RE: [cobalt-users] Follow up: Cobalt Support

["Doug Forman" <doug@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve,

Thanks very much for your prompt and frank reply to the concerns I
expressed.

I apologize for the way I characterized Cobalt's support foundation and
commitment, but please undertstand that it was borne from the frustration of
not being able to get simple questions answered accurately and politely.

Others have contacted me privately, wondering what kind of questions I might
have asked that Cobalt did not answer.  Here are two examples:

---

15Dec99 - My Question - "What kind of INTERNAL modem should I purchase to
use with my Qube2?  Make and model?  Anything special I need to know about
configuring it?"

16Dec99 - Cobalt Answer - Reply with link to Cobalt Knowledgebase Article
describing EXTERNAL modems.

16Dec99 - My Question - Asked same question again, noting "INTERNAL" again,
which was [also] originally in ALL CAPS.

17Dec99 - Cobalt Answer - "The following work: 1. US Robotics 56k
(sportster/faxmodem) 2. Diamond Supra Express 56k 3. MultiTech - MultiModem
MT1932ZDX 4. Viking 56k And from Japan: 5. Aiwa 56k (PV-BW5601) 6. OMRON
(ME5614D)" - and answering my "Anything special about configuring...", the
reply was "NO"

Problems:  (1) There is NO "US Robotics 56k sportster/faxmodem" that will
install in a Qube2.  (2) US Robotics is now 3Com.  (3) The ONLY 3Com/USR 56k
PCI Faxmodem that DOES fit in the Qube is ignored by the Qube after
installation (I discovered this by purchasing a 3COM 5610 Internal PCI 56k
FaxModem [http://www.3com.com/client/pcd/products/prod-faxmod5610-int.html],
and later returning it).

I did not go further down the list of "the following work" modems, since my
confidence in the accuracy of the answer was now established as "none."  I
did, on my own, find a modem that works in a Qube2, [ActionTek 56k PCI] but
the performance was poor (due, I think, to being unable to use the
'setserial' utility under MIPS to properly configure the port).  I
researched this issue, communicated with the author of setserial, then sent
all of my findings to Jeff Bilicki @ Cobalt.

---

27Dec99 - I asked a question regarding poor Internet throughput performance
after connecting via an ISP.  I provided lots of configuration details to
assist the tech in accurately identifying the problem.

28Dec99 - Cobalt replied, "Please try to user other subnet. eg: 192.168.1.x
or 192.168.2.x instead of 192.168.0.x I believe the diald is using
192.168.0.x subnet."

Renumber my entire network?  He's kidding, right?  Okay, I renumbered
everything on my [static IP] network.  Didn't make any difference. I later
learned that diald has no problem with 192.168.0.x networks, and that I'd
spent over an hour re-numbering (and later restoring) my network addresses
for nothing.

---

These are a couple recent examples; I've tried several other times before I
gave up completely on getting accurate answers from Cobalt support.

Complaining, for the sake of complaining, it pointless; I hope these
examples are helpful and perhaps serve to clarify my concerns in practical
terms.

Thank you again for your comments and your acknowledgement of the problems
which I described.  Improvements in this area will only serve to benefit
both Cobalt and it's customers in the future.

Best regards,

Doug

---
Doug Forman, MCSE, MCSD (doug@xxxxxxxxxxx)
Incline Systems Inc - Vancouver, WA


