Conference 7.286::digital

    I have had to develop some workarounds when dealing with Atlanta:
    
    If I don't get a specialist right off, then I don't even worry about
    getting called back.  If they do call back, it's usually long past
    the time where I can wait before the customer has called up about
    four levels of DEC management.  So I resort to Notes, the old beings
    network, and trial-and-error.  These days, with the ENet so unstable,
    even NOTES and VAXMail to knowlegeable persons are risky.
    
    Don't get me wrong; when I get someone on the phone, they are usually
    very helpful.  It's just that I don't get someone on the phone often.
    And I rarely call Support for something *I* can figure out by reading
    the manual or playing with it.  It's usually a real, repeatable bug.
    I feel that it's a drastic misuse of resources to use Support as a
    talking reference manual.

    Customer satisfaction sounds great in theory, but I've found that
    when it gets in the way of revenue, expenses, or billable time,
    then customer satisfaction becomes the "expendable" item.  Until
    a manager's paycheck hinges as much on satisfaction as it does on
    this week's expense dollars, this will continue.

    A lot of people tend to deride IBM salespeople, but this is an issue
    that is near and dear to each field person's heart (and pocketbook).
    The punishments that are meted out for causing customer complaints
    in an established account are too gruesome to mention here.  And it
    pays off for everyone, because often field people are assigned to
    accounts for a *long* time, and can't just walk away from future
    satisfaction problems.  You keep your own house clean when you have
    to live in it ...
    
    Geoff

       
       
       	Has anybody tried working this with the management in Atlanta?
       I seriously doubt that they read this conference..
       
       						mike

        And, if you want to pursue this in Notes, you might try out the
        YUPPIE::ATLANTA conference.  There's a chance that the CSC
        management reads it.  I'm sure many of the employees do.
        
        Tom

One place you should *not* pursue this is on DECUServe.

However, if you were a member ($45 annual fee), you would see that paying
customers are also quite vocal in their complaints about both Atlanta and
Colorado Springs.

See CADSYS::DECUSERVE for more information about the DECUServe conferencing
system.

/john

    
    
    FYI .2
    
    Yes I have talked (more times than I can count) with the Atlanta
    CSC management.  They are very aware of the problem and they are
    very grateful for anyone that is willing to take their case up
    the ladder.  If you've had similar experiences and want to make
    the situation better maybe more letters would help.  Heck we
    got the car plan back, right?
    
    
    Donna

    I hate when you call Atlanta and this machine answers, "If you
    would like support, please press the number 3. ..."  Of course
    I want support.  Why do you think I called?   You
    go through this whole rigamarole, and then a real person finally
    answers the phone and asks you exactly what you want support on; the
    Touch-Tone responses you gave served no useful purpose.  Then
    you don't get called back for days.

       
       
       	RE: .5
       
       	If that is so, what is hoped to be proved by turning this into
       a SOAPBOX on Atlanta?  I'm just playing devils advocate on this.
       It's been stated many times that DIGITAL.NOTE isn't the place
       to complain about issues in DEC, that going to the source is
       your best bet.  If .0 was meant to bring attention to the problem
       in the same manner as the car plan, well, it really should have
       been stated that way, don't you think?
       
       							mike

    
    
    Let backup up a few steps here.  I guess on one hand I wanted to
    vent the incredible frustrations I feel about dealing with Atlanta
    but my real purpose of this note was to generate some interest to
    resolve the problem.
    
    Let me make something a little more clear (since I seem to have
    offended some people).  I am NOT complaining about the people who
    work in Atlanta ... they are most times very helpful (nobody is
    perfect).  What I am saying is that there is a definite problem
    when the average response time to a call is usually in excess of
    4 hours (I'll be nice).  I think this is like the company car plan
    situation in a way ... there is a problem and a lot of us know it
    but are we willing to do anything to help make it better??
    
    I feel safe to say the people working in Atlanta would like to
    have lots more help.  It's apparent they're not getting it so maybe
    it's time the field folks did something to help them out.  I think
    maybe generating some constructive letters back to the right
    people might help.  That's all I would like to see happen.
    
    
    Donna

	Does anyone have names and addresses (titles to) of 'the right people'
	to complain to? I suspect that managers at the CSC have some idea that
	phone calls are going unanswered or are not always being answered in
	a timely way. For that reason I suspect that CSC Unit managers are not
	'the right people'. I suspect that it is funding that is keeping them
	from getting enough people. Since everyone always complains that they
	need more people I suspect that it is some level about middle management
	that is holding on to the money (in disbelief perhaps that there is
	in fact a problem.)

