cox@stpstn.UUCP (Brad Cox) (01/26/91)
>>I work for NeXT and, in my spare time, answer some questions >>I see on the net. I also forward messages on to people when >>appropriate. There are others at NeXT that do the same >>thing. But, noone has the duty of "answering the net". >>There are several problems with an employee of a vendor >>answering questions on the net. There is a grocery store in Connecticut (prominently featured in "In Search Of Excellence"), that knows something that computer/software companies should learn. My wife goes *way* out of her way to shop there. Why? One sign of the difference is that, as you enter the store, there is a huge block of granite right in front of the door (8 ft tall as I recall), with the following creed chisled into the stone: #1: The customer is always right. #2: If the customer is ever wrong, see Rule #1. This is not just a marketing slogan, because you can sense the difference throughout the store. So in connection with NeXT, which is more important? Chasing techno-nits and grits? Or making the customer feel needed; by phone, by usenet, or if they so desire, by carrier pigeon and tom tom. Did'ya ever wonder why Big Blue got to be so big? -- Brad Cox; cox@stepstone.com; CI$ 71230,647; 203 426 1875 The Stepstone Corporation; 75 Glen Road; Sandy Hook CT 06482
anderson@dogie.macc.wisc.edu (Jess Anderson) (01/26/91)
In article <6095@stpstn.UUCP> cox@stpstn.UUCP (Brad Cox) writes: >There is a grocery store in Connecticut (prominently featured in "In Search >Of Excellence"), that knows something that computer/software companies >should learn. My wife goes *way* out of her way to shop there. Why? Maybe she can't get you to go to the grocery? :-) >One sign of the difference is that, as you enter the store, there is a huge >block of granite right in front of the door (8 ft tall as I recall), with >the following creed chisled into the stone: >#1: The customer is always right. >#2: If the customer is ever wrong, see Rule #1. >This is not just a marketing slogan, because you can sense the difference >throughout the store. >So in connection with NeXT, which is more important? Chasing techno-nits and >grits? Or making the customer feel needed; by phone, by usenet, or if they so >desire, by carrier pigeon and tom tom. >Did'ya ever wonder why Big Blue got to be so big? This is, after all, the age of Well-Deserved Cynicism. IBM's size has a lot to do with restraint of trade, customer cowardice, and government sponsorship. The reputation for service grew mostly from the clever ploy of pricing maintenance into product leasing costs. I'm not denigrating their service, which really is customer-focused. But NeXT is not (not yet :-) an IBM. My sense is that we should not neglect what a slender hold this company must have on survival. Survival, I think, is a kind of critical-mass situation: they need enough sales to pay off the cost of doing business. Customer support is costly -- very costly -- and it would be threatening to those of us who have NeXT machines if that cost became a major factor in the eventual demise of the firm. From the point of view of a customer who has a problem, it's perhaps natural to be focused more on getting relief than on being the straw that broke the camel's back. From the company's point of view, it's just one more swaying load in the balancing act of meeting the many demands with limited resources. Last week I posted an article here that descried the plight of a person (certainly not known to me apart from what he said here) whose problems seemed to have fallen seriously through the cracks (to look at it optimistically). In terms of NeXT responsiveness, that article got me email from three people at NeXT, including Steve Jobs, and a phone call from another NeXT person. I do wonder if the fellow who had the problems himself got the relief he needs. As it happens, I've been in computing for more than 35 years, so I'm fairly resistant to hoopla, which I witness with a kind of bemused detachment. In this case, however, the people at NeXT have surprised me with the variety and sincerity of their responses. The combined thrust of the messages I got was: we're trying, we care about our customers, and if you have problems we want to hear about it. What can I say? I think they mean it, and I can't be anything but glad about that. I suppose I should add that we are not major customers; of perhaps 800 workstation-style machines on our campus, most are DECstations, Suns, and the like. I have no connection whatever with our reseller programs, but I think there are only about a dozen NeXTs. So I wouldn't discount the kind of response I saw this week as buttering up a favored account or anything of that nature. Compared to some other higher education customers, Wisconsin is small potatoes in NeXT's larger picture. But clearly they are willing to respond even to me. Sure could be worse, eh? <> Never wait at a barrier. -- Rumi -- Jess Anderson <> Madison Academic Computing Center <> University of Wisconsin Internet: anderson@macc.wisc.edu <-best, UUCP:{}!uwvax!macc.wisc.edu!anderson NeXTmail w/attachments: anderson@yak.macc.wisc.edu Bitnet: anderson@wiscmacc Room 3130 <> 1210 West Dayton Street / Madison WI 53706 <> Phone 608/262-5888
cnh5730@calvin.tamu.edu (Chuck Herrick) (01/28/91)
In article <6095@stpstn.UUCP> cox@stpstn.UUCP (Brad Cox) writes:
Did'ya ever wonder why Big Blue got to be so big?
Actually, I still wonder everyday.