I'd like to share with you the few things I will be talking with
vendors about as I spend time in the Exhibit Hall in Anaheim. I
would ENCOURAGE you to make your own list of items that are not so
account specific as to be difficult to address in the hectic arena
of the Hall but rather might be items of a collective interest and
might send a unified message to the companies. Imagine 2000 voices
singing the same song!
I can tell you I will be making it clear to certain publishers that
I am not interested in NEW products until such time I can clear up
all the OLD problems with my accounts.
I urge you to make it clear to the personnel working the booths
that you would like to demonstrate your particular problems (if
they have the product or software loaded.) Visual demonstrations of
problems, especially if the booth person is providing the
keystrokes, are often more helpful than trying to explain. This
means you should bring your specific search problem with you.
I urge ATTENDEES to make appointments at the booth with the
regional managers, product managers, Vice-Presidents of Customer
Service, or the highest ranking person in attendance so you can
discuss the positive and negative aspects of particular products,
print or otherwise. I urge the PUBLISHERS to identify a specific
person who might have access to account information or department
heads and the power to fix problems.
In other words, I am urging you to make your time in the Exhibit
Hall productive and meaningful to YOUR work and management issues.
Be proactive and seek out these managers and if the person you
really should be talking to is NOT in attendance, leave your card
with the understanding you will be contacted.
On my list of items to pursue:
1. Reed/Bender, regarding Shepards. Why can't the "monthly update
of FDE's" be fixed in the software? I use Shepards on 5 different
terminals and have to update the files on EACH terminal each month.
However, the written instructions are never clear (they tell you to
look for a file name.exe that does not appear because Windows 95
drops part of the name? Do I know that?), I spend too much time on
the phone with the excellent tech support people, but I shouldn't
have to be such a regular caller.
2. Bender: the new invoices that lump all the monthly payments
together are useless. I allocate by department. I have to divide
this monthly amount. In addition, when items are purchased after my
annual renewals, THEY are listed separately and THAT amount has to
be calculated. Too much manipulation! The old monthly statements
were better.
3. RIA: misapplication of payments to outstanding invoices.
4. West Group: CD-ROM licensing based on size of firm and not
concurrent users. Lack of currency in publishing the New York
Statutes (last disk is dated December 1997 and has NO 1998 session
laws on it.)
5. Everything else: trial subscriptions with multiple "this is not
an invoice" followups. Use of extremely outdated mailing lists.
Dividing sales reps by practice area or media type rather than by
account. Inability to obtain information from customer service
phone reps. Use of outside telemarketers when there is a field rep
in place.
The Exhibit Hall hours are:
Sunday noon to 5:00 and 6-9:00
Monday 8-12:00 and 2:15-5:00
Tuesday 7:30-3:00
I'll see you there.
Kathie Sullivan, CAPLL Chair 1997-98
Kathie J. Sullivan
Library Director
McNamee, Lochner, Titus and Williams
75 State Street P.O. Box 459
Albany, New York 12201-0459
ph: 518-447-3266
fax: 518-426-4260
email: sullivan@mltw.com
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