IT Guys nightmare

This article is dedicated to all IT fellow around the world ....

Many times, IT guys (or girls - to all of you femi-nazi out there) are the "plumber", the "electrician", one that people in companies call to fix things - even though it's not a really IT-related issues (the sink in the pantry is broken - call the IT guys).  Hey, we are helpful people, and we will do it - if we can do it ...

There are lots of times where people from other departments regarded IT as "technicians" or "repair guy", and tried to dump their work to IT (any of you ever help your boss to transfer his contacts from old mobile phone to a new one ? or pull report from accounting system ? or create entire billing system from scratch ?).

In many companies, IT not even considered "that" important (usually IT is under Finance, or Operation). Now, IMHO - what do Finance people knows about IT - beside cutting the budget and say "NO" ?).


IT is not a necessity in many companies, until someone from Management says "OK, it's official - we need a dedicated repairman for this company ... "

A lot of times, when IT department proposes new system to help company works  - more efficient and effective - those are rejected ("we don't need it", "don't have the budget", "why use legal software if pirated one works", etc).  Some scenarios :
1) We need a good hardware (server, firewall, desktop, laptop, etc).
     Management says : nope, "create" servers from desktops, use Linux-based machine as firewall,
     etc.  Well, let me enlighten you :
     * Servers sold by vendors usually designed to be operating 24/7, 365 days a year - desktop are not.
        To force a desktop (no matter how good/expensive/high-end it is) to operate as server, it will
        not be as "heavy-duty" as real server.
     * Linux are good, but requires consistent checking, patching, testing, etc.  Moreover, a lot of times
        - traffic to update servers are heavy - or they just decided to take down the respective servers,
        making you unable to download the patch needed.  I am not defending Microsoft or Oracle in
        this case - but when it comes to patches, they are quite OK.
     * Regarding the importance of patching servers - read this article about Why 1,000 flights were grounded on August 2015.

2) Corporate dedicated email server needed. Why ? Read Hillary Clinton case.

3) We need good software and valid licensing. Boss said : use pirated one.  You tell him/her : Nope.
If you insisted, I need a black and white.

4) Good Service, i.e : good internet service provider with good quality (dedicated service, etc).  Boss said : this broadband service is CHEAP, and the speed is up to 100 Mbps.  READ THE FINE LINES, BOSS -
"up to ..." means : during non-peak  hours, it may or may not reach 100 Mbps, because it's best-case scenario.  Dedicated 10 Mbps is better than "up to 100 Mbps", because with a dedicated service, you are "guaranteed" 10 Mbps at any time (ALL THE TIME).

5) Backup, backup, and backup. Boss said : no need. You said : Fine, but if you lose your email,
    your excel sheet that you need to show the investor, etc - then don't blame me.

6) Why the Internet down - fine, IT guys will check it - it's our job.  But when no electricity and the computers/Internet is off and your boss come screaming - you tell them : This is why I recommend using UPS, you cheap b*****d (excuse the French).

If you need more tips, or encounter different thing with your boss, drop me an email (just to ask, or to share, etc.  Don't worry, the first email is free - just kidding ! )

The Hard Truth - : Employees as your biggest asset - Yes or No ?

My old colleague from North America branch - whom I have utmost respect for (and the one I got the quote : "Good Company Are Known By The People It Keeps") once asked me this : what do you think about the saying "Employees Are Your Greatest Assets" ?

I said, I don't know - maybe part of it is right, but not entirely the truth.  He agreed with me - and explained his view on this.  When you start to generalize that all employees are great - that statement is not true. However, there are some employees really go beyond and above.  Those that worked really hard, and realize that they need to make progress, set examples for others - are the one worth keeping with the company.  However, those that keep saying (and complaining) in front of their colleagues, bosses, or subordinates (e.g: OMG, I fell asleep on my desk working on this project last night - or OMG, I am tired all the time because I spent 8 hours doing this shit, and so on ...) - those are the one you need to keep your eyes on : either they are REALLY working hard, or they just like to exaggerate things, but dump the whole work to their subordinates.

