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From: mazlack@ernie.Berkeley.EDU (Lawrence J. Mazlack)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: Kafka revisited
Message-ID: <15435@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Thu, 28-Aug-86 14:24:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.15435
Posted: Thu Aug 28 14:24:56 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 29-Aug-86 05:31:03 EDT
References: <7577@tekecs.UUCP>
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Reply-To: mazlack@ernie.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Lawrence J. Mazlack)
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In article <7577@tekecs.UUCP> mikes@tekecs.UUCP (Michael Sellers) writes:
>This is an update on the LW problems (in Diablo 630 mode from a burroughs)
>that I posted on a little while ago.
>...
>Here is a real quick synopsis of what has transpired (mind you, this is not
>...
>Chapter I: Problem occurs
>  Local engineers/gurus try to fix it (no luck)
>  Call the local Apple folks (repeat until you are buying cases of aspirin)
>...
>  Engineers puzzled; management steamed
>  Someone Takes Initiative: calls Apple directly...
>...
>    "Oh, you should call your Local Apple Dealer.  Let me get his number 
>       for you.  I'll just put you on hold for a minute..."
>    sounds of California Muzak and screams in the background...
>
>Chapter II: Try, Try Again
>  After much wrangling, local Apple people agree to send a problem description
>    out on their Apple network "...but I don't know how much good it'll do ya"
>  After more wrangling, (and still no results, except minimally from the 
>    USENET), the Apple people agree that sure, anyone can get on the Applelink
>    network, all ya had to do was ask (knowhutImean?)...
>  "And all it costs is a mere... $10,000"
>  More sounds of screaming and hair being ripped from scalps...
>
>At this point in our story, our hero, responsible for many dollars going into
>Apple, INC. is being treated like a one-shot Consumer rather than an on-going
>Customer.  He is unable to get any support from Apple at a local level (due to 
>apathy/incompetence), regional level (the local people act as a Front Four for
>the Holy Regional Office), or the corporate level (the LAST people you want 
>when you have a technical problem is Marketing, but that's who they give you, 
>...

It is precisely stories like this that rule Apple out as a general business
machine.  Sure, the stuff is nice to play with; BUT until Apple provides
a means of getting quality technical support, it is not a good choice for
a production environment.  It costs money to pay people to sit around because
your equipment is not working.  There are also opportunity costs.

Larry Mazlack
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