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From: roy@phri.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Digital Equipment Service(DEC): Is it as bad elsewhere?
Message-ID: <169@phri.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 2-Feb-85 19:57:07 EST
Article-I.D.: phri.169
Posted: Sat Feb  2 19:57:07 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 4-Feb-85 05:33:50 EST
References: <927@druxj.UUCP> <664@whuxlm.UUCP>
Organization: Public Health Research Inst. (NY, NY)
Lines: 36

> > .....  I have been extremely frustrated by the high amount of downtime our
> > machines have been experiencing ..... Secondly, DEC seems to be slow to
> > escalate the problem if a solution is not readily apparent to the personnel
> > on site .....

I really have no complaints about our local DEC field service (NYC).
When I came here about 5 years ago, we had 3rd party maintenance -- now
THAT was a disaster.  A few things I've learned about dealing with Field
Service:

	Tell them what they need to know -- don't hide screw-ups.  We
once snagged a Unibus cable trying to fix something ourselves.  I told
them what happened, and they fixed it.  If you have a reasonable branch
manager (we do) s/he will realize that bailing you out is cheaper than
having you hide the problem and waste his techs' time trying to find it.

	Watch, observe, be aware of what's going on, make suggestions if
you REALLY think you know something they don't, but don't get in the way
(I had a LOT of trouble learning this one).

	If you have a problem with a particular technician, request that
that particular person not be assigned to your site.  Let them break
someone else's machine.  Let's face it -- I've seen some techs who I
wouldn't trust to sharpen my pencils.

	When the techs finally get your machine running again, let them know
you appreciate it.  Scratch them behind the ears or give them a nice warm
bowl of milk.
-- 

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect
the views of the Public Health Research Institute.

allegra!vax135!timeinc\
   cmcl2!rocky2!cubsvax>!phri!roy (Roy Smith)
         ihnp4!timeinc/