A Good Manager supposed to be distributing equally balance of workload to his/her subordinates (and him/herself), while re-assessing the progress of the job.  If one subordinates fell behind, seemed stressful, etc - talk to them (to see what are the challenges, etc).

Same thing for those that seems doing really well and progressed impressively - talk to them, give them more challenge, and encourage them - so they can do even better and excel.  At the same time, you have to provide praises and encourages those that perform well, and punish those that still left behind (even after your talk / counseling session with them).

T.P Rachmat (you can click the link to find out more about him) - former Astra Group CEO has classified employees into three main categories:

A) The Talent - those that are consistently work hard to increase their standards/talents.  These individuals always look for projects, improvements to be done, and challenged themselves.  They are not afraid to take up challenges, new positions, even they have little to no experience on the subject matter.  They are willing to learn and adapt into new roles.  As their bosses, you must have keen eyes to identify these individuals, as they are only a few of them within an organizations (5-10% at most) and it will be such as a waste for companies to lose them.

B) The Solid Worker - these are the individuals that always work according to the standard.  You tell them/provide them with instructions, and they will execute it 100% exactly according to your instructions.  However, solid worker will not like / enjoy fluctuating/dynamic working environment where the factors always changing and need to adapt / adjust all the time (or need to make quick decisions by themselves).  Bosses will also need to know which individuals within their organizations are Solid Workers - you can give them consistent flow of projects or work - but you will need to keep tab on them from time to time.  Depends on how effective and efficient of your organizations conditions, the amount of Solid Worker can be more than Dead Wood , or vice-versa.

C) The Dead Wood - those are below standards employees.  As the term dead-wood indicate, these are employees that works below standards, those that browse internet and social media during work (facebook, twitter, etc), or even enjoy pooping in their work time, or take care of personal stuff (that's right - you read me correctly - when people trying to find him/her, usually they are "in the toilet", or "take smoking break", or "go to ATM", etc).  You can warn these individuals during session with HR and their direct supervisors/managers, that time of year during performance appraisal, etc.  If after several sessions, these individuals did not show improvement - it's your decision whether to keep them, or let them go.

Back to our original discussions - "Employees Are Company's Greatest Asset" ? YES AND NO. You need to keep the best employees (the talent and solid worker), but get rid of the dead wood.  How to do that ? Well, it will be entirely different chapter on this one, folks.  But let me give you a clue : Talent Management is not the answer (yes, some companies insisted on having Talent Management program, to identify and spot these Talent - but let me tell you something - is this the answer to identify and keep these talent and solid worker employees ? NOPE).

Have a good Monday ! I have very good inspiration today, and I promise you to write another article before end of this week !

I am moving to Istanbul, Turkey - on company assignment for one year !

Dear readers,

So sorry for the long hiatus from posting on my blog - my last posting was from May 3rd, 2015 (*whew - that was three months ago !).  Reason being for my hiatus is because I am on company assignment, and has been relocated to Istanbul, Turkey - for a year contract.  Yes, Istanbul - the country that (approx.) half part of it on Asian continent, and the other part on European continent.  

Although it doesn't look that far (see map), but it's actually quite far.  I took Singapore Airlines, depart from CGK (Soekarno-Hatta International Airport), Jakarta to SIN (Changi International Airport), Singapore - 2 hours 45 mins, then wait for approx. 2 hours to continue flight from SIN to IST (Attaturk International Airport), Istanbul - 15 hours 20 mins (*whew).

It took me quite sometime to get back on my feet in Istanbul, Turkey (settle in my new apartment, get used to the environment, buy some utensils, etc) plus the workload that kept me occupied.  However, I am OK now, and ready to share some pictures and stories with you all.

