More trouble with the 6386/StarLAN-10

[Jim Gottlieb]

In article <1989Dec7.044257.14603 at usenet.ins.cwru.edu> davisp at skybridge.scl.cwru.edu (Palmer Davis) writes:
>
>Okay, folks... how do *YOU* deal with AT&T?  I know *somebody* has to have
>an easier time getting them to sell you their products than I've had,

Certainly not me.  Whenever I try to buy something from AT&T, I end up
with no doubts in my mind as to why they have had trouble selling computer
equipment.

I have spent days (literally) on the phone trying to track down a part
or computer.  The hotline (800-922-0354) tells me to call National 
Parts (800-222-PART).  NP tells me to call the Product Locator
(800-247-1212).  They tell me they are only an ad response center and
send me on to the Comcode Hotline (800-654-5832).  They have me call
the 3B hotline (800-222-9333).  They suggest I call The finder number
(800-FIND-ATT).  They send me back to the service hotline that I
started with.

I must say that dealing with AT&T is the most stressful activity in my
work.  Whenever I need to find out some information on an AT&T product,
I sit down in my chair and say to myself, "OK.  This is how the rest of
my day will be spent."

A previous poster said to ask "your account executive".  Well, some of
us not-huge companies, and not-universities don't have an AT&T account
executive to answer to our every need.

One more example of the lack of communication within AT&T:  I was
considering buying an AT&T UPS.  I called their "UPS Hotline" and asked
them what size UPS would be needed for an AT&T 3B1 or an AT&T 6386 w/
135 meg drive.  The guy's response was, "We don't know anything about
computers here.  We just deal with UPSs.  Wouldn't you think that they
would have a list of the power requirements of various AT&T machines?
I found another UPS company that did have a list of the power
consumption of many computers.  I bought the UPSs from them.
-- 
                              Jim Gottlieb
  E-Mail: <jimmy at denwa.uucp> or <jimmy at pic.ucla.edu> or <attmail!denwa!jimmy>
         V-Mail: (213) 551-7702  Fax: 478-3060  The-Real-Me: 824-5454