	Some steps to try:

	Do you file a monthly (weekly, quarterly) report? If so list all the
	times that you did not get a call back with in a reasonable time. 
	Perhaps how many calls were returned in 4,8, or 24 hours and how many
	were not answered at all. Give extra information in cases where you
	believe that either DEC lost money (consulting not able to be done for
	example) or the customer lost enough time/money to royally teed of at
	DEC.

	Even if you don't file a report, you manager most likely does. Get them
	to roll up this same information from the whole unit into their report.
	These kinds of reports do (I'm told) get read. If upper management in
	SWS and Sales get enough of these kind of reports they are likely to
	go to bat for more funding for the CSC.

	If you get a really good, timely call back send an ata-boy. In the
	ata-boy state how rare and appreciated that service is. Bet that gets
	shown around a bit and maybe it will give people an incentinve (and
	leverage) to fight a bit harder to get the money to provide more of
	the same level of service. The least it will do is make some overworked
	CSC person feel good about busting their chops to help the field.

	Make sure you boss knows about your support problems. It's *their*
	job to get you the tools and support you need. Make sure they are
	fighting for support resources for you. Push it up the line/ Money
	comes from all directions (in small doses perhaps) for things like
	the CSC.

				Alfred

    I believe Dick Sellers is the manager of both Colorado and Atlanta
    CSC's.
    
    This was true about a year ago, and I haven't heard any different.
    
    Ed

    .9 has some good ideas.  Thanks, Alfred.

    I've worked in the Colorado CSC for nearly nine years, and it is
    frustrating to see some things not done as well as they used to be
    (when I was young, sonny, I closed 40 calls per hour while
    boot-strapping a piano-key pdp-11 from memory 8-) ).  Of course, the
    volume of calls isn't as low as it used to be either (I remember the
    celebration when we topped 500 incoming calls a day, and now we
    average at least 5 times that, with what is certainly not 5 times the
    number of specialists).

    If your problem is critical/hot/urgent, say so, we try to get to the
    fire before it is reduced to ashes (but don't do that if it isn't,
    then we stop paying attention to cries of "WOLF!").  It is always
    appropriate to request the "Manager on Duty" (MOD) if you feel
    dissatisfied with the service.  It is always a good idea to RTFM
    (assuming you have an FM 2 Read).  And nowadays there are lots of
    things that have to be called in because there is no other way to get
    them (not even DSIN!) - patches (ugh) and TSPs.  Lots of TSPs. 
    Thousands of TSPs.  Do you know how much time it takes to read out
    and double-check just one damn TSP?

    I've been out of customer support for 3 years now (I'm in Internal
    Support, so I've lost my blarney-er, um, customer skills!).  And the
    call-flow metrics have changed since I did my time there.  But the
    MOD still exists, and they do take your feedback to strategy
    sessions, so don't be shy.

    Susan Vickrey, IISG/TBU

    PS:  Oh, yeah, Dick Sellers is the US CSC boss, the top guy for
    Colorado Springs, Atlanta, and the Mass CSC (wherever that is this
    year).

    As mentioned in other replies, the more info the CSC / At  management
    has ,  the quicker the problem might get resolved.     'Numbers'
    associated with cust sat  sometimes   d o n ' t   make the point.  If
    you wish to      c l e a r l y    get your message across ,   please
    send   cards and letters to...........    WARLRD::BBRYAN     .   Don't
    phone,      send  something that can be  'waved'.   
    
    							

    
    	Interesting note...as one of the RDC engineers in Atlanta 
    	I felt a need to put a "clarifying point" here...not in a 
    	defensive mode but just as a way of making things, perhaps,
    	a bit more clear. 
    
    	There are many different support groups here at the CSC.  
    	Some software, some hardware, some talk only to customers
    	(non-DEC employess)...some talk only to internal DEC people,
    	some work in "call-back mode" others (like the group I work
    	in) take calls "live" .... so it might help to understand 
    	the working mode of the group you are trying to reach.  As I
    	read the previous comments it seems you are probably talking
    	about a software group that does indeed work in call-back 
    	mode due to lack of enough people to take calls live.  I 
    	don't know what can be done to alleviate the problem.....
    	probably just send comments as suggested in .14.........I 
    	hope it gets better for ya'll as I know it's frustrating to
    	not get the help needed when you want it!  
    
    	

    re .13, I think...
    
    What's a TSP?

