Why is it so hard to get a valuable answer from IBM support?

A few days ago, I talked about the “Disable Export View Data” feature which is available in Notes 8.0.2 and that there is a technote in which a IBM technote contributor wrote that

Enabling or disabling of this option can also be done using an API call (setOption) or a  LotusScript (SetOption)

Playing around with the GetOption method of the NotesDatabase class, I finally found out, which value has to be used to enable / disable this new feature.

Thomas Bahn suggested to open a PMR to tell IBM that the option is not documented in the designer help. I did open a PMR on the same day …

Here is what I asked for:

ESR: Disable Export of ViewData is new to 8.0.2. Technote #1314694
says that “Enabling or disabling of this option can also be done using
an API call (setOption) or a LotusScript (SetOption). ”
Which OPTDB_ .. constant must be used? Not documented in designer help

The first update by first level support

Looking for hints

Well, this is OK, so pls. look for hints and let me know, what you’ve found.

A couple of hours later, the next update

So far – only 2 “don’t knows”
To continue on Monday.

Next update on monday

… Unfortunately I can not answer
it this far  but I hope I will be able to do it shortly.

In the meantime, first level support escalated the PMR to BE.

Another 6 hours later, BE answered

… I did not understand what is being asked from us. Can you let me know what exactly is the question or what is the customer looking for.

I do not know, what the heck is going on. English is not my native language. But is it really so hard to understand a simple question?

Is there really a difference between the lines, I wrote as initial question in the PMR and the “translation”, firstlevel support sent to BE?

All information I have is in the PMR – I don’t speak customer’s native
language and had no other info than that already in the PMR.
My understanding of the problem is however that customer wanted to “use
API call (setOption) or a LotusScript (SetOption)”. In particular he
asks “which OPTDB_ .. constant must be used?” Because it is “Not
documented in designer help”.

And here is the latest update

… Confirmed that the requested information is not in designer help.

Ehm … I already know this, IBM!

4 thoughts on “Why is it so hard to get a valuable answer from IBM support?

  1. EXACTLY! On server crashes, I’d like a little more effort than “well, the NSD says …”

    Really? Does it? No way!

    How about some sort of explanation beyond the obvious? How about something a little deeper … hmmm? Perhaps something that explains why the agent you claim is “the issue” on 3 crashing servers but not on 7 others … HMMMM? Since you actually asked what operating system I’m running, how about we take a look at my config maybe something in the environment is walloping it that? Too much to ask, is it? Yeah, I suppose the stress of answering a phone IS rather hard. I never thought about it from your point of view… that’s really rough. Nothing at all like stress I’m under trying to get these 3 boxes back up to run mail for my company. That is NOTHING in comparison …

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  3. Welcome to the club.

    For the past 3 years and my half a dozen or so PMR it took at least an email and sometimes a phone call so that they understand what is exactly that I want. Sometimes I got lucky though and the support person call me directly after he receive my submission. Unfortunately the first level support have to completely understand what you want since they will be your primary (sometimes the only) contact you have for the PMR so I have to be prepared to give them lenghtly explanation everytime I submit a new PMR.

    Hope you receive good answer soon.

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