dsroberts@beckman.com (06/14/91)
Flame on (steam and smoke)
I forgot how to tftp my router config file to the router (you know, config?).
So I looked in the manual, and couldn't figure it out from there (no surprise
with those cisco manuals, eh?). So I called cisco with what I thought was a
real simple question.
Then I got connected to Karen at cisco. She asked me for my serial number. I
don't know it. She told me it is on the back of the router. So, like I sit
close to the router, right? I told her my name and company and asked her to
look it up. She said she doesn't have that capability! This from a technology
company! I told her what I needed then made a snide remark about the router
company that "claims" to desire to provide the best service in the business
can't even figure out my serial or answer a stupid question! I told her I've
only had the router since November, so I'm still under warranty.
So then she starts to get rather snotty with me.
Tell me, is this any way for a company that wants to provide excellent service
to act? Mind you, mine was, indeed, a stupid question on how to do a simple
thing. I told her I was still under warranty, but that didn't matter. She
told me she can't know that is true. Give me a break!
Flame off
Well, I feel better, anyway...
Alright, so maybe the snide remark was uncalled for, but I was getting a bit
steamed that a technology company can't even look up a customer by customer
name!
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don Roberts Internet: don@beckman.com
Beckman Instruments, Inc. Yellnet: 714/961-3029
2500 Harbor Bl. Mailstop X-12 FAX: 714/961-3351
Fullerton, CA 92634 Disclaimer: Always
---------------------------------------------------------------------------rhott@volleydog.nswc.navy.mil (The VolleyDog - E41) (06/14/91)
In article <1991Jun13.111217.384@beckman.com>, dsroberts@beckman.com writes: > > Flame on (steam and smoke) > > I forgot how to tftp my router config file to the router (you know, config?). > So I looked in the manual, and couldn't figure it out from there (no surprise > with those cisco manuals, eh?). So I called cisco with what I thought was a > real simple question. All I can say is, it's in there!! > > Then I got connected to Karen at cisco. She asked me for my serial number. I > don't know it. She told me it is on the back of the router. So, like I sit > close to the router, right? I told her my name and company and asked her to > look it up. She said she doesn't have that capability! This from a technology > company! I told her what I needed then made a snide remark about the router > company that "claims" to desire to provide the best service in the business > can't even figure out my serial or answer a stupid question! I told her I've > only had the router since November, so I'm still under warranty. > > So then she starts to get rather snotty with me. > It is certainly true that one snotty attitude does not justify another. The cisco person (Karen) should have realized the type of person she was dealing and shifted in to her "the customer is always right, anything for a customer" mode, and gone off for an hour or so (maybe much longer) to try to track down your serial number. I agree that this was a simple problem, could have taken minutes to explain, but then sometimes people must pay a price for not having the patience to look something up for themselves. > Tell me, is this any way for a company that wants to provide excellent service > to act? Mind you, mine was, indeed, a stupid question on how to do a simple > thing. I told her I was still under warranty, but that didn't matter. She > told me she can't know that is true. Give me a break! And I ask you, if you are not going to obide by the rules the cisco requests, why should they respond to quote "stupid questions" from impatient customers when they have provided the answers in their documentation. I have been very please with the service I have received from the tech support people. > > Flame off > > Well, I feel better, anyway... So do I.... > Alright, so maybe the snide remark was uncalled for, but I was getting a bit > steamed that a technology company can't even look up a customer by customer > name! I agree with you here. But, since they don't have that in place, you can't expect that they will have it developed while you are on the phone. I do suspect that you mail message will prompt cisco into at least investigating (if not providing this capability). I think that they really do try to bend over backwards (maybe stretching it a bit) for their customers. > > -- > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Don Roberts Internet: don@beckman.com > Beckman Instruments, Inc. Yellnet: 714/961-3029 > 2500 Harbor Bl. Mailstop X-12 FAX: 714/961-3351 > Fullerton, CA 92634 Disclaimer: Always > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob Hott ======================================== Fullname: Robert W. (Bob) Hott Mailing Address: Naval Surface Warfare Center Networks Branch (Code E41) Dahlgren, Virginia 22448 DDN Mail: rhott@relay.nswc.navy.mil DDN Mail: rhott@volleydog.nswc.navy.mil Telephone: (703) 663 - 7745 "If man were not meant to play volleyball, why are there so many beaches?" - Bob Hott -
tgp@sei.cmu.edu (Tod Pike) (06/14/91)
Well, now that I know your name and the company you work for (Donald Roberts at Beckman Instruments), what is there to prevent me from calling up Cisco and telling them that I am you? I'll tell you what - I don't have your serial number! Cisco (and many other companies) require your serial number to insure that they are indeed talking to the person who owns the equipment under license. While this does not excuse rude behavior to a customer, I think the requirement of a serial number is quite acceptable. How hard is it to put the serial number on a piece of paper, or in a file on your system? You should probably do this anyway, in case the equipment goes "missing" some day. Tod Pike -- Internet: tgp@sei.cmu.edu Mail: Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute Pittsburgh, PA. 15213-3980
kev@sol.acs.unt.edu (Mullet Kevin Wright) (06/14/91)
This is borderline ridiculous. 1: In a perfect world, I'll grant that any front-line person working at a service-oriented business should be genteel to even the most crass and obnoxious person calling in. Meanwhile, however, in the real world, front line support personnel are nearly always underpaid, under trained and over worked. Personally, I think the burden is on BOTH the customer and the service person to be amiable with each other and try to fulfill their obligations to each other. From my point of view, the moment Don Roberts switched into rude mode and started doing *anything* that could be interpreted as harrassing the person on the other end of the phone, he got whatever he deserved. There are no circumstances which preclude civility. 2: I can only speak of my documentation, but it's the May 1990 documentation and it has a complete enough discussion of the TFTP capability on page 3-8 in the section entitled: "Automatic Configuration Using Remote Hosts". All the problems I encountered were entirely due to my learning curve on what TFTP required at the host level and what the excentricities of our TFTP daemon were. None of that kind of stuff is appropriate for a router manual. The Cisco doc *does* state what RFC TFTP is found in and that host requirements tend to vary. That's enough for me. 3: I've got a real simple solution to the "drop the phone, run to the router, and copy the serial number again" dilemma: put it in the login screen for the router. On the banner for each of my routers, I put the network phone number for problems, the name of the person running the router, the serial number for the router and a diagram of what subnets are attached to what physical interfaces. Pretty much all I'd ever want to know available by either telnetting to or fingering my router. I'm terrible at keeping track of little pieces of paper or weird files with odd pieces of information in them and I've never seen a PIM I liked well enough to use -- but I digress. -Kevin Mullet University of North Texas