       
       
       	Temporary Service PAK.
       
       						mike

    re: .17
    
    
    Whats a PAK?
    

    re: 20
    
    Product Authorization Key
    
    (Dare I ask... what's a TLA ? )
    
    Todd

    TLA = Three Letter Abbreviation	(Gotcha!)

Acronym, not abbreviation.

    Re: .22 
    
    abbreviation	n.
    2. A shortened form of a word or phrase used chiefly in writing
    [except at Digital] to represent the complete form; for example,
    Mass. for Massachusetts or USMC for United States Marine Corps.
    
    acronym	n.
    A word formed from the initial letters of a name, as WAC for Women's
    Army Corps, or by combining initial letters or parts of a series
    of words, as radar for RAdio Detecting And Ranging.
    

    Now, at least according to the American Heritage I quoted above, an
    acronym must be a word. I suppose that might mean looking like a word
    (having a vowel, for example?) and being pronounced (in general usage?)
    like a word. An abbreviation can be any shortened form.  The way I read
    the definitions, an acronym is an abbreviation, but an abbreviation is
    not necessarily an acronym. (I suppose we can, and will, debate this
    exhaustively with ever more precision and ever less utility.)
    
    Therefore, all TLAs are abbreviations, but only some TLAs are acronyms.
    (I'm inclined to call PAK an acronym, but TSP and TLA itself merely
    abbreviations, to label some three-letter whatevers referred to in the
    last few notes.) The conclusion is that, most generally, 
    
    	TLA = Three Letter Abbreviation.

    twe
    
    P.S.  Isn't this fun?  I suppose we should take any continuation of the
    subject to VISA::JOYOFLEX rather than digress this topic any more. 

re: .23

Got me.  (I had a bad feeling about .22 when I noticed who the author
	  of .21 was!)

We do tend to pronounce TSP as "tisp" but I agree we are off the subj.

    re. 3
    
    The Call Director, which is the machine which interrogates you only
    to pass you to a live person who asks you the same questions, has
    been dismantled and is no longer in active service.  They have
    increased the number of live people which direct the calls and the
    average wait time from time of connection until contact with a person
    to direct your call was 44 seconds last week.  The CSC/AT management
    received bazillions of complaints about the machine and took action
    (probably longer than most users would have liked but they did change.)
    
    The comments of the users of the CSC are listened to and we are changing.
    As a previous note mentioned, the delay between when you place your
    request for infor and the time that you get infor from the CSC/AT
    is dependent on the number of people available to answer phones on your
    topic and the number of calls we get that day. The fewer calls we get
    about things which are plainly spelled out in the documentation, the
    more time we have to work more interesting calls. 
    
    When I started at the CSC/AT 2 years ago, we averaged about 1000 calls
    a day.  We are up to about 2000 calls a day with nominal difference in
    staff.  The ALL-IN-1 area has actually reduced in staff due to
    transfers out and very few people being replaced.  (By the way ALL-IN-1
    group has 16 open job req.s for SWS II or SWS III.  Want to help solve
    the problem, apply.) 
    
    We at the CSC are aware that response time is an issue and we are
    working on it.  The group I am in had a response GOAL of 4 hours when I
    started.  Our actual achievement was generally that same day.  Our GOAL
    now is 0 minutes or in other words no call backs.  We are attaining a
    response time of about 45 minutes.   
    
    As mentioned earlier, different support areas within the center
    handle business in different ways.  Some calls are handled "live"
    - passed directly to a specialist.  If all specialists are busy,
    the call infor goes into a callback queue and then is handled on
    a FIFO basis.  The question becomes, do I take the next live call
    or does the guy who called in and has been waiting in the queue get
    a call??

    Other groups work from only call back mode.  All calls go into a
    queue and then are pulled out by the next available specialist in
    a FIFO order.  If it takes 2 hours to help a caller, someone else 
    waits.
    
    People have different ideas of what kind of support the CSC/AT should
    provide.  Are they to train new users on every step of a process?
    Are they to provide a specific answer to a specific question?  Are
    they to debug your problem for you and then specify every detail to
    fix the problem?  Are they to read the documentation for people
    who are too lazy to look in the index for the topic?  Should they
    give priority to customers or internals or either?  At what point
    is the CSC pointing you in the correct direction so that you can
    accomplish your task and when are they doing YOUR job?
    
    I spent 5 years in the field before I joined the CSC.  I know that
    being under the gun in front customers is difficult and having help at
    the touch of phone is comforting. 
    
