IBM's service

The Jakarta Post's "Your Letters" section seems to have become the court of last resort for consumers in Indonesia who cannot get reasonable satisfaction through the channels available within companies. This complaint is with Indonesia's IBM Internet service, otherwise known as IBM NET.

IBM began to offer internet/email service in Medan in 1995. When IBM offered a local (Medan) access phone number, many of us signed on with IBM for two reasons. The first was IBM's renowned international reputation for excellent service to customers. The second reason was that with IBM we had access to our ibm net account via a local phone call from almost any major city in the world -- not just in Medan. Those from overseas or those who travel often could access the internet from Medan or overseas, with the same ease.

Did I say ease? In Medan, it is no longer easy to use ibm net. Often for extended periods the Medan access number is not answered at all, and one must access ibm net through Bandung or Jakarta, a much more costly undertaking. And at the Medan "help desk" the technician is frequently unavailable. When he is available, often he cannot solve the technical problem.

We in Medan signed up with ibm net because of their commitment to provide a local access number and a local help desk staffed by knowledgeable and available technicians. Yet IBM Indonesia does not seem terribly interested in keeping their commitment to provide these services to us in Medan.

The person who originally marketed ibm net and solicited our business in Medan has evidently washed his hands of this no- longer-profitable venture and gone on to more lucrative licenses. When we notified him about the service problems with ibm net, he suggested that instead of putting up with ibm net, we sign on with a competing service he is rumored to be involved with now (isn't this a conflict of interest?).

Several of us have sent emails to ibm net's Indonesia address about the lack of service in Medan, but the fine folks staffing that office seem to feel no obligation to respond. Does IBM International not care how their reputation for all products suffers at the hands of unresponsive service providers?

DONNA K. WOODWARD

Medan, North Sumatra