Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!UMBC2.UMBC.EDU!chuck
From: chuck@UMBC2.UMBC.EDU ("Chuck Rickard; ", PC)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Atari loyalty....How long can it last...
Message-ID: <8908170044.AA08374@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 17 Aug 89 00:38:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 37

I have been with Atari for years and years and years, but we all seem to start
our messages off like that.  I hate to say this, but being a proud Atari owner
(we always seem to say that alot also...), I really worried about its future.
I really look forward to the new products that they are coming out with, but
just wonder if they will support them.  Notice that I say "WILL" instead of
"CAN".  I just wonder how long they expect us to put up with service like they
dish out, and its not forced upon them, it's by choice!

A good friend of mine is an Atari Dealer.  He sells Ataris because he likes
the machine, but the company is driving him crazy.  One time he had a Mega
3.5 drive that went bad while it was still in warrantee.  According to Atari's
policy, you must call and get a return authorization number for the drive, but
this was almost impossible.  Every time he called the person was either out to
lunch, in a meeting, or on vacation.  For two weeks he called only to get the
same responses over and over.  He finally ripped the drive apart and tried
to fix it himself, and he didn't even have a repair manual for the drive!
He got it working after a few hours, but with no help from Atari.  Next, a
person from Atari calls about bill payment which is all in order, but the guy
on the other end is totally confused because he is new!  The latest thing is a
real killer!  He has been calling his dealer rep for a week now trying to get
some stuff, and now finds out that the guy was either fired or moved and the
account is now being handled by a dealer rep group of some kind.  Atari never
even told him of the new situation or the new number!

Now I ask you, is it right for Atari to treat their people this way~r}i?  Every
body seems to be getting fired at Atari, and nothing seems to be getting done!
Cindy is gone and then its Chris.  Dealer reps are gone,~r and the rep group
is probably soon to follow.  Who knows whats going to happen next!

Now you wonder whe~rther this is{_ Atari's ignorance or do they don't care!

Please reply.  Tell me what you think.  I won't get any responses from Atari.
They don't care.

                              Chuck Rickard
                              UMBC Academic Computing
                              CHUCK@UMBC