My colleagues and staffs are very helpful. Knowing that it's my first time to Turkey, they took me to some very interesting places :

1) Bosphorus Bridge.
Connect Asian and European continent.  If you have the time, take a picture of this bridge during night time (beautiful sight, and a popular tourist, couples destination).  You can also visit various cafe alongside the strait, sit back, relax, and enjoy the view.  It's breathtaking, and as if you own the whole view by yourself !

2) Sultan Ahmed Mosque / Blue Mosque.
One of the historical places and main tourist attraction.  If you are a historical and/or architectural geek, this is a must place to see.

3) Have kebab !
Kebab is one of Turkey most delicious dishes - and you must try it ! Or as Singaporean sayings - "die die must try !"


According to Wikipedia : Kebab, (also kebap, kabob, kebob, kabab, or shishkebab) is a Middle Eastern, Eastern Mediterranean, and South Asian dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted or grilled on a skewer or spit, originating in the Eastern Mediterranean,where it is mentioned by Homer, or the Middle East, and later adopted in Central Asia and by the regions of the former Mongol Empire and later Ottoman Empire, before spreading worldwide. In American English, kebab with no qualification refers to shish kebab (Turkish: şiş kebap) cooked on a skewer, whereas in Europe it refers to doner kebab, sliced meat served in a pita. In the Middle East, however, kebab refers to meat that is cooked over or next to flames; large or small cuts of meat, or even ground meat; it may be served on plates, in sandwiches, or in bowls.

The traditional meat for kebab is lamb, but depending on local tastes and religious prohibitions, other meats may include beef, goat, chicken, pork or fish. Like other ethnic foods brought by travellers, the kebab has remained a part of everyday cuisine in most of the Eastern Mediterranean and South Asia. Doner kebab is popular in Germany as a snack after a night out.

So far, this is all I can share with you all.  If any of you visiting Istanbul, drop me an email - maybe we can hang out together !  Cheers !

Signs you are addicted to social media

On a recent trip to Malaysia with one of my staff, we had a nice dinner in a sushi restaurant in Midvalley Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  To my astonishment, he take several pictures of the food first before upload them to social media.  Yup, he is a social-media bitch (ahem, please excuse the language ...)

I mean - OK, it's fine you like the food, enjoy the dinner and the place - at most, take a picture and send it to your girlfriend.  No need for the whole world to see it.  I don't need the whole world to know that at this exact moment, I am eating sushi in XYZ restaurant in KL (heck, even I don't remember the restaurant name now).

For some people, being a social media "celebrity" is a necessity - it's a place where you can "show-off", pretend everything is cool and OK, and let the world knows that "I am cool too, ya know"  ("Ow, I have just got a new haircut, look at my hair ...").  I mean - really ????

I am OK if younger generations are more tech-savvy these days, well-connected via social media.  However, many occasions where social media do more harm than good (e.g : bullying, etc).

Below here are several signs that you are addicted to social media :
1) It's the first thing you check in the morning
2) You check your smart(phone) or social media (postings, likes, etc) every 10 minutes (yup, that will make about approx. 48-50 times per day while you are working (not including off-work).
3) You will become agitated or irritable when your (smart)phone is out-of-sight (not within your reach).
4) You have argued (several times) with your spouse, families - about your phone usage (or amount of time you spend online/on social media).
5) You can't do anything without sharing it (#pooping now #itsbrown #smellsliketeenspirit)
6) You felt that your world is over when you have no internet / data connection, or when your (smart)phone is running out of battery.
7) Your friends know that the only way to get to you is via social media
8) You feel that your friends is an alien if he/she doesn't have social media account
9) Social media is your first choice of recreation, and the main thing that you do when you are on the Internet.
10) You would wake up in the middle of the night, or check your social media at least once when you are having lunch/dinner in a public place.

Loving Husband

A man had two of the best tickets for the Augusta Masters.  As he sits down, another man comes along and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him.
 
