From: tlc20700@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Thomas L. Carney)
Subject: Re: WANTED : ICOM Customer Service phone number
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 12:30:41 GMT

pdh@netcom.com (Phil Howard ) writes:

>tlc20700@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Thomas L. Carney) writes:

>OK.  I will clarify.  ICOM has decided to replace a direct dial phone number
>in which you get a busy signal and pay no toll when it is busy, or get just
>ringing when the staff is occupied and pay no toll when so, with...

>...a voice menu answering system which:

>1.  If the line is busy, you just paid a long distance toll to find
>    out about it EACH AND EVERY TIME.

>2.  If the staff cannot answer, you are paying a long distance toll
>    to sit there and listing to the ringback sound for aas long as
>    your patience lasts.

>3.  If there is a busy, the voice menu system does give you the option
>    of leaving a message.  I've left 2 messages and never gotten a call
>    back.

>I label this setup as "Customer DIS-service" so that is why I say there
>is no customer service number: there is no number from which I have yet
>received any service since they installed the damned machine.

>BTW, one of the 2 messages left was left with the secretary who answered
>the main office number.  She was unable, or unwilling, or not permitted,
>to connect me to the phone line to which the machine connects (e.g. bypassing
>the machine).  Not that I would want that, since the toll charges were
>already being accumulated with a call to the main number.

>Solutions:

>1.  Eliminate the voice menu machine.

That would be nice....

>2.  Take repair/tech service off the machine (if it is used for other stuff).

That would even be better...  granted.

>3.  Publish the direct bypass number (in ads and on machine) to which a busy
>    or no answer condition does not result in toll charges.

>4.  Put this on an 800 number.

That's unrealistic because 800 numbers cost big bucks... and they get 
abused by customers...  I've worked in customer service and it happens
EEB's 800 is used only for orders, as is the case for Universal RAdio...
and they are both service centers also...  no service center I know of
that services amateur, shortwave, or general communications gear
uses an 800 number for customer service... overhead must be minimized
and supporting communications gear is costly... so unless a company
has made some big profits, and shuffled some of it to CS, nobody's
gonna get a toll free number for CS.

>5.  Make sure the number cannot ever be busy or not answered (probably
>    the least practical solution).

I took this and 1 and 2 up with ICOM's customer service head yesterday...
Remember Phil, there's no law or reg that says a CSH number must be toll
free or be or not be on a machine.... ICOM's gear is good stuff...
and I know some of the people in the repair department... Gary Phiber and
others.. they are some hard working people... give 'em a break...
the problem is with management cutting their funds so they put a
machine in.. to minimize on phone time... I know it's a bear..
but ICOM also publishes their address proudly on their ads..
If you don't like it, take time to write... or vote with
your pocketbooks...
At least ICOM publishes a CSH number...that's more than I can say 
for other manufacturers...

Tom

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