Has a hardware company ever gone "above & beyond" to provide you with great service?

[The Wayfarer]

Nowadays, customer service is often a joke. Modern business models allow for a certain degree of loss and bad publicity due to pissed-off customers. And the largest, top-tier multinational conglomerates often don't seem concerned with customer satisfaction at all. In such an environment, good customer service (something that should be obligatory) really gets my attention, and engenders my repeat business. Good behavior, in my opinion, should be rewarded.

Now, I'm not looking for this thread to turn into an advertising/PR bonanza where forum members with a vested interest in their companies can come and tell us how great they are. But if you are an end user who has had a particularly good experience with a company, I invite you to share your experience here. And with any luck, other members will take into consideration your experience when planning their future purchases.

Sending more business to companies that provide both good products and good service is a situation in which everybody wins.

 

[DSF]

I haven't really had to send back a ton of hardware, so this is just a story about customer service from an online retailer.

I will say that FrozenCPU's customer service is, in my experience, great. When I built my current gaming machine I placed an order with them for some fans. I'm not sure what the issue was, but I ordered some fans that showed in stock on their website but were apparently out of stock.

Within 2 hours of placing the order I received a phone call explaining the issue and suggesting a similar part from the same product line. As luck would have it, the part they suggested was actually better for my needs anyway, I just hadn't noticed it on their site.

I received the fans I needed with no delay in my order.

 

[Blain]

Has a hardware company ever gone "above & beyond" to provide you with great service?

Yes... Lexmark on a rebate.

 

[n7]

When i used to play UT2k4 pretty seriously, i was using Logitech MX510/MX518s, and their cords would break internally around the connection to the mouse pretty much every couple months.

Then they would disconnect randomly while trying to use them.

It was so bad i'd actually have spares, and one point i think i had around 5 or 6 of them.

I did once finally get around to requesting an RMA for three of them, and they shipped me three new ones without requiring me to send out the old ones.

Of course those three also eventually all did the same thing...

 

[BrightCandle]

Western Digital - I had an Original Raptor 150GB drive fail that was part of a RAID 0 array. WD sent initially a replacement CelicoRaptor 150GB drive, but when I showed performance was degraded due to the mismatch they replaced both the new VelicoRaptor and the perfectly working Raptor drive with a pair of new VelociRaptor drives. The drives had the same batch number and differed in production ID by 1.

The replacement array was about twice as fast as the original, and it still had 1 year on warranty remaining as the drives have 5 years. The whole time I only paid a single postage charge, for the initial sending of the drive back, from then on WD covered all the costs.

 

[Paperdoc]

We got great service from XFX on a Video card from them.

We built a computer exclusively for playing back TV show files, and used an XFX Radeon HD 4350 card in it. (The card has passive cooling, which we wanted for quiet operation, and fits in a low-profile case.) The original system used that card's S-video output via a small included adapter to feed into the Composite Video input of our VCR, and thence to our old TV. Audio we sent via the computer's 2-channel audio out port to the VCR's Audio In Connectors.

A year later we got a Samsung LCD TV with HD 1080p capability, and both DVI and HDMI inputs, plus Composite and audio, etc. So I ordered an HDMI cable and an adapter to connect it to the DVI output port of the XFX card. Hooked up, we got a great picture, but no audio. So we temporarily did audio from the computer's audio output to the TV's input (it has one audio input linked to one of its DVI inputs for this). Then I contacted XFX to ask them to confirm that this video card, like many based on ATI (now AMD) vid chips also provides audio on the DVI output port so that an adapter can feed it via HDMI cable to the display device. They confirmed yes, and pointed out that some adapters do NOT carry this audio signal (it is NOT part of the original DVI output connector specs) over to the HDMI cable. Then they said they would send be a good adapter that will do the job for free, and reminded me to ensure the Windows audio output device is changed to using the one on the video card when this connection was made. The adapter arrived by mail quickly and works perfectly! Now we have great video and audio on the Samsung TV, all the way to 1080p 60 Hz display, with 2-channel audio via the HDMI cable.