    My $.02
    
    Bruce Ramsey  
   
 	
    I realize that CSC/AT has a less than perfect image in the field.
    I would like to add that we have been changing to become more
    responsive to the concerns of the field.  Give us another try. 
    We have changed in the last 2 months.

    

>	...................................................................
>    group has 16 open job req.s for SWS II or SWS III.  Want to help solve
>    the problem, apply.) 
    
	Yo, Bruce!

	Are you saying the freeze is off?  We lost Ben Masdon to BellSouth 
because he couldn't get on at CSC due to the freeze.

	Despite conventional wisdom that more bodies doesn't necessarily solve 
a problem, more bodies is just what CSC needs now!  More QUALITY bodies like a 
aforementioned Mr. Masdon!

    Bruce,

    Kudos to your group in the Atlanta CSC.  The dismantalling of the
    Call Director makes a *much* more pleasant atmosphere in which to place
    a call.  I'd like to compliment the staff at the CSC.  I have noticed
    quicker response time here in the field.  
    
    My only comment is it would be nice if the operator didn't *always* 
    tell me that "The specialist is currently on the phone", and just 
    tell me that I am in a queue and will be called back when they are 
    available.
    
    Regards,
    
    Keith_who_used_to_work_at_a_customer_version_of_the_CSC_for_two_years_R>

    re: .25, I think.
    
    Do they teach you 'bazillions' in training there?  :-)
    
    I spent several months working on a project with someone who used
    to work at CSC/AT and got bazillions of bazillions.
    
    Bob

    To: Contributors of note 702:
    
    In answer to Hello Atlanta ... R Y There? Yes we are.  I am Bob
    Eldridge, Atlanta Support Center Customer Relations Manager. (Bob
    Eldridge @IPO or FSADMN::ELDRIDGE)
    
    I would like to address the notes in the order they appeared.  first
    let me comment about the mode of communications.  Digital Notes
    is not a direct link to the Management Staff in the Centers.  In
    order to best help the Centers provide consistent and reliable
    information it is necessary to provide quick and detailed information
    directly to the Center involved so corrective action can be taken.
    
    When I get to note 702.10 I will line up the players for your attention
    with mail nodes.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.0:
    
    Donna,
    
    Thank you for your input about Atlanta CSC.  Both in this note and
    our Telephone conversation.
    
    Let me assure you that the Goal of the Atlanta CSC is Customer
    Satisfaction.  The only way we can make adjustments to our process
    to insure Customer Satisfaction is to listen to our Customers. 
    we treat both Customers, internal & external alike with the hopes
    that we can provide equally high Telephone Support to both.
    
    I welcome you to visit any of the three Centers to see both the
    effort and level of experience we have standing behind you as a
    Telephone Support Center.
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.1
    
    Geoff,
    
    I regret you feel that you must develop your own workarounds when
    dealing with Atlanta.  All three centers have a MOD "Manager on
    Duty" program to assist our customers when they need help faster
    than it appears we can offer it.
    
    I recommend next time you need help, in any of the Centers, and
    you can't get a specialist quick enough to meet your business needs
    ask for the MOD.  We have developed a teared Management Escalation
    program that insures you can get a manager when you need one.
    
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.2
    
    Right on Mike, if in doubt ESCALATE. This note was brought to my
    attention by others that had read it.
    
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.3
    
    I am not familiar with YUPPIE::ATLANTA however FSADMN::ELDRIDGE
    gets directly to my desk.
    
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.4
    
    No comment here.  This is part of DECUS and I am sure it serves
    the DECUS members well.  We do offer electronic data entry to the
    customer base called DSIN for all three Centers.
    
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.5
     
    Yes, All three Center Management Teams would be glad to hear from
    those that have comments.  It might be nice to add here that we
    sample a cross section of all of the Customers, internal and external,
    every day for all three centers.  We as the following questions:
    
    	Please Rate the quality of our service.
    
    	Please Rate the Professionalism of our people.
    
    	Please Rate the overall satisfaction with the handling of this
    	service event.
    
    	How would you Rate the Routing of your problem to a Specialist
    	or Engineer?
    
    	How can we improve our service to you?
    
    At the present time we are sampling 2500 customers a quarter.
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.6
    
    Based on input from our Customers, by doing surveys, we found that
    the call director was hard to use and not very well liked so we
    cut the Auto Call System off several months ago.  Feedback since
    then has been very positive.
    
