Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!deimos.cis.ksu.edu!mccall!tp From: tp@mccall.com Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec Subject: Re: DEC Field Service crap Message-ID: <69.26dcd7fc@mccall.com> Date: 30 Aug 90 09:10:20 GMT References: <9008291727.AA06453@garnet.berkeley.edu> <14076@cbmvax.commodore.com> Organization: The McCall Pattern Co., Manhattan, KS, USA Lines: 45 In article <14076@cbmvax.commodore.com>, grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) writes: > In article <9008291727.AA06453@garnet.berkeley.edu> rusty@GARNET.BERKELEY.EDU (rusty wright) writes: >> What's this crap I'm getting from field service all of a sudden? >> Previously I was able to call the Atlanta 800 number when I had a >> hardware problem on a DECstation and give them the machine's serial >> number and they could figure out that the machine was still under >> warranty and send someone out to fix it. Now my field service person >> (Henry Glaess) is saying that I'm supposed to have some sort of >> 'access number' and that I was supposed to call Atlanta when I >> received the machines and 'register' them for warranty. Nobody sure >> as hell told me anything about this, and now that my machine (which is >> still under warranty by many months) isn't working field service is >> creating obstacles to getting it fixed. What an organization. > > Well, contact your DEC sales person and point out that you have a serious > problem. It is up to them take care of getting you though the DEC maze or > assign your problems to someone in the office in charage of service/contract > administration until they do. Be insistant and don't let them forget about > it and sooner or later they'll do what they are supposed do. [extreme shudder at the idea of having to rely on a DEC salescritter to help solve a problem, and especially to do so in a timely manner] In the past, I have found that if you call Atlanta and tell them you need to register your machine, they will take all the relevant info over the phone (have your serial number handy) and assign you an access number immediately. Then tell them you have a problem, and they'll pass you on to the service person, armed with your bright shiny new access number. It has worked for me in the past. I've been told variously that I should have registered my machine (like you, no one ever told me so), that the salescritter should have registered the machine, and that the (similarly competent and responsive) DEC contracts administration people should have registered the machine. The bottom line is that you can do it yourself, on the phone, in about 10 minutes, and that will be the end of it. (Hint: send the access number info to whoever maintains your DEC service contracts. They may need it in the future. If you don't, you could end up with your machine registered twice. Atlanta will eventually notice, and you will lose another 15 minutes on the phone sorting out the mess. Thus sayeth the voice of experience.) -- Terry Poot The McCall Pattern Company (uucp: ...!rutgers!ksuvax1!mccall!tp) 615 McCall Road (800)255-2762, in KS (913)776-4041 Manhattan, KS 66502, USA