A CES experiment. Am I a sell out? Or does Maxim just suck. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 03:38:26 am
content: Even though I am management, we are a company of only 8 people and I am also new product development, head of quality control, prototype builder, occasional assembler, customer service, field tech support, and even phone operator from time to time! Every year I have gone to CES it has basically been vacation meaning I wear the free t shirts and sun glasses I got at last years CES. I had an encounter with Maxim last year that left a bad taste in my mouth. I happened upon their "Booth" in the Venetian tower. They were right in between international rectifier who had thier new audio stuff on display, and some other component company on the other side who had some cool things on display. I was actively designing around one of their parts (MAX4460 to be exact for a pressure gauge that we will sell many thousands of a year) So here I go walking into their room only to be stopped by some wanker who gives the the anal probe from hell about how I am not supposed to be in there. I asked if there was anybody there I could ask a few questions and before I could even get the question out he threw me out of the booth. I announced so the whole hallway could hear that he just convinced me to go to TI chips and he came back with a shitty snide remark. Truth be told I did not like the TI part and stayed with Maxim. Should I have said screw it and not used their chip? I could have figured something else out. It would have required the use of an inverter on board but as a matter of principal... I just wanted to get the design done.Anyways, this year I am going to walk the show one day in a suit.. A very imposing I mean business style one. They don't have to know our company only has 8 people in it! I am going to go to Maxims "Suite" and be as obnoxious as I can be. I used many "I" 's in this post... hmmmmmmm.....

author: DavidGoncalv
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 03:47:29 am
content: Use the part.

author: Mr Smiley
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 03:49:41 am
content: I recently requested a few samples from Maxim.The response was an email from Ireland asking for my web address. And until they receive my web address i won't get any samplesI don't have a web address, and haven’t been asked for one before.In my response saying i didn't have a web address, i also asked them to let me know it they were going to send the requested samplesTo date i haven’t any samples or a reply as to whether they are going to send them or notLooks like they've lost out to another major supplier.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 03:51:11 am
content: It's the people at the booth being dicks rather than the company as a whole.Write the whole thing down on company as an official company letter and send it to the CEO of maxim.(A paper, snail mail letter, not email)That will get them in some trouble.

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 03:53:13 am
content: Quote from: Psi on January 07, 2014, 03:51:11 amShould I leave in the part about staying with their part? Or just stay with I am going to TI. Well, Burr and Brown, but TI whateverness.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 03:59:25 am
content: By all means talk about how the experience made you think about switching to a different manufacture.Don't bother to mention which part you ended up using, its not relevant.heheUse the adjective "dubious" once.It doesn't actually mean anything, but it scares people reading it.

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 04:01:26 am
content: Good idea... O0

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 06:29:37 am
content: The word is Maxim is blacklisted by many. Not because of their booth behavior, but because of their failures in supplying when it counted.Samples? No problem. But some time later, after you made up your mind and after you designed a Maxim part in, when it was time for production you had to learn the hard way that the supposedly new part was already obsolete or had insane lead times.One such event might be bad luck. A few, and you get why people blacklisted them.Because of that Maxim should be well used to threats like "I go with TI if you don't ...". For a long time they didn't seem to care at all. They made some noise a few years ago how they are finally listen to customers and investing in this and that and cleaning up their act. But many are not willing to try their luck with them again.Should you stay with them? Your decision. If you want and can swallow your pride. The thing with threats is you need to be in a position to follow through with them and be willing to follow through. If you aren't, then well, what's the point of trying to threaten a company that is so used to it and didn't care in the past?