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.7
    
    Thanks again Mike.
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.8
    
    Donna,
    
    Thanks for the kind thoughts about the hard working folks in the
    Centers.  Please understand you haven't offended anyone to my
    knowledge.  We welcome your input.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.9
    
    Alfred,
    
    Standby for News; names just around the corner.  Your comments are
    right on.  We need your inputs.  Communications works.
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.10
    
    Manager of the Centers = Dick Sellers @CXO or BSS::SELLERS
    Customer Relations Mgt = Fred Schrecengost @CXO or BSS::SCHRECENGOST
    
    ATLANTA
    -------
    
    Center Manager         = Phil Marshall @IPO or CSCOAC::MARSHALL_P
    Support Services Mgt.  = Bob Ross @IPO or CSCOAC::ROSS_B
    Customer Relations Mgt = Bob Eldridge @IPO or CSCOAC::ELDRIDGE_B
    
    COLORADO SPRINGS
    ----------------
    
    Center Manager         = Ralph Walker @CXO or BSS::WALKER
    Support Services Mgt   = Stan Kulchinsky @CXO or BSS::KULCHINSKY
    Customer Relations Mgt = Penny LLobell #CXO or BSS::LLOBELL
    
    MASSACHUSETTS
    -------------
    
    Center Manager         = Mary Ann Haas CSCMA::HAAS
    Support Services Mgt   = Mark Ellis CSCMA::ELLIS
    Customer Relations Mgt = Victoria Macvicar  CSCMA::MACVICAR
              
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.13 (I don't know what happen to note 11 & 12)
    
    Susan,
    
    Good Inputs.  We like to think "You Can Count On Me" when you need
    us.
    
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.14
    
    WARLRD::BBRYAN is one of Atlanta's UM's that will be glad to help.
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ANSWER TO NOTE 702.15
    
    Myra Wood is a hard working RDC engineer from CSC/AT that is proud 
    to be of assistance.
                                                   
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    =====================================================================
                                                                    
    I am a little behind the not count however I have read all of them
    up to this one.  I believe all of the comments have been addressed.
    Bruce did a real good job explaining the Call Director and how we
    are looking at response times.
    
    Bottom Line: We Care and We Listen.  Drop us a line DIRECT anytime.
    
    Regards
    
    
    Bob Eldridge
    
    

    I've never had the need to call CSC/AT.  I don't even know what
    they support besides All-In-1 (did I get that right?) and the old
    WPS stuff.
    
    I have, however, heard the war stories, including ones from ex-CSC/AT
    employees.
    
    re: .29
    
    I'm glad that real names and nodes have been posted.  It's a way
    of saying, "We are not trying to hide from you.".  Hopefully, it
    will help calm my fears, if I ever hear the fatefull, "You will
    have to call Atlanta, on that." from our CSC/CS folks.
    
    Bob

>    I've never had the need to call CSC/AT.  I don't even know what
>    they support besides All-In-1 (did I get that right?) and the old
>    WPS stuff.
        
        Close.  The right typography is "ALL-IN-1", and since we want
        to protect it as a trademark, it's important to use all capital
        letters, and it should be used as an adjective (as in "the
        ALL-IN-1 system") rather than as a noun (the way you used it).
        
        Atlanta supports *many* products that have interactive user
        interfaces.  I believe they support Datatrieve, TEAMDATA, RALLY,
        and things like DECGRAPH and DECSLIDE, as well as being support
        for some of our PC products.  I don't have a complete list.
        
        Tom

RE: .30, .31

	I think both centers (or is it 3) all support everything, now.  At 
least that was the plan I heard many moons ago.

    The goal is for all 3 U.S. centers to support all products.  The
    goal is so that the caller does not know which center they are calling
    or care.  This is going to be a transition over time and we are
    not there yet.  
    
    CSC/AT does not support Datatrieve.  WE do support Office Automation
    products including ALL-IN-1, WPS/VMS, DECSlide, DECalc, DECgraph,
    Grammerchecker, DECspell, SBO, SSM, microVMS, and all MicroVAX
    hardware.
    
    I am sure Bob Eldridge can arrange for a more complete listing.
    If you are unsure which center to call, call at least one of them
    and they will transfer you call to the correct center for the most
    complete help on your problem.
 

    Re: .33
    
    Hi Bruce, nice to see some Support Center types who actually review
    conferences (should have figured you would anyway).
    
    By the way...everyone knows about ALL-IN-1, but DATATRIEVE is another
    trademark *;').  (Just like to keep the record straight...)
    
    Good Luck,
    
    Doug