<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

First, my opinion stated here is mine alone and does not reflect a position
> of my firm.  That said, I am a customer of both IM and Cornerstone.  Any
> customer base should be concerned when competition becomes limited; whether
> at the macro or micro level.  But I have been very pleased with the
> performance of IM over the last three years or so.
>

Agreed- the loss of competition many times results in a deterioration of
service or service offerings, simply because a vendor isn't motivated to
offer more or improved services if you as a client have no choice but to
select them to provide services you require.

As with ANY vendor, you can develop a level of acceptance with their
services and performance, but in some cases, it requires a lot more effort
on your part than should be necessary.  You have an SLA, your requirements
are known, you establish a price for services and you should receive the
services agreed upon in your contract for the price paid. There is always a
level of effort required to verify the service remains consistent, but you
shouldn't have to expend a great level of effort to ensure you are
receiving the level of service you've paid for.



> We have been through four major events at offsite facilities in which we
> have had damaged records in the last year.  Talk about a bad run!  And this
> happened at three different vendors.  IM and GRM performed as I would
> expect.  They were professional and minimized the ill effects.  The other
> vendor will go nameless and the less said the better.
>

That *IS* a bad run. Dependent upon the type of damage,  I'm wondering if
the facilities are in disrepair, if they suffered from adverse weather
conditions, or if it was a case of mishandling on the part of the
vendor/s.  "Damaged records" can be interpreted in any number of ways, but
in any case, it's NOT a good thing.  Records in storage are supposed to be
protected from damage and as you stated, they "were professional and
minimized the ill effects", and you would expect they would- especially if
it was their fault.



> No relationship is perfect.  Do we still have an occasional disagreement
> with IM?  Sure, no doubt.  But they have become the business partner I
> always wanted them to be.  I can escalate problems if need be.  Sometimes
> communication is too slow and other times you can just tell you are working
> with a really big company.  At the end of the day we have consistent
> service, and I believe we receive a good value for our investment.  I have
> especially appreciated their partnership during several mergers.
>

There's no question you have to work to develop a relationship with ANY
service provider, but the reason we contract with a SERVICE provider is to
PROVIDE A SERVICE that we need.  And if our SLA clearly states what it is
we expect and they aren't able to provide service at that level, then we
should either see a reduction in cost, or an improvement in service until
it's acceptable and within the scope of the contractual agreements.

I guess it depends on how much you have, how frequently you interact, what
types of service/s you require and what you get to determine you level of
satisfaction.



> Let me conclude that I expect the Cornerstone merger to be positive.  I
> also welcome the competition should new companies enter the void.
>  Competition generates lower prices and higher service.  When Boeing
> acquired McDonnell Douglas, airlines began to purchase Airbus products.
>  Were Airbus planes suddenly better?  No, airlines stated publicly that
> they weren't going to let Boeing become the single solution.  Everyone in
> the industry knew it would be bad for business.  We saw a similar increase
> in competition after IM bought Pierce in '99.  I trust that the trends will
> continue.
>

All I can say is time will tell... but I still think it's advisable to
evaluate your holdings if you're potentially impacted by this, make sure
you can establish a clean/clear baseline to determine what you have and
that everything is accounted for PRIOR to a new provider coming into the
picture.  Look at the T&C in your contract and be sure that the new
provider will be able to provide the same level of services, so there are
no 'unmet expectations' that need to be resolved after the first invoice is
received, or when the first need goes unmet.

>
Larry
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-- 
*Lawrence J. Medina
Danville, CA
RIM Professional since 1972*

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