IBM Maintenance

["Rick DuVall" <R_C_DuVall@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Larry,

    Second that!

    I have had them fly in parts and the CEs I have dealt with KNEW what to
do and when to do it.  I have occasionally had to deal with 3rd party guys
who KINDA knew.  All the difference in the world when the clock is ticking.

Regards
Rick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Bolhuis" <lbolhui@ibm.net>
To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2000 3:29 PM
Subject: Re: Suftware Subscription strikes again.


> > Hardware Maintenance thru IBM?
> > I'd look elsewhere for a maintenance contract.
>
>   That's your opinon and one you may certainly hold, but I would differ!!!
In my
> experience (and my father's who worked for one of the biggest 3rd party
> maintenance companies for 20 years) Non IBM maintenance is a crap shoot.
In one
> area you get good CEs with management that backs them up and parts are
available.
> In another you get a CE that can't recognize an AS/400, has never been
trained
> and couldn't get parts if his life depended on it!  The IBM CEs here spend
time
> fixing whilt the 3rd party guys are on the phone explaining to some guy at
> 'central' what type of card is in what slot..... I have sat with customers
while
> the CE spent as much as 4 hours on the phone just getting authorization to
order
> the parts!!!  Then they gotta come from Phoenix or some far away place
(great if
> you live near there, sucks here in Michigan!!)
>
>   I don't know about the rest of you but when my or my customer's AS/400
does,
> however infrequently, fail I want a CE that's trained and the right parts
NOW!
> Here in West Michigan most parts are in stock and those that aren't get
taxid
> from Detroit or Chicago in 3 or 4 hours - the time it takes many of the
3rd party
> guys to process the paperwork. In all my midrange years IBM has never
flinched at
> orderding in parts, while the 3rd party guys are still re-seating cards
and
> guessing.
>
>   My .02, it's your system.
>
>   - Larry
>


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