Interesting ISC Support Policy

[Eric Beser]

In article <40800018 at uicsl.csl.uiuc.edu>, brando at uicsl.csl.uiuc.edu writes:
> 
> /* Written 11:22 am  Jun 28, 1990 by birch at felix.UUCP in uicsl.csl.uiuc.edu:comp.unix.i386 */
> In article <106 at thor> scjones at thor (Larry Jones) writes about Interactive:
> 
> >It seems to me that the only reasonable policy is to provide
> >installation support for each and every purchase.  Am I the only
> >one that feels this way?
> 
> I completely agree. It turns out that Interactive does sell a support
> contract, but the prices are far too high for the average consumer to
> (I believe they want about $650 per year). For this reason alone
> I wish I had bought ESIX, they provide unlimited technical support.
> 
> /* End of text from uicsl.csl.uiuc.edu:comp.unix.i386 */

We bought ESIX and, having read with interest the support policy
articles I would like to add my two cents worth.

Our relationship with ESIX is strictly customer. We have been using them
from the REV A beta to REV D beta, and will install REV D production
when we receive it. We have been running it on an HP vectra, and there
have been problems with random system crashes for no apparant reason
except for system loading. This problem was enough to pull our hair out
and if it wasn't for the technical support we received from ESIX, we
would have gone to another vendor. Not only was the support given in an
intellegent manner (the techies really know what they are talking about)
they were eager and willing to help to the point of (at our expense)
getting on an airplane with the appropriate test equipment. As purely a
customer (we have established friendly and working relationships with
their primary customer support person (Dave Hsu), their support manager
(Swi Gin Leung), and their hardware manager (Bill Wong). The problem got
so bad at one point, that we sent the hardware (trading PC's for a
month) so that their engineers who felt somewhat challenged by this
problem unique to the HP Vectra could be stompped on. The happy ending
to this story is that the problem was caused by loose memory chips on
the processor board, but would not have been discovered by any other
means other than diligent work, and persitance of their support staff. I
think that if ESIX decides to charge for customer support, they
certainly have a product to sell. Although not native American, their
support staff are fluent and quite easily understood, understand unix
and understand hardware. I, as only a customer, am very much impressed
by the support received so far.

When we were having to justify to the customer why we chose ESIX over
some other brand, we only needed to point to the notes of our telephone
conversation with Interactive. I called their 800 number to ask for
customer support. Their operator told me to call another 800 number. I
did. The person answering the phone asked me how I got this number. I
told him. He told me that I couldn't have possible gotten that number
because their operators are under strict orders not to give it out. He
informed me that he would help me just this once, but I was not to call
back without a valid support contract number. His answers to my question
was "read the manual", "call sales and get the compatibility list",
"I don't know", and "Again, call sales for that information." I did not
call sales. I called my PC store office (internal to the company), and 
canceled my order for the Architechs Workstation Developers, plus Motif,
plus NFS (multi users). I sent a recomendation to the unix working group
and to our customer that they stay with ESIX. They did.

To me, the support of the product means more than the sales. If the
product is so good, it will sell itself. By having customer support that
you have to pay to be abused, it is not worth the high price to pay for
a product. I think ESIX in charging low rates for the product and
offering high quality customer support will gain more customers for less
effort. I hope they do, because I have actually enjoyed working with
their support group, I feel good about the product they sell, and will 
recomend them to anyone who asks.

Eric Beser
Westinghouse Aerospace Software Engineering      beser at SWARS.bwi.wec.com
"Captain, I think we can do it..."
"Make it so, number one!"