Re: [cobalt-users] <rant> Cobalt Support - May we help you? </rant>

[Kris Dahl <krislists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 5/2/00 1:24 PM, Chris Adams at cmadams@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Once upon a time, Kris Dahl <krislists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:
>> Or if you bought it from a Cobalt Authorized VAR with a staff of talented
>> and friendly Linux Systems Engineers, you could
>> 1) email then for an immediate response
>> 2) telephone them for an immediate response
>> 2) call their service coordinator and have them paged for an immediate
>> response.
> 
> Nice concept for some things, but doesn't work for all.  When there are
> bugs in the Cobalt software, I don't want to install a fix from anyone
> but Cobalt.  The RaQ3 catch-all email bug has been outstanding for
> several months now (with the only solution having been pulled by
> Cobalt).  I reported the FP security bug on RaQ2s and RaQ3s two months
> ago, and there has been no solution for that.  Only Cobalt can fix those
> problems.

I'm not saying that software updates shouldn't be done, just than the vast
majority of support problems that are posted to this list and the ones that
I have encountered are standard SNAFUs.  Easily fixed by someone who knows
what is going--no patch necessary.

> It doesn't matter where you bought the product, Cobalt says that they
> support it, but it just doesn't seem that the support really exists.

Well... I would say that they offer support, and now they are selling it as
well.  I don't really completely understand how or why Cobalt sort of
positioned themselves for end-user support.  None of the other server
vendors really take this approach (except on a toll basis).  The first line
of support is always the VAR--and in some cases typically you have to buy
from an authorized VAR (for good reason--it hurts their brand if you buy
from a dimwit).

> I know that there are some people working hard at Cobalt.  Maybe there
> just aren't enough people to do the work.  Maybe they should have spent
> some of the IPO money in house instead of doing things like buying
> Chilisoft?

I would argue that the Chilisoft acquisition was a mistake in more ways than
one, money issues aside.  I think that they have sold more equipment than
the have people to support them.  Bottom line.  I which the people in charge
of the channel development would make a stink about essentially ignoring the
people that can help them with this Support stink that people have been
making--the resellers.  They link right of the homepage to (buy online) a)
the cobalt store b) online mail-order companies.  Yet you have to borough
into the Partners section to order from someone who knows what they are
doing.  There should be a button that says 'buy' and you select from a)
cobalt store b) online catalogs or c) a VAR.

I really wish the powers that be would direct more of their customers to
VARs and less to the online resellers who honestly are severely damaging
their barnd & reputation and hurting their clients.

But my position stands: buy from a company like insight and save $50, don't
be surprised when they are there to back you up when you have a problem.
Where do you think that $50 goes?  Everyone pays the same for the gear (for
the most part).  Its the 'value' in 'value added reseller' that you are
paying for when you buy from a reseller.  Basically, my opinion is that you
get what you pay for.  That $50 seems pretty petty after you've wasted an
entire morning (or more?) or had a server unavailable because you didn't
have the support.

-k