Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ukma!psuvm.bitnet!cunyvm!ndsuvm1.bitnet!nu013809 From: nu013809@ndsuvm1.bitnet.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: toshiba extended warranty Message-ID: <463NU013809@NDSUVM1> Date: Thu, 3-Dec-87 08:45:26 EST Article-I.D.: NDSUVM1.463NU013809 Posted: Thu Dec 3 08:45:26 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 6-Dec-87 19:02:13 EST References: <4208@ecsvax.UUCP> 1598@cup.portal.com Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computer Network, Fargo, ND Lines: 38 DISCLAIMER: Author bears full responsibility for contents of this article. I cannot comment directly on the Extended Warranty plan for the Toshiba laptop computers but I can comment on Toshiba's technical services. I have been installing a large number of Toshiba 3.5 inch micro-floppies on a wide variety of computers here on campus. I ran into problems with one on a True Blue IBM-PC XT. I had already installed a large number of these so I was no virgin with respect to monkeying around with them. I exhausted about half a day to no avail and decided to call their technical support number as I was beginning to think there was a problem I didn't know about. To make a long story short the performance of Toshiba's technical support was totally unacceptable. I was put on hold (my call) listening to their MUSAC system for about 10-15 minutes. When I did get ahold of someone he was a rude, arrogant SOB. He treated me like a total incompetent and raised his voice when I tried to explain to him that I was fairly familiar with the product and that his suggestion to try reading the package documentation was not going to assist me very much. I know that a lot of these technical support numbers must get called by people who don't know a thing about what their doing but people manning these phones should also be able to recognize someone who knows what their doing. I handle technical support calls myself and I usually know within about the first 20 seconds if the person on the other end is technically competent and familiar with the nature of the problem. After this experience I am trying to discontinue our involvment with Toshiba and their products as much as possible. I know that I can't impact on a company such as this very much but it was satisfying to cancel my local orders for their products and seek alternate vendors. It is also gratifying to be able to advertise what I considered their incompetent behavior to national exposure through the net. As always, G.W. Wettstein