“No,” he says, “the seat is empty.”
 
“This is incredible!” said the man. “Who in their right mind would have a seat like this, the biggest golfing event in the whole world, and not use it?”
 
He says, “Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. My wife was supposed to come with me, but she passed away. This is the first Masters we haven’t been together since we married.”
 
“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that. That’s terrible. I guess you couldn’t find someone else?… a friend or relative or even a neighbor to take the seat?”
 
The man shakes his head. “No, they’re all at the funeral.”

Have you ever fired someone ? Fired or keep ?

There are times in my career where I have to make decisions over whether to keep an individual with the company or fired (him/her).  It's not an easy thing to do, no one will teach you how to do it, and you will not feel good about firing someone.

I clearly remember, the first time that I need to fire a person. I was working in a global IT company, and he is a server engineer, assigned to one of our clients (let's say his name is John).  His team leader has informed me that John has been unable to perform well on tasks assigned to him, delayed some tasks that should have been done regularly (perform backup, log monitoring, etc - all of those are server engineers daily task).  Although John has been a role model for his attendance, but the real problem is - he is not performing.  I have talked to him more than once, several sessions are with his supervisor, and others are one-on-one - just him and myself.  I tried to understand what seems to be the problem - is it problem at home (relationship with his wife, kids, etc), financial issue, or even problem with his colleague or his supervisor, etc - but there seems to be no issue.  I have constantly remind him to talk to me if there's anything at all, because if there's no issue, but his supervisor saw him under-performed, there will be problems for sure.

He was given written warnings (several times) by his supervisors for some of the task assigned to him was not properly managed, and I have confirmed with him again, one-on-one, but he said that the mistake was on his side, and it was purely human-error (lack of sleep, mistype, the whole nine-yard).  Until one time, he messed up big time (problems with one of the servers, and his team tried to restore the backup - but it was not there).  So, they need to retrieve from a past archive backup (and lost about a week work).  Clients filed a complaint, and our Boss want to have him dismissed.

In his case, I believe he is under-qualified for his job.  That way, he often felt lost when he need to perform his job.  But he is too (shy or proud ?) to admit this.  I tried to approached him and ask him whether this is the case, but he kept his guard up and did not admit this.  If currently - you yourself in this position (hired, but realized that you are under-qualified for your position), there are several things that you can do :
1) Resigned - first, and easiest steps to do; however, if you have some fighting spirit and believe you can do this, read on ...
2) Find a mentor/senior that willing to teach you.  If you are female and attractive, it's even easier (I don't mean to be sexist, but not many female in IT industry - and a lot of guys are willing to teach).  However, I find Singaporean  colleagues are less than willing to share their knowledge, due to strict competitions in Singapore (the whole kia-su culture, etc - Google it, you will understand).
3) Learn, study, teach yourself.  There are tons of books, materials out there (on the web, etc) that you can read and learn.  Moreover, people are more willing to teach you when you have some understanding, than a completely "blank" (I know nothing, please teach me).  There's no such thing as a free lunch.

When an individual is willing to learn, study, and he/she is learning at very good speed, also have good attitude - keep them.  But when the individual is slow in learning, not smart, poor attitude, last to come but first to leave (or worst - always late) - do not hesitate - fired them.  Bad seed can spread easily to another one FAST, like wildfire !

Back to John's case - I have to fired him. He messed BIG time, and boss instructions are clear - fired him, and hired a new one.

PS : I am not the one that hired John in the first place - he was hire by my predecessor.  And it's not easy being someone supervisor / boss - you need to EARN the respect - it's not given.

Posting in English or Indonesian ?

I have been asking myself, to post in English or Indonesian, and so far - I think I will keep posting in Indonesian.  One of the reasons to do so, because English is not my mother tongue - and I believe I need to practice it on daily basis (be it in writing, reading, speaking, etc), instead of stay in my comfort zone and speak Indonesian.

