged in some transaction with CSC, and claimed that CSC would call
me back, but nothing happened and I have the feeling that this has only
added to the confusion, rather than obtaining action.

I wonder if the DEC support centers are relying on this "local support"
leg of their strategic triangle that has actually withered away...

Lately I've been quite impressed by the quality the Support Center people
I've had contact with.  Basically they're better informed and more willing
to work to help resolve problems than one might expect, however there are
practical and structural limitations on how much help they can provide.

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@uunet.uu.net
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)