RE: Reduction in the Quality of Informix Support

'twas ever so. There have always been problems with users wanting to get support from Informix but forced to buy through the channels. Then they can't get tech support when they need it. And it's a very easy mechanism to hide behind. The customer goes to their IBM Business partner, who in turn goes to the distributor, who in turn goes to IBM. And by the time IBM engineers get a description of the problem it is garbled beyond belief. Nothing ever gets fixed. I do wish this industry would learn that "customer support" is a two-way street. If you give the customers good support then the customers will support you. But if you make it difficult for customers to do business with you then they will go elsewhere. I sometimes wonder if IBM really want to keep the Informix customers who purchase through channels etc. They only seem to be interested in the BIG customers, or am I being totally cynical? Malcolm -----Original Message----- From: owner-informix-list@iiug.org [mailto:owner-informix-list@iiug.org] On Behalf Of Neil Truby Sent: 19 March 2004 09:23 To: informix-list@iiug.org Subject: Re: Reduction in the Quality of Informix Support "The Sneeze" <gezundheit@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:HEu6c.47430$aT1.30813@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net... > Is OpenPSL (or any other reseller) allowed to sell direct IBM support, > or are they supposed to provide the first lines of support? The way I > heard it, OpenPSL customers are supposed to go to OpenPSL for support; > only complex cases get referred on to IBM/Informix? To answer the second question first, that's what I've been told, too. All calls must go to OpenPSL. It has been made clear that no matter how complex, drawn-out or critical to the business of the end user (the IBM customer!) the problem is, the end user or their IBM Business Partner will *never* be allowed to talk directly to IBM Informix tech Support. Imagine trying to fix a down system under those circumstances ...! To address your the question: you misunderstand the situation. OpenPSL is not a reseller, it is a distributor. OpenPSL cannot and does not sell to end users. The IBM Business Partner chooses through which (IBM approved) distributor to source an order. The customer has no say in this choice, and is almost always unaware which distributor has in fact been used to fulfill his order. > If you want direct support from IBM/Informix, buy direct support > directly from IBM/Informix? If you want cheap support, go where you > like to get it - you get what you pay for? 1. The idea that to get entitlement to full-blown product it must *only* be bought directly from the manufacturer violates every principle of a distribution channel! Did you buy your road tax through The Post Office rather than direct from DVLA? Sorry, mate, it's invalid, you'll have to go to prison! 2. I have not bought "cheap support". My customer has ordered IBM Informix Tech Support from me, and I have ordered for him, as it says on my invoice from OpenPSL, product code (E00PCLL IBM INFORMIX DYNAMIC SERVER ENTERPRISE ED CONCSESSION ANNUAL SW MAINT RNWL). Whether I fulfill the order direct or through an IBM-approved distributor he is buying the same commodity. 3. Think of this from the point of view of the end user whom IBM seem to be forgettting is also actually their customer. He places his order for IBM Informix with an IBM-approved business partner. He has no say whatever whether his order is fulfilled through Distributor A or Distributor B, nor will he know after the fact. If his order was fulfilled through Distributor A, he will receive E00PCLL IBM INFORMIX SW MAINT, and a full service from IBM. If it is sourced through Distributor B, he will receive E00PCLL IBM INFORMIX SW MAINT, but IBM will refuse direct calls to its IBM Informix support technicians, no matter how business-critical his problem. How is that fair then? sending to informix-list