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 06:43:29 am
content: I have a backup plan as I said before. If i treated our customers that way, I don't think we would still be in business.

author: poorchava
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 06:59:10 am
content: +1 to Maxim being blacklisted for unreliability of supply

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 07:00:43 am
content: Vote with your feet. I am in a minority in that I often say what I'm thinking and am quite happy to dress down a supplier when required. They're generally not that bothered, they have thousands of other customers who will keep quiet while they are ass-raped by their suppliers/manufacturers. If more of their customers told them that were being dense then they might take note.Stand up for what you feel is right.

author: Moshly
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 08:06:59 am
content: Hi, I don't get itIs this CES show open to the public ?Or is it a 'trade show' & if so you must of had a pass / ID etc.. ?If its public, why do they bother even having a booth, if they just chuck people out ?The big customers are going to see them at the 'trade shows' or contact them directly ?Isn't that the whole point of having a booth ?Did you manage to get the idiots name ?I've had this sort of thing before, with various 'retail outlets' but this is crazy

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 09:28:06 am
content: CES is probably not the best place to do this things, as it is full with software people, gamers, and such. Probably Embedded World would be better, I really hope I can make it there again this year.Although I usually carry a few dozen business card with me, just to give it to people who don't take me seriously for first look.And yes, Maxim sucks.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 10:40:48 am
content: Quote from: DavidGoncalv on January 07, 2014, 03:47:29 amDon't use Maxim. Everyone knows their parts are unobtanium unless you are planning on buying 6 figure quantities. The only good thing about Maxim is that you have a good excuse when you type the 'wrong' web address

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 11:18:12 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 07, 2014, 10:40:48 amJust curious how is their treatment for customers with those 6 figure or more quantities ?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 11:31:17 am
content: See their alternate website O0

author: ampdoctor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 01:33:13 pm
content: I don't have any direct experience with Maxim, so I can't comment there. However I've worked trade shows and the job sucks! You're trapped in a 10x10 cubicle and milling around on your feet for 12 hours a day straight, with barely enough time for bathroom breaks or grabbing a quick snack. All the while every asshole on the planet wants to roll through your booth, set up foot traffic roadblocks, finger up your demo products, and walk away with some free swag. You're wracking your brain trying to figure out who to talk to and who to ignore because your whole purpose of being there is to win new clients and long term high volume contracts, while at the same time trying to make an industry impression and make your company's image a little bit better than the 10k others that are around you. It's controlled chaos, and sometimes not so controlled. Kind of sounds like a long day got the best of that rep.

author: liquibyte
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 02:53:33 pm
content: Quote from: ampdoctor on January 07, 2014, 01:33:13 pmInsanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 03:25:06 pm
content: CES is the consumer electronics show. Some semiconductor vendors have stands there to attract customers that build equipment for CES. Very frequently those booths are 'invitation only'. So that is orobably why you got a chewing out.I know ST has a booth at CES some of it is public, some of it is invitation only.As for providing a web address : they use that to filter out the freeloaders. Don't own a domain ? Then most likely you are a hobbyist or not a company. So you get zilch. Maxim and others are not in business to give away free stuff to people who would never bought it in the first place. Need one or two ? Go to digikey or mouser if you really need it. If you are a serious candidate they will give samples.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 03:51:28 pm
content: I hear CES lost a lot of exhibitors since 2012... no idea why...

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 05:27:42 pm
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on January 07, 2014, 03:51:28 pmI blame the internet. I used to go to a few different trade shows, they've all downsized and they're generally not worth going to anymore as no-one really cares if you want to by their stuff that much, they have plenty of alternative ways of selling their wares.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 05:32:17 pm
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on January 07, 2014, 03:51:28 pmIt is the shitty economy. Companies save on PR so they quit or downsize attending trade shows.

author: lapm
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 05:52:08 pm
content: Funny thing is it must be 20 years ago when i all ready heard Maxims delivery problems. Suprised they have not gone under by now

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 09:41:08 pm
content: Trade shows on the whole are in decline. It started about 20 years ago when none of the decision makers were at them anymore. Salesmen talking to salesmen..

author: Kohanbash
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 11:53:24 pm
content: I have been on both sides of the booth at tradeshows.I think when I come as a viewer the most valuable thing that I get is meeting other people that we then collaborate with, create deals with, or get ideas from. For me it is not about the booths so much as about the people.

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 08:47:19 pm
content: I wish I had brought my handheld spectrum analyzer. Soo much crappy Bluetooth equipment and none of it will connect cause of all the noise!

author: Conrad Hoffman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2014, 10:00:42 pm
content: I have no idea how they perform today, but years ago Maxim burned so many people by discontinuing parts that had just been designed in to new products that smart engineers blacklisted them. Once a reputation is gone, it's very hard to get it back.