One of the problems for Indonesian (or any nationality - International students) when studying abroad, is that they are having difficult time to adapt to the language in their destination country, despite all of the language learning and language proficiency test that they have taken in their country of origin.  First thing that they do when arrive and settle in, is looking for a fellow country man (woman) and speak in their native language.

I understand that it's very difficult to stay away from your family, friends, etc - come to a foreign country and have to adapt to many things (food, culture, language, etc).  But when you have decide to study (or live) abroad, it's the decision that you have already made, and learn how to live with.  Same thing for "bule" or foreigner that come to Indonesia - they too have to adapt.  Imagine this from their shoe / their perspective :

Indonesia = a foreign country where the food is spicy, the weather outside is normally 30-34 C, rains every now and then, humid, most people speak Indonesian (some younger generations do speak English though), poor public transportation, pollution everywhere, people will look at you differently and keep pointing at you when you walk on the curb, although some locals will treat you like celebrity or alien by asking you to take photo with them, etc.

They are no different than us - and we all just need to adapt. And remember, do not ask "them" to adapt to you, but you must adapt to "them".  Because we are stranger and the guest, they are the "host".  If you go to a moslem country, watch your dress and appearance, do not dress too "open".  If you go to western country - and you are a strict moslem - please ask them whether the food is halal or not, do not assume.

Is It Your Dream Job ? How to pick the right career path to fast track your career

A guy from Australia, Ben Farrell - recently quit his job as Quality Program Manager from Apple, Inc in Sydney, Australia.  Some of us may find working in Apple (or Google, Microsoft, all the world class company) as "the dream job".    You can find Ben Farrell posting in his blog : http://roadlesstravelled.me/2015/04/06/why-steve-jobs-motivated-me-to-quit-apple/

As posted in his blog, he mentioned several facts about working conditions in Apple :
1) 16 hours a day work, filled with meetings after meetings, and more meetings.  Even when he is on a day-off, he needs to dial-in to what seems to be an important conference call, where little to none of the attendees showed up.
2) "Sickness, family emergencies, and even weddings are given no respect at Apple" -- these are quoted directly from Ben's blog.  In other words, Apple don't want you to have your personal life.  You are hired with great compensation package, so we expect you to sacrifice these things for company.
3) No team spirit, as people attack each other or have their own agenda.

At the end of his posting, Ben added Steve Job's quote : " Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. Thanks Steve, I choose to follow your advice."

Now, I don't think you and me have the right to judge Ben or people from Apple now - we are not in their shoes, pr we might not know the whole story.

However, look at your current situation or condition now, and ask yourself : Am I doing the right thing with my career now ?

I have here another article posted in Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-stanford-students-turn-down-150000-entry-level-salaries-carlson

For these Stanford graduates, they are looking for something beyond the salary offer, or the job security.  They are looking for the challenge, purpose/mission, ability to grow (be it career-wise, experience-wise), working with interesting people, and freedom,

So, what do you need from a job ? Personally, I list down the priorities from the most important one (to me) to the lest important one in these orders :
1) I must love the job (scope) and what I will be doing.
2) The challenge, or experience that I will gain.  Remember these will relate with the company that you are working for - compare working for Pepsi Cola and Apple, Inc (yes, I am taking John Sculley as example - those of you that has no idea, just google John Sculley).
3) The salary (well, yes, I still need the "moolah")
4) The working environment - Are the people great to work with ? Do they encourage information sharing and mentoring - so that you will improve your ability at the same time ? Or is it full of back-stabbers playing office politics to maintain their "status quo" ?
5) The boss and the colleagues.  Good Boss will praise you for your achievement in front of the others, and scold/point out your mistakes behind the closed door (that, my friend - is the Basic Management 101).  However, there are some "Gestapo" or "KGB"-educated Boss that like the otherwise approach (scold you in front of your colleague during the office party, and using the ^*%*%^&^ words) - and thinking that they are "doing you a favor" and taking "what didn't kill you will make you stronger" approach.

