Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

I thought SDC is the correct mechanism for customers to get documentation.

	paul

        Indeed, did your customer forget to order, decide not to order the
        documentation, or did you forget to quote it. Network Kits are not
        for this purpose. Where I come from, giving a network kit to a
        customer is cause for instant firing. Contact European SDC, they
        should be able to do a priority ship...
        
        q
        

    No the customer didn't forget to order, and no I didn't forget to
    quote! There was the small matter of after Ultrix VS3100s' being
    announced on a nominal 6 weeks delivery, and then after a number
    of orders were received the delivery went out to 22 weeks because
    we were unable to supply fully working software!
    
    Where I come from we try and put the customer first; they went out
    on a limb against a corporate policy of purchasing Apollos, to give
    VAXstations/DECwindows a try-out. They are now floundering around
    trying to suss out DECwindows without any specific supporting
    documentation. Don't be surprised if they throw out the VAXstations
    as unuseable! A delay of weeks while we try to source an SDC document
    is unacceptable; we are talking about engineers sitting on chairs
    unable to work satisfactorily.
    
    Oh yes, the customer is the national PTT; British Telecom; largest
    UK customer, 2nd largest European (1st $100M customer in Europe)
    in the top ten world wide. What would they have to do, to get us
    to be a little flexible. We cannot afford to be complacent and should
    be putting the customer not paperwork first.
    
    Russell.
    

Russell,

I think the point being made in .2 was that you shouldn't just send them
a document without clearing it first.  It can indeed be grounds for firing
to give out network kits to customers.  One thing you did not mention is
how long SDC says it will be till they can get you the documents.  (The
22 weeks if for VS3100s).

Worse comes to worst, you may have to print the PostScript form of the
documents yourself and let them borrow the hardcopies.

Dick

        ANd, if there is a problem with documentation deliveries from
        ESDC, or U.S. SDC, then that should be addressed, not kludged
        around. As I understand it, the U.S. SDC Guarantees Federal
        Express delivery next day, on short ships. Sugest you get out your
        DTN phone book and talk to the SDC order desk...
        
        If there are mismatches of hardware and associated doc kits, then
        talk to your CAS Manager, and sort that out.  You could, of
        course, ask the Ultrix PRoduct Manager for the go-ahead to loan
        out doc copies as well.
        
        You could even ask one of your workstations sales support people
        to give them the run through. I find training by demonstration is
        better than reading a book anyday...
        
        q
        

.5 has a good point.  The best way to learn DECwindows is just to sit down
and use it.  I think I had manuals available during the field test, but
I don't remember EVER using them.

	paul

Russell,
	As far as I can see, you work for Sales.  This issue should be escalated
through your sales support organisation.  If that brings no joy, then contact
the UK DECwindows Product Manager, who is Sue Crier.  I'm sure she will want to
help on this issue.  In the end, she is the only person in the UK who can 
give you authorization for any network kit (or doc) going out to the customer,
as far as I am aware.

(I hesitated about putting her name down here without her permission, but it is
well known, and appeared at the bottom of a letter she wrote to the journal
dec/computing that I received today!)

Tony Pitt
UK Product & Technology Group
(Field Service)