From: stan@dixie.com (Stan Brown)
Subject: Re: DELL CORPORATE CONTRIBUTION
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 92 15:39:21 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.

edward@locutus.dell.com (Edward Godwin) writes:


>	This posting is submitted by a Dell employee empowered by Dell to deal 
>with the 'net in an official support position.  This posting is a departmental
>response to this issue, and has been reviewed by management.  This posting is 
>intended to clearly state the official Dell support policies which are at 
>issue.  It does not attempt to apologize for, nor ameliorate Donn Baumgartner's
>original post in any way.

  Yhis is getting *way* out of hand!  O did not mean to start this
  sort of flame war and cause repricusuins (sp) for the Dell personel
  who hav gone *way* out of their way to be helpful to me!

  I was frustrated by my inabality to get my equipment working the way
  I felt is should be working, and I tried to get some action stired
  up by using the net as a mediam for this.

  This was a *bad* thing to do!  

  I herby aplogize to all the people at Dell who have gone *out of
  their way* to be helpful to me.  I sincerly regret any bad
  ramifications this may have caused upon them

  Dell (both as a company) and indivdualy has always tried *extermly*
  hard to help me out.

   I again request that anyone wh may have formed a bad impression of
   them based upon thiss flame wart *please* reconsisder thier
   opinion!

>	UNIX is an open system.  Without the input, interaction, and work 
>of the people who populate USENETr; UNIX would soon stagnate.  UNIX owes its 
>present form to intense individual pressures exerted by anyone who works 
>extensively in the area.  To call for the dismissal of someone based on 
>his personal stated opinions seems vindictive and counterproductive.  
>This would seem to conflict with the "open systems" philosophy in which 
>we all enjoy participating. 

   Absolutley correct!

>	
>	To those of you who still doubt Dell's commitment to superior
>support for it's customers, please note these facts:


>		1. The call logs indicate that Dell loaned an entire
>		tape subsystem to Mr. Brown to help him solve a problem.
>		We routinely take similar actions for other customers, also.

   Correct and the person involved in this went out of his way to get
   this shipped in less than 1/2 hour to Federal Express deadline!

   Try that with *any* other company.

>		2. Upon the original report of the printer problem,
>		A patch was sent via overnight mail in an attempt
>		to correct.  This type of effort is typical.

   This is also correct, adn sevral other pathces were sent at the
   same time.

>		3. Due to a misunderstanding with sales, Mr. Brown did not get
>		the exact hardware solution he needed for his application.
>		Dell is building a new machine with greater video 
>		capabilities, at LESS COST, to solve the problem. 
>		Mr. Brown still gets the use of the original machine while
>		the new one is being built.

   Again try to get this sort of supposrt from *any* other vendor.
   BTW Edward failed to mention that Dell has extended the normal 30
   day return policy on the original system untill the new one comes
   in (high demand is causing a lead time delay on it) so that I may
   continue to do needed wiork with the existing machine, which does
   much of waht I need (the only probelm is that i doesn't have enoght
   resolution under X windows for a very specific requirment that I
   have).  I als will get the 2.2 operating system on the new
   machine!

>                4. Many of the problems of escalation from first to second 
>                line stem from the recent doubling of UNIX support staff,
>                and the consequent confusion as their new skills are integrated
>                with our support and service environment.

   Do you know anybody else that is increasing thier support staff
   thes days?


>	Dell expends a tremendous amount of effort to support its UNIX
>product via several media.  Most support contact is via telephone.  Support
>is also provided via fax, email, and sometimes USENET.  The main emphasis on
>support is to the telephone, and email media.  We provide "800" numbers,
>and dedicated email addresses specifically for this reason.  

>	Dell is committed to superior service and support.  We are proud of 
>our record of service and support in the PC industry and have no intention
>of letting this record be eclipsed.  Operating system software is complex; 
>when combined with huge aftermarket of products, it is almost impossible to 
>keep track of all the combinations of product offerings.  Where the problem 
>involves equipment purchased from Dell, we can provide very rapid responses.  
>When third party products are involved, even if the issue is immediately 
>escalated to second line for investigation, the delay may be considerable 
>as equipment or accessories needed to replicate the problem may not be 
>readily available within the organization.

>	Internal discussion at Dell is resulting in a decision that we
>must be less active on the 'net, though we will continue to monitor 

   I *very* much regeret this.  I wish you would reconsider it.  If my
   actions have contributed to theis (and I believe that they must
   have) then I have done a *serrious* diservice to the entir UNIX
   comunity.  I must abjectly applogize for any part I might have had
   in this.  Should I write a letter to your management?  Anything
   that I can do to cause this decesion to be reversd I will do!

>news groups and may make individual mail responses.  We believe that
>this is, on the balance, detrimental to UNIX and the 'net; but can find no 
>acceptable compromise in the current climate.  We also predict that
>we will now be castigated for our "creeping corporatitis" :-).  
>Eventually, 'net pressure will decide; should Dell participate on the 'net 

   *YES!*

>as individual contributors, or as corporate automatons whose every word is 
>intended as official corporate policy?

>	If anyone would like to discuss this, or any other subject further, 
>I can be contacted at the email addresses and phone number listed below.  
>Any mail specifically for me should have my name in the subject line.  I 
>hope that this will help everyone draw more complete conclusions from this 
>thread.

>_______________________________________________________________________________
>Edward Godwin                                     Dell Computer Corporation 
>support@dell.com                                     UNIX Product Support 
>1-800-624-9896 x.6915                                 FAX (512)338-8780
>_______________________________________________________________________________
-- 
Stan Brown					    Electric Systems Inc.
Home (404) 299-2225				Atalanta Ga. (USA)
Home (615) 894-5781				Chattoonaga TN (USA)
Work (615) 899-1714				stan@dixie.com
dixie.com = Public Access UNIX in Georgia
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386