Well, those are my priorities,  You may find yourselves in a different situation, but you may find the above helpful for your considerations.

Enjoy your Monday !

How to troubleshoot your Home Wireless Access Point problems

Have you ever experienced problem with your Wireless at home ? Below, I provide you a simple troubleshooting steps on how to resolve the problem on your own.

Look at one of the icon below. 

A) No WiFi signal

 It means, no WiFi signal is detected.  You may try to move closer to your WiFi access point, or move the WiFi access point closer to you.

B) WiFi signal is detected, but not connected

See the yellow dot ? It means, your computer can detect WiFi signal, but unable to connect to WiFi access point.

How to resolve above situations ?

1) Try to reboot your WiFi access point.  You can login to your WiFi access point, and select restart / reboot (if you know the password/configure it yourself), or you can simply unplug the power and plug it back in.  PS : Remember to keep your WiFi access point in a well-ventilated area, provide a proper ventilation, or put a small fan towards the device.  You will shorten your WiFi access point device life if you keep it (say) in a drawer, cramped with other stuff, because it will cause your WiFi access point to get overheated.

2) Try to flush the DNS.  Sometimes, you will need to flush the DNS of your computer (because you may have used your computer in office, in school, at public place like Starbucks, etc).  One of the reasons to flush your DNS, so it can pick up the DNS from your Wireless Access Point / from your Internet Service Provider at home.  To do this, in your computer (I assume you use Windows-based machine), click on Start - Run - type cmd - then a command prompt will show up.  

Type ipconfig /flushdns

C:\Users\user>ipconfig /flushdns

Windows IP Configuration

Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

C:\Users\user>

3) Check your Internet connection with other device.  If you have other device, such as Smartphone, iPad, etc - test your Internet connection using thise (remember to turn off the data connection from mobile device, so your device is solely connect using WiFi).  If your other device can connect to Internet solely using your WiFi, but not your computer - it means your computer network connectivity is the culprit.

4) Call your Internet Service Provider.  There are times, the problem is coming from them.  Call them if you have tried everything else and fails.

The challenge to keep posting and writing

Do you realize that when you started to write, it's very difficult to keep up with your promises to keep writing and updating your blog, because you will find so many reasons not to ?

I have tons of excuses that may have encountered to you as well, let me share with you :
* Busy with work, school, families, etc
* Something has come up (kids start to go to school, need to go to PTA meetings, etc)
* Something broken and need to be fixed (house, car, etc)
* Family is coming / visiting
* Family going on vacation
* Business trip
* etc

Basically, you will just need to discipline yourself with this new routine of your life called "Blog" and regularly writes.  It can be something as interesting as "How To Troubleshoot Wireless Problem At Your Home" or as simple as "The Difficulty of Preparing Birthday Party for a 5-years old kid".

If you are still having problem, think of this blog like  "Captain Log, Stardate xxx" from Star Trek, or those cool diaries from Doogie Howser (yeah, you are "the" Doogie Howser).

I set myself up now, to update this blog EVERY MONDAY - and I am planning to do so regularly.

Wish me luck.

The Importance of Keeping Your Identity Safe

Dear all,

One of the reason why keeping your identity safe in this digital era is because it is very important - and very easy to get your information easily from Internet.  You don't believe me ? Try to google yourself, and see how much of your information is out there.  Especially when you are active in Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Tinder, Whatsapp, etc).  People can get to know your friends, where you live, where you study, where you work, your date of birth, your hobby, etc from Facebook.  One thing I don't really understand is - why do you people are so "willing" to give out all of those information for free ? Even Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder is working so hard to keep his "privacy" safe.  Read about how he purchase houses surrounding his house for privacy here.  So, if Mark himself values his privacy (by privacy here, I did not limit only physical privacy like your home, but also your identity or information).

