zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: If and when my SMP needs servicing, it is going
: back to Bienne--in warranty or out of
: warranty.

This position is very interesting to me.

In the late 1980s, I worked for a capital equipment manufacturer here in Michigan; the company built machines of varying technogogy specifications, $450K and pricier. As things got increasingly global, we'd set up "service centers" in-country, wherever that might be.

On our end and among customers, there were two schools of thought. One was that the field guys, trained by us, were just as capable of getting the machine back up to spec as anyone from the home facility (where we trained the field guys). The other side argued that the home guys always had an advantage, in that they not only worked on repairs and service, but also built new machines and interacted w/ engineers and designers on new designs. (So, for example, if the next generation of something was being modified to address a frequent service complaint, they would know and could pro-actively address that in their repair work.)

I dunno. Something about sending my 2541.80 "back to Bienne" every Spring to have the required inspections for water resistance feels a bit impractical: W/out my watch for 2 months? So now I need a second watch, to alternate them in service?

For me there won't be a right or wrong answer. But I truly appreciate the position advocacy. Thank you!