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From: lhaider@pro-beagle.cts.com (Laer Haider)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: AE Service--was Re: PC Transporter
Message-ID: <22721.chatter.infoapple@pro-beagle>
Date: 26 Aug 90 08:04:20 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 52

In-Reply-To: message from rich@pro-exchange.cts.com

>>In-Reply-To: message from dalel@servio.UUCP
>>
>> I have had a very bad experience with the AE Tech Service people.
>        [stuff deleted]
>> Great products, but very sh*tty service.

>This is not an attempt to "defend" AE's service, but since we always hear the
>down side of any company's performance, I just thought I'd mention that on
the
>two occasions when I had to deal with them, their response was *VERY* fast
and
>completely satisfactory.  The last time was a couple of years ago, though.
>
>I wish I could say the same for their Tech Support people.  I had a need for
>some information on their clock card, and never was able to get it.  The Tech
>Support person told me my question had been given to the "engineers" and I'd
>have an answer as soon as they got one.  She even called me back a week or
two
>later to let me know "I hadn't been forgotten"... but that was the last I
ever
>heard about it... sigh!  Started out great, then just "collapsed".

My last experience with AE Tech support:
(Back in 1984)  I just received my new IIc memory expander and put a meg of
memory on it (cost an arm and a leg).  I wanted to know how to reboot the
computer without losing AppleWorks in /RAM.  AE said their tech support would
call me back...  6 months later, with no call back, I decide to call again. 
This time I'm experiencing some difficulties caused by losing the contents of
ram while trying to compile a program.  Called AE - they said they'd get back
to me.  I refused that answer and demanded to talk to a technician, knowing
that that pat answer was crap.  The AE "engineer" sounded to me like some
high school kid that was working part time at the shop, or maybe someone
visiting dad.  Anyway, he ask a few stupid questions about my problem and told
me that it was the fault of Apple Computer and the way the reboot was handled.
I thought I was defeated.  Then I met a new guy at work with the same hardware
I had (IIc with AE memory expansion).  He pointed out a line in the manual for
the card that had the answer (something about holding down the solid-apple
and another key?) while rebooting.  Geez, I though I combed that manual
thoroughly.  It worked!  The answer was in the manual the whole time!  AE just
didn't seem to give a rip enough to find the answer for me.

Anyway, every experience I've had with their tech support has been a negative
one.  Purchases are handled VERY rapidly, but it seems customer satisfaction
was never one of their primary concerns.  Maybe if enough people complain to
them, something will get done.  I think they started to Mac, Amiga, and IBM
markets recently because of the lack of business from us Apple users.  Maybe
they should look at what the real problem might be...

Laer Haider
lhaider@pro-beagle.cts.com