IBM's service
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