Words from the Chair

Final Words on Harris and Y2K

By Gary Stigall, CSTE
Chairman, SBE Chapter 36

Last month I criticized Harris for not providing a free EPROM update for the Sage Endec used for the EAS.

I regret singling out Harris. I spoke with our regional representative Ellis Terry at the May chapter meeting and agree with the statement in his letter that the marketplace is what decides what is acceptable behavior for a corporation with respect to its products. In fact, that was the central theme of my editorial. Because I used Harris as an example, the commentary was seen as a personal attack on Harris. From what I have heard and experienced firsthand over the years, and with respect to the expectations of the marketplace, Harris customer service cannot be judged poor. And as with most large corporations, their product quality varies with the talent of the people who design and build it.

At KFMB, we have a 50kW solid state Harris AM transmitter that, other than some infant mortality years ago, has been a technical wonder to behold. I would have taken a cut in pay twenty-two years ago to have traded in my Gates BC5P tube-filled wonder on that transmitter. We have framestore synchronizers in television that silently process video year after year without fail. On the other hand, the human interface for our old 9100-series remote control is so confounding that I would dare anyone from the factory to be able to set the time without getting out the instructions. (It's going bye-bye before it fails telling us the proper date at the end of the millenium.) You win most, you lose some.

I don't mind telling you that I regret mentioning station names in the editorial. The named stations, including the local Jefferson-Pilot stations and KPBS did not ask to be associated with the editorial which spoke out against Harris.

I got involved trying to get free upgrades for the Endec after Lee McGowan of KYXY/KPLN mentioned in the March meeting that Harris was going to charge him for making the stored alert printout function Y2K compatible. He explained, and I understood, that this was a "secondary" function, but a real, documented function nonetheless. I figured, foolishly, that SBE might properly intervene since there were other user stations here, and surely many more elsewhere, that might deserve the upgrade.

Harris maintains that this upgrade is a minor one, unnecessary for Y2K compliance or basic operation. At the same time, I have been told that ownership groups are spending thousands of dollars to buy that upgrade for their stations. Why would they spend a dime?

Apparently, the current standard of customer service is to provide free firmware or software updates for about a year to fix design flaws, then begin charging the customer. In cases of safety, the free service is often extended in the interest of liability control. I learned this last month that there is apparently no desire to change this standard of customer service. Indeed, making the standard more generous would drive up product initial costs (especially for those who make products with more design flaws).

Tell me if I'm wrong about this: There seems to be a kind of double-standard. We seem perfectly willing to pay plenty for upgrades to make our equipment perform all its stated functions correctly when it's the company's money. On the other hand, how would you feel about a car dealer who asked you to pay to have the glove compartment latch or a dead speaker replaced in your new car because it's a "secondary function?" What if the dealer told you, "Sorry, but those items aren't required by the Department of Transportation."

The next time I'm doing weekend chores and have a mind to intervene with on behalf of the local constituency in like matters, I believe I'll go make lemonade instead.

Web site contents ©1999 Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 36 San Diego. For more information, to become a member or a sponsor, or to make suggestions or comments, e-mail sbe36@broadcast.net. Write to P.O. Box 710702, San Diego, California 92171-0702.  

Edited by Gary Stigall. Posted 30-May-99.