Xref: utzoo comp.sys.att:8230 comp.unix.i386:1650 Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!srhqla!denwa!jimmy From: jimmy@denwa.uucp (Jim Gottlieb) Newsgroups: comp.sys.att,comp.unix.i386 Subject: Re: More trouble with the 6386/StarLAN-10 Summary: AT&T flame-a-thon Keywords: System V, 6386, StarLAN, aaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhh Message-ID: <334@denwa.uucp> Date: 8 Dec 89 08:50:24 GMT References: <1989Dec7.044257.14603@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> Reply-To: denwa!jimmy@anes.ucla.edu (Jim Gottlieb) Organization: Info Connections, West Los Angeles Lines: 39 In article <1989Dec7.044257.14603@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> davisp@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu (Palmer Davis) writes: > >Okay, folks... how do *YOU* deal with AT&T? I know *somebody* has to have >an easier time getting them to sell you their products than I've had, Certainly not me. Whenever I try to buy something from AT&T, I end up with no doubts in my mind as to why they have had trouble selling computer equipment. I have spent days (literally) on the phone trying to track down a part or computer. The hotline (800-922-0354) tells me to call National Parts (800-222-PART). NP tells me to call the Product Locator (800-247-1212). They tell me they are only an ad response center and send me on to the Comcode Hotline (800-654-5832). They have me call the 3B hotline (800-222-9333). They suggest I call The finder number (800-FIND-ATT). They send me back to the service hotline that I started with. I must say that dealing with AT&T is the most stressful activity in my work. Whenever I need to find out some information on an AT&T product, I sit down in my chair and say to myself, "OK. This is how the rest of my day will be spent." A previous poster said to ask "your account executive". Well, some of us not-huge companies, and not-universities don't have an AT&T account executive to answer to our every need. One more example of the lack of communication within AT&T: I was considering buying an AT&T UPS. I called their "UPS Hotline" and asked them what size UPS would be needed for an AT&T 3B1 or an AT&T 6386 w/ 135 meg drive. The guy's response was, "We don't know anything about computers here. We just deal with UPSs. Wouldn't you think that they would have a list of the power requirements of various AT&T machines? I found another UPS company that did have a list of the power consumption of many computers. I bought the UPSs from them. -- Jim Gottlieb E-Mail: or or V-Mail: (213) 551-7702 Fax: 478-3060 The-Real-Me: 824-5454