Geoffrey.Welsh@f275.n221.z1.fidonet.org (Geoffrey Welsh) (04/22/91)
I recently reported a friend's trouble with ATI's upgrade folks; his story continues and here is his own report: Greetings Geoffrey. I thought I would share a current experience I am having with you and everybody else who will stand still long enough. On Thursday, April 11, I dropped 2 ATI 2400etc/e modems off at the ATI technical support building in Toronto. I had obtained RMA's for both modems earlier, for the specific purpose of upgrading the modems to V.42bis, as per ATI bulletin #37. I specifically told Doug, the technician at ATI to whom I spoke, that I wanted the two modems upgraded, and even mentioned the number of the upgrade bulletin. I picked the modems up a bit over a week later, on Friday the 19th. Upon returning home I discovered that 1 modem had indeed been upgraded. The second (which belongs to me) had not been upgraded. There was a message inside saying that the modem had been tested and found to be not defective. There were several suggestions as to what I may have done wrong, had I actually send it in on the assumption that it was defective - which I had not done. This modem upgrade business has already cost me several long distance phone calls to ATI, and 2 trips to Toronto from Stratford - a total of some eight hours of intensive driving. As far as I'm concerned it was all for nothing, although the friend who owns the modem that did get upgraded might feel otherwise. I am now in the position of having to make yet another (series of?) ld call(s) to Toronto, and I'll have to do without my modem for another week or so, with another drive to Toronto (or pay the cost of shipping both ways), because of some incompetent individual at ATI. Some of you will know that PCMagazine devoted an entire issue recently to the topic of quality and service. ATI products rated quite well in quality and customer satisfaction, but their service department rated very poorly (I can go into further detail if requested). It never really bothered me before, since I never had to deal with their service people before. I am now in the position of having been screwed around with by ATI. I'll leave a follow-up message after I complain to them on Monday, and I'll report what (if anything) they plan to do about it. Sour grapes? I guess so. I'm pissed off at a company that makes decent products, and I've never had problems before. However, I don't think that anybody should have to put up with that kind of stupid, shoddy dis-service. If my case was a single, unique instance I would probably tone down my complaint. Perhaps I would not have made it public. I know, because of PCMagazine and others, that there is a problem with ATI, and I want to bring it to the attention of people who will probably be buying ATI products. * Origin: Five Guys BBS: Stratford, land of donut shops (Fidonet 1:221/275) -- Geoffrey Welsh - via FidoNet node 1:221/171 UUCP : watmath!xenitec!zswamp!275!Geoffrey.Welsh Internet: Geoffrey.Welsh@f275.n221.z1.fidonet.org