This is a good example of how lack of feedback to engineers == lost sales
and pyramid negaitivity.
Printer companies need to get with the times - email support, and most
importantly, hook te engineers up to the actual users instead of 20th hand
distorted reports via "marketing departments".
Not replying is taken as consent.
So while everyone is is worring about the MIB etc, please keep this in
context as to what end users actually need.
geoff slater (who hopes someone at QMS will read this and comp.periphs.printers)
> Path:
OzEmail.sydney!OzEmail!nsw.news.telstra.net!act.news.telstra.net!psgrain!news.uoregon.edu!arclight.uoregon.edu!news.bc.net!info.ucla.edu!nnrp.info.ucla.edu!usenet
> From: tonyliu at ucla.edu (TL)
> Newsgroups:
comp.periphs.printers,misc.forsale.computers.printers,alt.consumers.experiences,misc.consumers
> Subject: Re: Why I will NEVER buy or recommend a QMS printer again.
> Date: 9 Nov 1996 17:36:42 GMT
> Organization: University of California, Los Angeles
> Lines: 118
> Distribution: inet
> Message-ID: <562ffa$1c12 at uni.library.ucla.edu>
> References: <560iak$hqf at herald.concentric.net>
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misc.forsale.computers.printers:18231 alt.consumers.experiences:5836
misc.consumers:99887
>> Thanks for sharing your experience. I will definitely not be looking to
> purchase any QMS printers. I suppose at the very least now, there are many
> other printer options at much more reasonable prices.
>> Sorry to hear about this...
>> Regards,
> Tony
>> In article <560iak$hqf at herald.concentric.net>, cdg1 at concentric.net says...
> >
> > Why I will NEVER buy or recommend a QMS printer or
> > product.
> >
> > I bought a QMS-PS410, a Postscript/HPL printer based on the
> > Canon LX print engine.
> >
> > This printer was unique in that it had built in interfaces for
> > serial, parallel and AppleTalk. It was touted as the "best
> > Monochrome output device" by MacWorld in 1990
> >
> > This printer cost me about $2500 at the time. I used this
> > printer for only my final output, and used a well worn Okidata
> > Dot Matrix for my draft copies and my personal printouts.
> >
> > As of July of 1996, I had only printed 1200 pages, not even one
> > toner cartridge had been used.
> >
> > In July, the printer quit printing.
> >
> > I attempted to contact QMS customer support - I found that
> > they did not accept PS-410 queries at their email customer
> > support center. I was only "supposed" to call a non toll free
> > number and wait, and wait, and wait. I finally in frustration
> > emailed them anyway - no response (1).
> >
> > I looked around their website and found a FAX number and I
> > faxed customer support. After 5 attempts (busy signals)
> > on the afternoon of July 23rd, I was able to get a fax
> > transmission through to them, but still no response (1).
> >
> > So what I have is a highly recommended printer that won't
> > print, a printer manufacturer that won't even acknowledge
> > or respond to me.
> >
> > I called another number and was told a "technician" that is in
> > my area could do a site visit, at some $180 just for travel
> > charges, forget actually fixing my printer.
> >
> > After a couple of months of ignore, I found out QMS had a
> > repair depot in California, I called an spoke to what was
> > probably a well meaning person, who promised me that a PS-410
> > knowledgable person would call me the next day. No call, no
> > response.
> >
> > After a couple of weeks, I did email the well meaning person,
> > and finally did speak to a person that told me he would find out
> > a price to replace my firmware (I have an older version that
> > might just have a bad ROM), but he never did supply the
> > information.
> >
> > I got a call for someone else at the depot, who told me the
> > exchange price for the logic board in my printer, a price that
> > is now higher than many new Laser Printers on the market and
> > more than I could buy a used PS-410. The logic board is what
> > "makes" a PS-410, most of the rest of the printer is a
> > standard Canon LX engine.
> >
> > So I have a printer that has cost me roughy $2.00 per PAGE to
> > use, cannot get any assistance or even a response from for the
> > technical support staff at QMS home office.
> >
> > This is an example of the worst customer service I have ever
> > encountered in the computer industry. I have been in the
> > computer industry since the mid 70's, when the industry
> > consisted of MITS Altairs and Tandy Model 1's (still have one
> > of those).
> >
> > (1). By no response, I mean not even to this day ! This being
> > the Halloween, the End of October !
> > August, September, October, November.
> >
> > I am writing this in the hope that the president, the CEO, and
> > others at QMS read this. This kind of neglect doesn't just
> > make your customers angry, it makes them want to never hear
> > your name again.
> >
> > You at QMS have an indifferance to your customers that I
> > cannot believe. How you get repeat business is a mystery to
> > me.
> >
> > Check your email from July, check your Fax logs, find out how
> > I contacted you but you completely ignored me, one your customers.
> > Find out why your technical support policy pushed the PS-410 to the
> > support level of waiting on telephone hold for ages, instead of a
> > relativity easy email response.
> >
> > It was the printers like the PS-410 that made a splash for
> > QMS, and now see how those loyal customers are treated.
> >
> > And remember, there are companies that thrive because of
> > excellent customer support. I predict QMS will not thrive,
> > because customer service is a low priority.
> >
> > My almost like brand new QMS PS-410 now sits in a box in the
> > garage, a memorial to the most expensive printer I ever
> > bought, and the most expensive to own. At 1200 pages, and
> > $2.00 a page, I would be hard pressed to find a less
> > economical printer solution. Its sad when a printer can't
> > even outlast one of its toner cartridges !
> >
> >
> > Charles Gelsinger
> > Once proud to be a QMS customer...
> > No longer ...
> > cdg1 at concentric.net> >