" ratcliffe) (03/14/90)
This is to re-iterate a standing Support Engineering (aka Hotline) policy
that we are experiencing a *little* slippage on and therefore need to make
sure everyone--at least who reads comp.sys.sgi--is working with the same
set of guidelines/procedural understandings:
Admittedly, those encountering problems with X are enduring various
levels of difficulty. We have found that in recent months, a certain
kind of "end-run" situation has been developing wherein certain
customers/users are up against the wall, and in various capacities
are communicating directly with people in Software Engineering at SGI
WITHOUT the problem/potential-bug/difficulty being matched/logged thru
a currently opened call to the Hotline. As frustrated and fed-up as
some people are with getting help/quick access from/to a Support
Engineer on the Hotline,
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALL PROBLEMS HAVE A CALLOG ASSOCIATED WITH
THEM SO THAT THEY MAY BE ACCURATELY AND EFFICIENTLY TRACKED.
Without absolute adherence to this fundamentally basic tenet, our system
of responding to the needs of our customer base will inevitably fail.
This is because the only way to ensure that a given problem is known
about and is being properly studied/tracked/monitored is for a callog's
call-ID to match up on a one-to-one basis with each and every problem.
Without this one-to-one matching, miscommunications and incorrect working
assumptions shared between Support and Software Engineering, will
inevitably create replicating situations where specific problems start
falling through the cracks.
Hence, to re-state, please be sure that at any point you may be
communicating with SGI on whatever level or basis regarding a specific
problem--difficulties with X have increased this non-logged call
scenario--that there ALREADY EXISTS a call logged through the Hotline
so all of us here at SGI, regardless of which division we're in, can
be dealing with this problem with the same parameters and tracking
mechanisms clearly and unambiguously in place.
Support Engineering does its best to solve a given problem in as timely
a fashion as is possible. Frequently if the call is beyond our knowledge
base, we will setup a conference call which will include a Software
Engineer, and take notes on the ensuing solution for future reference.
If, in such a case, the Software Engineer offers to call the customer
back, it should in NO WAY be construed from this that the Software
Engineer is now devoting herself to the problem and will be responsible
for pursuing the customer with callbacks. That is what Support
Engineering does. We will continue to call back both the customer and
Software Engineer until the problem is solved, but it is not the Software
Engineer's duty to interface in that manner with customers. If further
developments occur, the customer should call the Hotline back rather than
the Software Engineer so we can log those problems as well.
The Hotline will never give out the phone numbers for the Software
Engineers even if politely asked. We also discourage customers from
calling SGI and obtaining direct lines for Hotline people. We are aware
that during peak times you may not get an immediate response, but in
order for us to track your calls, it is imperative that you only use the
Hotline number. If you are given a Software Engineer's phone number by
the engineer herself, we ask you to please treat it with respect and only
use it for the duration of that call if you must use it at all.
Your adherence to these essential rules regarding our problem-solving
procedures is greatly appreciated.
dave ratcliffe, product support system engineer