 

[Bateluer]

Logitech.

 

[corkyg]

Yes. In June of 2010, I bought a UPS from Office Depot. Took it home and connected it, but kept getting an error message. I called tech support at American Power Conversion (APC) and after several processes with them, they concluded the unit was faulty. I gave them all the data, S/N etc. They said they were sending me a new one one along with papers and labels to return the bad unit to them. Bottom line - it arrived three days later and worked perfectly. I returned the bad unit to them as instructed. Am now an APC fan forever.

I then took the time to writea personal letter to the CEO in praise of the tech (by name). It was acknowledged.

 

[birthdaymonkey]

Noctua has the best customer service in my experience, hands down.

Any time you have a question for them, their e-mail support gets back to you immediately. And they will send you extra mounting hardware for free if a new socket comes out, or for various other reasons.

So far I've requested a mounting kit to change the orientation of a NH-U9B on an AMD motherboard (90 degree kit), and I wanted an extra set of fan clips for my NH-D14. Both times, I sent in proof of purchase and received the kits in the mail within a couple weeks--mailed from Europe!

That's great customer service. It gives you the sense that if you did need to RMA a part it would be a very painless experience. Not that I think that's even likely to be necessary, since they make such high quality parts.

In my case, their customer service philosophy has worked. I now consider myself highly biased towards Noctua HSFs.

EDIT: Lenovo also deserves a mention. I bought a Thinkpad T410 from them that exhibited CPU whine (endemic to the Nehalem mobile platform). I called them, they sent me a prepaid shipping box, and I had my full refund within a week. Ended up buying a used T60 (retro appeal) and souped it up instead.

 

[tommo123]

2-3 years ago logitech gave great support in replacing a mouse. just sent a new one out and asked for me to cut off the end of the broken one and send it back after receiving the new mouse.

now though, they want me to send back the mouse and wait for a replacement (it's the scroll wheel - wont click left properly) meaning go without my PC for a few weeks

not great anymore. not even an option for an aRMA

 

[XFX Support]

Thank you, Paperdoc. We do monitor forums as well and appreciate the comment.

We got great service from XFX on a Video card from them.

We built a computer exclusively for playing back TV show files, and used an XFX Radeon HD 4350 card in it. (The card has passive cooling, which we wanted for quiet operation, and fits in a low-profile case.) The original system used that card's S-video output via a small included adapter to feed into the Composite Video input of our VCR, and thence to our old TV. Audio we sent via the computer's 2-channel audio out port to the VCR's Audio In Connectors.

A year later we got a Samsung LCD TV with HD 1080p capability, and both DVI and HDMI inputs, plus Composite and audio, etc. So I ordered an HDMI cable and an adapter to connect it to the DVI output port of the XFX card. Hooked up, we got a great picture, but no audio. So we temporarily did audio from the computer's audio output to the TV's input (it has one audio input linked to one of its DVI inputs for this). Then I contacted XFX to ask them to confirm that this video card, like many based on ATI (now AMD) vid chips also provides audio on the DVI output port so that an adapter can feed it via HDMI cable to the display device. They confirmed yes, and pointed out that some adapters do NOT carry this audio signal (it is NOT part of the original DVI output connector specs) over to the HDMI cable. Then they said they would send be a good adapter that will do the job for free, and reminded me to ensure the Windows audio output device is changed to using the one on the video card when this connection was made. The adapter arrived by mail quickly and works perfectly! Now we have great video and audio on the Samsung TV, all the way to 1080p 60 Hz display, with 2-channel audio via the HDMI cable.

 

[yinan]

Apple, broke my Macbook Pro installing the Optibay and they fixed it free,.

