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From: hpubvwa!ssc!Tad.Cook@beaver.cs.washington.edu
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Microsoft Use of 900 Number for Tech Support
Message-ID: <14458@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 7 Nov 90 20:29:36 GMT
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In article <14334@accuvax.nwu.edu>, john@mojave.ati.com (John Higdon)
writes:

> Any company (Microsoft) that would subject customers to a 900 number
> to reach technical support is way down on the food chain, IMHO.

Higdon has a HUMBLE OPINION??!?  No, but seriously, they recently
instituted this for support of MS DOS ONLY ... all their applications
support is free.  Since they didn't sell DOS themselves, but only
licensed it to other companies, for years they didn't support it
directly.  This is now changing, and I am sure that the 900 number is
an effective filter for all the millions of DOS copies out there.  Can
you imagine, in place of the 900 number, if they did a "can I have
your registration number please"?

> I wrote a letter to Microsoft telling them what I thought of a
> particular product (and them for having a 900 number) and six weeks
> later received a phone call from someone who, in essence, told me that
> all the problems were causes by (in order), my hardware, my other
> software, my incompetence. This person left a call back number and an
> email "name" to facilitate a return call. When I called back, I was
> informed that they were aware of no such person.

Gee, *I* haven't had these problems.  What makes Higdon so special?
But he often has problems communicating with phone companies and toll
carriers too...

> Microsoft is a company that could probably have all of its phones
> disconnected and not suffer a reduction in communication capabiltiy.

Hmmmmm ... I doubt it.  I have always had good support from them.
There is an advantage though to living within toll-free calling of
them (Seattle).  Also, if you want to follow up with a particular
support person, they will give you their network username.  You can
really blow their mind by getting on usenet and addressing your
followup communication to username@microsoft.uucp.  I have done this,
and it ALWAYS gets a quick phone call, especially from the NEW folks
over there.  It is a fast growing company, so the majority of support
folks are "new."


Tad Cook  Seattle, WA  Packet: KT7H @ N7HFZ.WA.USA.NA  Phone: 206/527-4089 
MCI Mail: 3288544      Telex: 6503288544 MCI UW  
USENET:...uw-beaver!sumax!amc-gw!ssc!tad    or, tad@ssc.UUCP