> -----Original Message-----
> From: cobalt-users-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:cobalt-users-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Stephen W.
> DeWitt
> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 1:31 PM
> To: Doug Forman; cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Cc: peter_m@xxxxxxxxxx; gmartell@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [cobalt-users] Cobalt Support
>
>
> Doug,
>
> I appreciate your comments and the time taken to put this down.
>
> We take support very seriously, and no, we are not recruiting support
> individuals with the skills you characterize. We are building a team that
> can deliver the best levels of support possible to our service provider
> customers, our VARs, and our individual customers.
>
> Are we there yet today? No.
>
> We have taken numerous steps over the past number of months to
> improve the
> overall quality of our support infrastructure, and we have more
> aggressive
> plans for the weeks ahead.
>
> First off, we have been in the midst of completely overhauling our call
> center. We were not nearly as prepared for the up tick in volume as we
> should have been, We are resolving that. We are also revamping
> our on-line
> support infrastructure in order to assist customer in self-support.
>
> Later this quarter, will announce numerous new support programs that will
> dramatically reduce wait and response times, as well as offer
> significantly
> more "value-added" support tools for our customers.
>
> Recently, Cobalt add a COO, Gary Martell, copied on this response, to the
> company to add deeper leadership in this critical part of the business.
>
> Obviously, actions speak louder than words. We expect to be bench marked
> against the best in the industry. We are comfortable with that. Customer
> loyalty is driven by customer experience.
>
> No one, as you say, is trying to "dissuade" customers from using support.
> We will build this into as world-class a part of the organization as any
> other part of our business. You have my commitment on that.
>
> Stephen DeWitt
> President & CEO
> Cobalt Networks
>
>
> At 09:49 AM 1/27/00 -0800, Doug Forman wrote:
> >Ummmmmm...
> >
> >I think the Qube is a terrific example of design and
> engineering.  Because
> >it is a linux box at the core, the Qube is quite flexible and very
> >configurable for admins with basic -> intermediate linux skills.
>  I have a
> >Qube2 of my own, and have recommended Qubes and Raqs to several clients.
> >
> >On the other hand...
> >
> >My experience with "Cobalt Tech Support"  - that is, the "official" tech
> >support from Cobalt (not to be confused with this list!) - has been
> >abysmally poor.  I get "no answers" - "incorrect answers" -
> "inappropriate
> >answers" - and just plain "rude answers," but never yet have I received a
> >prompt, courteous and correct answer to *any* question which I
> have asked.
> >
> > >From the level of support which I have received, I suspect the support
> >"experts" answering email at Cobalt are part-time minimum-wage
> workers, with
> >basic training in the Cobalt GUI interface, and a couple-dozen
> >pre-programmed macro-keys on their keyboards for "canned answers" to most
> >questions asked.  Questions not covered by the canned answers are either
> >answered incorrectly, or are not answered at ALL.
> >
> > >From an article I wrote over a month ago (in which I
> copy-n-paste my emailed
> >questions and Cobalt Tech Support answers):  "...I suspect that
> xxxx's job
> >description is to dissuade as many customers as possible from bothering
> >Cobalt tech support."
> >
> >Cobalt reminds me of Apple Computer in the 80's - 'insanely
> great' products
> >and 'insanely poor' product support.  The primary reason we
> formed Macintosh
> >User Groups [MUG] in the mid-80's was to get the education and
> support Apple
> >failed to provide.  I co-founded a MUG in 1985; today it still has over
> >1,000 paying members - almost 15 years later.  This
> [cobalt-users] mailing
> >list - and Luke Tymowski's QubeQuorner
> (http://weblogs.userland.com/qube/) -
> >serve as virtual-user-groups to get practical and "real" support for our
> >[Cobalt] product questions.  Where else would we go???
> >
> >The obvious fact remains that, although this list is a form of
> "community"
> >for Cobalt product owners, if Cobalt was providing prompt, efficient and
> >accurate product support, 80% of the postings to this list would be
> >pointless and would disappear overnight.
> >
> >If Cobalt were my company, I would be very *proud* of my products, and
> >extremely *embarrassed* of my customer support.  But I suspect no-one is
> >embarrassed; I further suspect that this is all part of a pre-calculated
> >business plan...  push as much product (profit) as possible, and
> provide as
> >little support (expense) as possible.  Simple arithmetic.  Not rocket
> >science.  Not many other things, either...
> >
> >Perhaps your experience has been different.  Better?  I hope so.  I can't
> >remember reading the last posting to this list ranting about how "great"
> >Cobalt support is; perhaps I missed it?
> >
> >Just my views...
> >
> >Doug
> >
> >---
> >Doug Forman, MCSE, MCSD (doug@xxxxxxxxxxx)
> >Incline Systems Inc - Vancouver, WA
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: cobalt-users-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > [mailto:cobalt-users-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of pete monaghan
> > > Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 2:34 AM
> > > To: cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Subject: Re: [cobalt-users] cobalt cube
> > >
> > >
> > > If you have not bought the Qube yet I would look elsewhere as
> it really
> > > does not do the job properly and support is crap. I use a
> Qube for this
> > > purpose here plus giving LAN users web access. It only partly works. I
> > > have about 40 users. The only problem and its a major one is
> that e-mail
> > > which is originally sent via a mailing list such as this cobalt user
> > > list ends up in the admin account not the user its intended
> for. I have
> > > been trying to get my supplier and cobalt support (both Europe and US]
> > > to sort it out but the only response I have had after over 6 months is
> > > that it's a known problem (that took 4 months to get) and its being
> > > worked on by Cobalt.
> > >
> > > . In message <4.2.0.58.20000123163758.009aa990@xxxxxxxx>, Duane Cook
> > > <lists@xxxxxxxxx> writes
> > > >Hi, I want to use a cobalt cube as my dedicated mail server, teh
> > > cube would
> > > >not have any other duties except sending and receving mail.
> Does anyone
> > > >else use the cube like this?  How many email accounts could it
> > > hold?  How
> > > >would it perform?
> > > >
> > > >Any feedback, would be good.
> > > >
> > > >Duane
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >_______________________________________________
> > > >cobalt-users mailing list
> > > >cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > >http://list.cobalt.com/mailman/listinfo/cobalt-users
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > cobalt-users mailing list
> > > cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > http://list.cobalt.com/mailman/listinfo/cobalt-users
> > >
> > >
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> Stephen W. DeWitt
> President & CEO
> Cobalt Networks, Inc.
> 555 Ellis Street
> Mountain View, CA
> 94043
>
> Phone: 650.623.2560
> Fax: 650.623.2546
>
> NASDAQ: COBT
> http://www.cobalt.com
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> http://list.cobalt.com/mailman/listinfo/cobalt-users
>
>