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- Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
- Path: sparky!uunet!ferkel.ucsb.edu!taco!rock!concert!sas!mozart.unx.sas.com!sasbge
- From: sasbge@ant.unx.sas.com (Gantt Edmiston)
- Subject: Re: Opinions - Zeos 50MHz
- Originator: sasbge@ant.unx.sas.com
- Sender: news@unx.sas.com (Noter of Newsworthy Events)
- Message-ID: <BxKEFI.vI@unx.sas.com>
- Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 18:38:06 GMT
- Reply-To: sasbge@ant.unx.sas.com
- References: <BxIvJy.HBv@news.cso.uiuc.edu> <sasbge.721451553@ant> <1992Nov11.152401.14994@zeos.com>
- Nntp-Posting-Host: ant.unx.sas.com
- Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
- Lines: 93
-
-
- In article, kgermann@zeos.com (Ken Germann) writes:
- >In article, sasbge@unx.sas.com (Gantt Edmiston) writes:
- >>
- >> [stuff deleted]
- >>
- >>Make friends with a Customer Service rep. They are the ones that
- >>can get you all the info regarding the status of your order. My experience
- >>has been top-rate. They have never failed to call me back with updates
- >>and/or status info. I can't say as much for the Tech Support line. I
- >>called them six times during the "making up my mind" stage and got
- >>through four out of six times. Twice I left messages for a call back
- >>and never got a call. The four times that I *did* get through, they
- >>were very patient and answered all my questions.
- >
- >How many times did it take for you to get an answer on the net?
- >via news or mail?
-
- Well [and remember that *you* asked ;-)], I did mail Ken a list of
- questions that I had prior to placing an order. In all fairness
- rather lengthy (281 lines) mostly text, but lots of questions that
- my sales rep could not answer. Here's the timeline:
-
- Thu, 24 Sep 92 Mailed the original questions to Ken Germann
- Mon, 28 Sep 92 Having heard no response, I emailed and ask Ken
- if he intended on working up the answers.
- Tue, 29 Sep 92 Received response from Ken that he had passed my
- questions to engineering/product development
- Wed, 14 Oct 92 Having heard nothing since last Email contact with
- Ken, I requested a status on my questions.
- Thu, 15 Oct 92 Received response from Ken that he could not "force
- the issues" and would respond when he heard something
- himself. Additionally, Ken requested that I remail
- the questions back to him and he would do what he
- could to fill in the blanks.
- Fri, 16 Oct 92 Received final response to most of my questions from
- Ken. I assumed that Ken answered from his own
- personal knowledge base and he never actually received
- any response from engineering/product development.
- I could be wrong.
-
- So I asked for help this one time and it took 3 weeks, with prodding
- in between, to get a sufficient response. Not to good. During this
- waiting period, I did pick up lots of info off the net and this
- newsgroup. So much so, that I placed my order on 2 Oct 92. I also
- subscribe to the ZEOS list and periodically receive the product
- announcement and info from ZEOS. I think that this is a very important
- factor in my decision to purchase from ZEOS.
-
- Network/Email/News access to ZEOS is something other similiar vendors
- can only pretend to emulate at this time.
-
- >
- >[stuff deleted]
- >
- >The internet connection, usenet news, list server, and new bbs are ideas
- >that originated from my desk. There are features being implemented on a
- >new BBS that are going to make getting answers to technical support and
- >sales questions convienent for modem users and people that have access
- >to the internet.
- >
-
- I, for one, welcome the addition of a BBS service and access to more
- information. I can only think that this will give ZEOS an unfair
- advantage over the competition. (but that's the idea =-)
-
- The newer ZEOS systems have Flash EPROM that holds the BIOS. A central
- BBS to go get updates to this BIOS would be great, too. As more and
- more systems use this type of "soft" BIOS, it will be important to have
- quick access to bug fixes and updates. Would also keep me from having
- to subscribe to Compuserve as well.
-
-
- I can't finish this without saying (in defense of ZEOS support) that
- I posted a "frustration" letter in this medium, several weeks ago. Basically
- I was griping that I was getting the run-around about my order which
- was(is) late. Ken Germann picked it up and passed it on to Customer
- Service (without me asking!). I got a call from Customer Service at
- ZEOS and they then took steps to constantly monitor my order since
- then. The order still hasn't arrived, but I am told that it *is* in
- production.
-
- As I see it, ZEOS is growing and learning. In many facets, they are
- heads and shoulders above the rest of the pack in providing superior
- Customer Service. A rare commodity in this day.
-
- --
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Gantt Edmiston - SysAdmin o |If you always do what you have always done,
- SAS Institute Inc. <( |you'll always get what you've always gotten!
- Quality Assurance - V416 [\.+--------------------------------------------
- Cary NC 27513 919-677-8000 x6091| sasbge@ant.unx.sas.com
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