Not so long ago, this kind of car sticker that shows your family member and names becomes quite popular in my city :

I mean, come on.  Although this one only shows Dad as "Dad" and Mum as "Mum" without your names on it, but you are actually giving out information to outsiders about how many people are there in your family, their names, and approximately how old they are.  I am not saying that we should keep looking at our back and being anxious all the time like crazy - but you should not give out too much unnecessary information out to "public" or Internet.  There are many kind of people out there (again, I am not saying all people are bad), and you should be picky about who you want to share this kind of information with.

You can start doing these things to protect your information :
1) Know who you are friend with in Social Media (such as : Facebook).  Do not just "friend" with that one guy or one girl that you met in a party last night.   
2) Limit those who can see your information.  Do not assume (Oh, he/she is a friend of a a friend, so it should be safe).  Do you know that some people will just "be-friend" someone as easy as a mouse click away, and that you put the trust of your information (and your family) on top of that friend of yours ?
3) If you are using professional social networking, such as Linkedin - instead of saying : I worked at Goliath National Bank as IT Engineer, you can say : I worked at a Local / International Bank as IT.  That way, it's more difficult for those who wish to find out more about you.  For those who really wish to get in touch with you or ask for references (headhunter, recruitment company, etc), they will try to contact you furthermore, don't worry about it.
4) Your biggest leak is (probably) someone closest to you - your friends or family.  Even you are be very careful about the information that you are posting, when one closest to you "friends" with some stranger, it will be leaked.  
Again, I write this article not to make people paranoid about their social networking.  Just be careful with whatever that you are posting out there. Because once you post it, it will always out there (and probably never get deleted ! ).

Good Companies Are Known By The People It Keeps

I got this quote first time from a colleague in that worked in USA branch.  I was working in the Asia branch, handling the APAC support (Asia Pacific and Oceania) while he handled NA (North America) support.  I am more than happy to put his name and title for this article, but I haven't gotten his consent to use his personal information, so I will keep it out until he is okay with it.

I mean, how true do you think this quote encompasses these days ? I understand that people will always come and go at some point, but it's the people that you know that will give assurance on how things will go (support, communication, etc).  Many times, even company clients will "take off" if the person handling the accounts are gone.  And it's not just because that particular person resigned, but the level of support, responsibility, and peace of mind given when the particular person is there.

I will give you an example : My company is looking for UTM (Unified Threat Management) products that will be able to act as spamblocker, URL blocker, gateway antivirus, etc.  I have come to conclusion to use this product called CheckPoint.  At this point, I will need to contact their Authorized Re-sellers to get their quotation.  CheckPoint has several re-sellers in my country, and at that point, I contacted several of them.  Here's the typical response from several companies :
1) Operator : Sorry, our Sales/Marketing is busy, please email us to abcd@abcd.com, we will respond to you shortly.  Me : Can you pass me their mobile number contact, so I can get in touch with them directly ? Operator : Sure, it's 123456789.  -> straight to voice mail, not pick-up, or something like : "Oh, I am in the middle of a meeting, I will call you back" (and they never call you back).
2) Only can be contacted through email.  Their website put a phone number (that no one bother to pick-up, or the operator said "Our Sales/Marketing is currently engaged.  I can't pass you their contact number, please email us to abcde@abcde.com" (and they never replied your email).
3) etc

When I finally find a company that provide really good sales/support with this CheckPoint product - and want to make another purchase - the really good guy have left (from Support Engineer to their Sales), I am left with new people that completely BLUR about the products they are selling, or the support that they are providing.

Above example has shown, that's how you lose a business.  I mean - a returning customer (beside word-of-mouth or recommendation) is really the best way for a company to make good money.  I understand that people come and go, they move on when good opportunity present itself.  But it is the company (or Management) to keep really good people in the company (and let go of the "bad seeds" - if there is any).

I hope this helps, everyone !