chuck@UMBC2.UMBC.EDU ("Chuck Rickard; ", PC) (08/17/89)
I have been with Atari for years and years and years, but we all seem to start
our messages off like that. I hate to say this, but being a proud Atari owner
(we always seem to say that alot also...), I really worried about its future.
I really look forward to the new products that they are coming out with, but
just wonder if they will support them. Notice that I say "WILL" instead of
"CAN". I just wonder how long they expect us to put up with service like they
dish out, and its not forced upon them, it's by choice!
A good friend of mine is an Atari Dealer. He sells Ataris because he likes
the machine, but the company is driving him crazy. One time he had a Mega
3.5 drive that went bad while it was still in warrantee. According to Atari's
policy, you must call and get a return authorization number for the drive, but
this was almost impossible. Every time he called the person was either out to
lunch, in a meeting, or on vacation. For two weeks he called only to get the
same responses over and over. He finally ripped the drive apart and tried
to fix it himself, and he didn't even have a repair manual for the drive!
He got it working after a few hours, but with no help from Atari. Next, a
person from Atari calls about bill payment which is all in order, but the guy
on the other end is totally confused because he is new! The latest thing is a
real killer! He has been calling his dealer rep for a week now trying to get
some stuff, and now finds out that the guy was either fired or moved and the
account is now being handled by a dealer rep group of some kind. Atari never
even told him of the new situation or the new number!
Now I ask you, is it right for Atari to treat their people this way~r}i? Every
body seems to be getting fired at Atari, and nothing seems to be getting done!
Cindy is gone and then its Chris. Dealer reps are gone,~r and the rep group
is probably soon to follow. Who knows whats going to happen next!
Now you wonder whe~rther this is{_ Atari's ignorance or do they don't care!
Please reply. Tell me what you think. I won't get any responses from Atari.
They don't care.
Chuck Rickard
UMBC Academic Computing
CHUCK@UMBCBob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com (08/18/89)
Chuck Rickard asks about Atari management.. >Now you wonder whe~rther this is{_ Atari's ignorance or do they don't care! >Please reply. Tell me what you think. I won't get any responses from Atari >They don't care. Atari Corp. is run by a bunch of amateurs. My niece's Junior Achievement Company could run Atari far better than the current management does. When I think of Atari Corp., I get the mental image of an old Keystone Kops movie where everyone is chasing themselves back and forth across a long hallway, in and out of doorways.. no one knowing what's going on, or who's doing what. Unfortunately, as has been pointed out before, it's THEIR company.. they can run it any way they want to, as long as they own a majority of the stock. That includes lying to their customers and dealers, treating user groups badly, using threats to control dealers, and just generally mistreating anyone who gets in the way. Neil Harris (who?) once made a comment on CompuServe about Digital Research, saying in his most clever manner that there was an industry rumor that the reason DRI didn't do (whatever it was), was that their goal was to stay a "small company forever"... I thought it was truly ironic that a "mouthpiece" for Atari Corp. would "cast stones" that way... The way Atari Corp is managed, they must provide a tremendous source of amusement in the board rooms of real companies like Apple and IBM... if those companies even notice Atari... Yes, I love my ST... but I'm ashamed of its parentage.. BobR
grahamt@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Graham Thomas) (08/21/89)
From article <21397@cup.portal.com>, by Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com: > Atari Corp. is run by a bunch of amateurs. My niece's Junior Achievement > Company could run Atari far better than the current management does. > People might be interested to know that at a recent UK Atari Show (not attended by Atari UK) a petition was circulated which called on Atari to support their machines in a way that mathced the efforts of software companies and user groups. Despite being run from a stand in an obscure part of the show, the petition quickly gathered thousands of signatures (I think I read 6,000, but I doubt if that was the final total - anyone in the UK know any better?) An Atari spokesperson said they 'were not aware of the situation' but would be willing to meet the organisers of the petition. I don't know if any meetings have taken place. I believe the petition was organised by the Association of Atari User Groups. Maybe someone can supply their address, and the text of the petition, so that Usenet people can add their names to the list. Graham -- Graham Thomas, SPRU, Mantell Building, U of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RF, UK JANET: grahamt@uk.ac.sussex.syma EARN/BITNET: grahamt@syma.sussex.ac.uk ARPA: grahamt%syma.sussex.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk UUCP: grahamt@syma.uucp Phone: +44 273 686758
Xorg@cup.portal.com (Peter Ted Szymonik) (08/23/89)
I know the AAUG is active on FNET and are based in New Jersey (although they may have moved.) If I get their address I'll post it here. Peter Szymonik Xorg@cup.portal.com