 

[Cr0nJ0b]

I'm going with logitech. here are 3 examples;

1) Keyboard bought in Taiwan on a trip out there. When I got it home I noticed the keys were in chinese (they had alpha too, but it was annoying) so I called asking to buy new keys to replace it. The nice lady asked for my mailing address and sent me a new keyboard. I was shocked.
2) Rechargable mouse was losing it's charge pretty quickly, (12-20 hours). I called support and they sent me a new one, no questions asked and no RMA BS.
3) Another keyboard with a faulty key. This time it was so old that I had to show a receipt for warranty...but that done and I got a brand new model to replace it.

Overall they are top of my list.

 

[TheStu]

I have gotten 2 mice replaced by Logitech, first one had a bad receiver, I sent in the old, they sent me the new. Second time it started double clicking randomly, the sent me the new one, didn't want the old one back.

I only buy Logitech mice.

 

[tommo123]

see, that happened last time with logitech - a few years ago. now i have to go without a mouse for a few weeks to get it replaced.

i used to think " only buy logitech" but after this that rules gone. they make great mice but they aren't the only ones. the great after sales support was the extra before.

 

[TheStu]

see, that happened last time with logitech - a few years ago. now i have to go without a mouse for a few weeks to get it replaced.

i used to think " only buy logitech" but after this that rules gone. they make great mice but they aren't the only ones. the great after sales support was the extra before.

They are the only ones making good scroll wheels anymore. The new all metal ones on their Revolution and Marathon mice is a masterpiece. Switching between ratchet and free scroll is super nice, and the marathon mouse is so comfortable in my hand (the alleged 3yr battery life is icing on the cake, means not having to worry about batteries).

 

[videogames101]

Logitech.

My G7 wireless was 3 years past warranty and it started clicking by itself randomly. I emailed logitech hoping I could buy a new one, as they no longer made the G7. and while they confirmed they longer sold the G7 and it wasn't possible for me to purchase one, they offered me a 50% of coupon for a new mouse.

A friend's z5500 speaker receiver stopped working. He emailed them, they asked him to ship the receiver back, while they shipped him a brand z906 set (the newer version of the z5500) at no cost. They told him to keep everything else.

 

[Topweasel]

Damn wish I actually had issues I was willing to go through the trouble of RMAing.

Wait I do have one and it went smooth. I purchased a 850w OCZ power-supply. It was DOA, but I like to build my systems piece meal so it was out of the return period at Newegg by the time I first fired it up. So I filled RMA'ed it and the unit I got back was a shrink wrapped new 910w PCP&C power supply. The purchase of PCPC was recent, so there were big differences between the units.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Logitech. My mouse was 2 years out of warranty, called up to see if I could get it repaired for less than the cost of buying new, they just sent me a new one.

 

[Zap]

More retailers, not hardware companies...

I've had decent service with SVC.com (internet retailer). There was an error on their part in the order I placed, but they went above and beyond what was expected and required to get me the proper part.

Come to think of it, Geeks.com has done the same thing for an item that was DOA. They offered (I didn't have to ask) a printable pre-paid shipping label to send back the defective part after they cross shipped me.

 

[JackMDS]

Q: Has a hardware company ever gone "above & beyond" to provide you with great service?

A: No it is not in existence any more since the last century.

However, it is OK with me cause if they do every thing will cost more (and justifiably so), like the Apple "Stuff", and that will be rotten.

I rather prefer less expensive, and do the great support myself.

 

[mfenn]

I rather prefer less expensive, and do the great support myself.

It's not called support if you're fixing something for yourself. It's called fixing something for yourself.

 

[tommo123]

lesson learnt, never buy logitech again

same with any company that doesn't do aRMA

 

[dawp]

logitech and corsair, logitech replaced a faulty mouse and corsair replaced a 6 week old keyboard.

 

[sm625]

Western Digital - I had an Original Raptor 150GB drive fail that was part of a RAID 0 array. WD sent initially a replacement CelicoRaptor 150GB drive, but when I showed performance was degraded due to the mismatch .

A CelicoRaptor? Is that like a velociraptor with less cache or something? I've never heard of it.