From: ifjrs@acad3.alaska.edu
Subject: SMC: "Above and beyone the call..."
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 06:10:03 GMT

A few weeks ago I saw a SALE notice on packet radio re 2 16-bit Ethernet cards, 
for which I had been looking for some time.  The owner was a ham in 
Jacksonville, FL; after talking to him LL from Alaska, I sent him a check, and 
duely received the new, uninstalled cards a week later.  Unfortunately, while 
talking to him, I'd neglected to ask him what kind of ethernet connectors they 
had--I'd just assumed they were Thin Ethernet.  They had Thick ethernet 
connections and 10baseT.  Well, OK, I thought.  My NeXT cube has a twisted-
pair type connector, so no problem, right?  Obviously, I'm a bit naive about 
Ethernet!  On doing some reading, I discovered that I would now need a 
"concentrator" to be able to hook up my 386 to my NeXT.  They turn out to cost 
~$500.

Not knowing what else to do, I called the number for Standard Microsystems 
Corporation, the manufacturer of the cards and explained the mistake I'd made.  
Understand that SMC had NO OBLIGATION WHATSOEVER to do anything 
for me--they don't sell to dealers, much less individuals, they sell only to 
distributors.  Although sympathetic, the first person I talked to didn't quite 
know how to help me, or even if they COULD help me; so she got Ike, the manager
on the phone with me.

Ike was very pleasant when I again explained how I now had two brand new cards 
which I couldn't use in my system.  After explaining to me that they really had
no way to help me, since I couldn't return the cards to a dealer, and ordinari-
ly they only accepted back cards that had some sort of malfunction...he thought 
a bit and then asked me if all I needed was cards with regular coax Thin 
Ethernet connectors.  I said yes; he said, would I be willing to pay for the 
shipping from Hauppauge, NY to Anchor Point, AK, and I said "Certainly!"  Would 
I mind sending the cards back first, before they shipped out a couple new 
cards?  (Are you kidding?!  Of course!)

I packed up the cards the next day, and exactly one week later, I received via 
UPS 2nd-day air, two 16-bit EtherCard Plus Elite16 cards from SMC--Standard 
Microsystems Corporation!

Mind you, Ike had no idea that I would send this message out to the packet 
world, or that I have a connection to the Internet--he did it, apparently, as 
a gesture of good will to his customer, however far removed that customer may 
have been from him directly.

If that isn't "above and beyond the call of duty," or "going the second mile," 
I don't know what is.  I want to publicly thank Ike and the people at SMC for 
their dedication to good customer relations, and to wish them all happiness 
during this holiday season--I know that MY holiday season has certainly been 
enhanced, and will be particularly joyful.

And I urge those of you reading this to consider SMC when you go to buy 
Ethernet or other networking cards.  Who else stands behind their product in 
such a wholehearted way, or goes to such lengths to make a customer happy?

BTW, today's my birthday; what a present!

Thanks, Ike.  Merry Christmas!

John
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--

John Stannard
ifjrs@acad3.alaska.edu		BITNET:  IFJRS@ALASKA
KL7JL@KL7JL.AK.USA.NA		kl7jl.ampr.org  [44.22.0.1]

"God is the Answer!"   "Oh?? ... er, ... What was the Question?"

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Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.packet