hsplab@ecsvax.UUCP (03/30/84)
When I first bought Godbout products almost four years ago, the
company was highly responsive to my requests for help. In several cases,
Godbout offered excellent technical help as well as the ability to
purchase replacement parts. This support occurred in addition to providing
products which were rock solid. Several recent events have convinced me
that the new CompuPro seems to have quite a different attitude. I recently
tried to buy a replacement 8085 (6Mhz 8085AH-1) through either their
distributer or Godbout itself. In both cases I was emphatically told that
the company would no longer supply parts for their products; if I wanted
something fixed, I would have to return it for repair at standard rates.
I understand that the particular chip is in very short supply and I would
have appreciated a response to that effect, but I really never even got a
chance to state what part I wanted.
Three weeks ago I bought a copy of CPM-86 from Priority I. The manuals
stated that if the source code which was supplied was incompatible with
the ASM-86, I should return the package. I got a return authorization
from Priority I and was told to mail the original disks to CompuPro.
Three weeks later I checked CompuPro to see why I had not received the
disks. It turns out that Priority I gave CompuPro the billing address
for the University of North Carolina as the shipping address and CompuPro
ignored the address I had placed with the return disks. As you might
expect neither CompuPro nor Priority I have acknowledged responsibility
for the mismailings and I have been unable to locate the disks after at
least 50 telephone calls to various areas on campus. Worse than that,
neither CompuPro nor Priority I have even responded to my requests for
replacement disks. At this point I am rather frustrated. This is
clearly as case where a company has not gotten better as it has grown.
It seems that they are more interested in giving good service to
Jerry Pournelle than the average customer.
David Chou
University of NC, Chapel Hill
decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!hsplabPOURNE@Mit-Mc.ARPA (04/05/84)
From: Jerry E. Pournelle <POURNE@Mit-Mc.ARPA> If you'll send a hard copy detailing your difficulties (specifics like dates and the like would help) we'll see what can be done; I find by and large that when I send in a paper it gets read... Pournelle BYTE pob 372 Hancock NH 03449 Priority One doesn't really give ANYONE support for stuff they sell; I have a color board for the PC that won't work with anytyhing but a couple of specific terminals although there is nothing in the ads that say that. We are having fun with Priority One which sold it to us. CompuPro is trying very hard to get out of the direct support business because they ship too much stuff to be able to do that. Generic solutions to problems are more useful: in your case, for instance. Mostly they hope you will buy their stuff through a Systems Center and get support from that. Priority One sells a LOT of CompuPro stuff but at a very low profit margin and they just don't do no support at all; leaving the troops in Hayward to wonder what to do. I dunno either; but in your case, if you'll let me know, maybe something can be made to happen. As a general proposition, though, I find CompuPro stuff rock solid, but it is getting harder and harder to talk to the people in Hayward unless you know them well. They also have another type of chap: the ones who add nonstandard stuff, hack things, and tehn complain that it doesn't work... I have a drawer full of their complaints, but not much sympathy for them (why doesn't my belchly board work with ...)
burton@fortune.UUCP (04/18/84)
#R:sri-arpa:-59200:fortune:25500010:000:644
fortune!burton Apr 18 10:22:00 1984
Most manufacturers find it impossible to support end-users directly. It's
much more important to support dealers. Therefore, CompuPro should be
**selecting and retaining** only tbhose dealers willing to support customers.
Otherwise, a company courts disaster. If I were in CompuPro, I would drop
Priority One. (in addition to poor support, they create problems for me
with all my dealers who support customers, but charge list price.)
Philip Burton 101 Twin Dolphin Drive-MS 133
Fortune Systems Redwood City, CA 94065 (415) 595-8444 x 526
- - -
{ihnp4 [ucbvax | decvax!decwrl]!amd70 harpo hpda }!fortune!burton