 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group In the Saddle Peter Smith |
 |
Are You Being Served?
(Or are you being serviced?) This month I have had two very different retail experiences. Late one Sunday night - actually early Monday morning - I was wading through some mail and other paper-work. In it was a brochure for "Carecards" - a charitable organisation selling attractive correspondence cards, blank in the centre. I needed some, filled out the order form, was surprised to see it had a fax number and faxed it Not a huge order. To my amazement, at 7.45 AM Tuesday, the cards were waiting in my P.O. Box - that's about thirty hours after I placed the order! This type of service is all too rare in Australia and, I firmly believe, must be encouraged.
The other experience is from the software industry (groan!). I'll save them embarrassment by not naming the company, this month at least. I have had a well known OCR package for some time. When I upgraded to Windows 3.1, this package stopped working. First call - Communique, a rapid response told me that it was not Microsoft's problem, but the package's. Next call - the distributor's Melbourne office - "We know about the problem, there's a new version coming - some time - but you could upgrade to the higher-level product now, which does work under 3.1. Do that through Sydney". I call Sydney - "It will cost $300, send your master disks and a cheque". I do that. I wait, more than two weeks. The package arrives - I open it eagerly and get a vague feeling of discomfort when a loose sheet of paper falls out. It refers to a "dongle" (or hardware protection key).
My old version didn't need such a device, neither is there one in the box. Will it work? I try the installation at home that evening - that part's OK. Try to run it - the first page scans and then aborts - No Key. Ring Sydney again - they offer to ship the key in an overnight bag. I'm feeling generous (I still don't know why!) and say that Aussie Post will do, I'll have it by the weekend when I really need it. It doesn't come. Two weeks later it hasn't come. I call Sydney yet again - "Who did you speak to". "I don't know". "Was it a woman". "Yes". "Oh, it will be xxxx, she's away sick." Now I'm getting cross - "Thats your problem, not mine, I've now been waiting five weeks to use this product, what are you going to do about it?" "I suppose, I can call her at home and find out." I begin to wonder what would happen if the illness was fatal - could this company survive? Later that day I get a phone call from Sydney (things are beginning to look up, I think) - "Your dongle will be in an overnight bag tonight". "Thank you". Next day, guess what - no bag, no dongle. It's now the weekend and I am still manually re-typing documents - sometimes I think I should have stuck with nuclear physics - there is at least one company I could happily nuke!
SIG Coordinators Meeting
When you read this it will all be over. As I write, it is a week away. Gary Taig has organised a get-together of our SIG leaders, to discuss a wide range of topics. I'm sure that it will be a success and that our SIGS will be able to attract many more of our members.
What's New?
I am delighted to report that, having given all the required notice, the members at our October meeting confirmed the decision to make Giuseppe De Simone and George Skarbek Honorary Life Members. My thanks again to them, and Lloyd Borrett, for all their hard work.
I am also delighted to announce the appointment of David Colechin as our Executive Officer. David has filled the job for some weeks, I'm sure you will notice continuing improvement in the group's service to its members.
Next month we will publish an extensive training calendar for 1993, watch out for it - please give any feedback or suggestions to Tom Coleman or David Colechin.
The committee has had some changes. We have been moving steadily, but slowly, down our chosen path. Most of us have been very anxious not to race too fast, not wishing to provide any derailing opportunities! Sam Brown found this lack of pace frustrating his style and decided it would be better to stand aside. I thank him sincerely for all the hard work he put in, I suspect he was somewhat ahead of his time, and we will catch up to his speed soon! Bill Westhead has offered to take on the role of Secretary - your committee was very pleased to appoint him. Lorelle Sellick offered to fill the Assistant Secretary vacancy - at last we have some female sense to colour our views.
Your Opinions
What do you think we, as a group, should be doing for the community at large? Do our 7000 members owe society some responsibility? Please write your ideas and post or fax them to the office. For example, Tom Coleman is using odd bits and pieces to create XT systems, which are then being donated to worthy causes. If you have any odds and ends, call him. If you are a company with old hardware you would like to write-off and donate, please let me or him know.
Reprinted from the November 1992 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
