Rant: Computer companies and customer support

[littleprince]

Why is there next to non-existent customer support from computer companies? Do any companies actualy care??? My compaq laptop sucked. Had to exchange it the first day because it had a manufacturing defect on receipt. Power pack was faulty later and had to wait over 1 month for a replacement. It was suppose to arrive in 3-5 business days, no one from compaq bothered to tell me it was out of stock. Connector was broken a few weeks later, had to send laptop back. Came back with new mb, and updated firmware... Crashes when moved on arrival... Had to send back again. So now I've lost use of my laptop over 2 months in the first 10 months! Wow... Pissed, wanting to talk to customer relations to demand some kind of compensation or garauntee I get back a working product. Except compaq canada doesnt let customers talk directly to customer relations. So tech support puts a note into them telling them to phone me back. I wait a couple days, and phone back. Tech support says note in system that customer relations got my note and wont phone me back, because I need to send laptop in 4 times in first 12 months, and mine only counted as once, becuase the defect the store took care of, the power pack doesnt count because its laptop only, and that this time didnt count because they havent recieved it yet. AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! So hours of bugging them, and walking into canada head office etcetcetc we agree to a mutual termination of business contract. They keep my non working Desk weight, and I get some refund.

Go out to buy a dell, on several recommendations. Dell guy says it'll arrive within 1-1.5 weeks. (Important because my laptop has already been gone for over 2 months.) So, order status never works for me. Finaly decided to phone them and see what the heck is going on. After being put on hold for 1/2 hour. Lady politely says my system is on hold, that they actualy have the case on back order for 5 days from the day I ordered it. Except its been past 5 days... So she puts in a note to tell them to take the friggin hold off and build my laptop already... Ask her, how long can I except more to wait? She replies they'll start processing your order friday. Ask her "How long after that b4 i can get it?". About 1-1.5 weeks. ERG!!! I'm gonna get the bill b4 they even care to process my order. Its like the compaq support all over again. You tell me its coming at date x, if its not, somebody should friggin phone me!

Every high tech company has support like this. SMC, @home, rogers, samsung. I've had it all from them. The only good experiences ever are the occasianly support person like the lady today who try their best to help, and are polite and semi-cheerful. Otherwise... Man...

Prediction for the future: High tech companies will very soon become the new scum of the earth above used car salesman and insurance salesman.

Done.

 

[CurtCold]

6.7 on the Rant-0-Meter



"Prediction for the future: High tech companies will very soon become the new scum of the earth above used car salesman and insurance salesman."


Not all insurance salesmen/women are scum btw.

 

[vi edit]

Support USED to be pretty good with many companies. They had fairly skilled, decently paid techs working on location that had acutally used the equipment and were familiar with it.

That was 5 years ago. The PC price wars came into being, profit margins were razor thin, and they needed to cut their losses somehow. Tech support was the first to get slashed. They outsourced their support to a bunch of monkey's working out of a call center. The call centers have enormous turn over so the chances of getting someone that actually knows what they are doing is very slim. Many companies have policies in place that require the techs to resolve a problem in a matter of minutes or else they are reprimanded, so actual trouble shooting skills are lost and the "insert the recovery disk and reformat" became the standard.

It's just a mess.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Support USED to be pretty good with many companies. They had fairly skilled, decently paid techs working on location that had acutally used the equipment and were familiar with it.

That was 5 years ago. The PC price wars came into being, profit margins were razor thin, and they needed to cut their losses somehow . . .

Exactly, people cared most about the price up front and weren't willing to pay a few dollars more for quality service. We voted with our checkbooks and are getting what we asked for.

I see this in Hot Deals too, for example in the Crutchfield threads -- Crutchfield has excellent service and support and real manufacturer warranties but most people aren't willing to pay the extra cost over grey market vendors. Then they rant about the lousy service at Akbar & Jeffs Stereo Hut where they went instead.

Or they find some no-name vendor that's $1 cheaper than Newegg and are surprised when they can't get the RMA they need.

 

[tk149]

Originally posted by: CurtCold
6.7 on the Rant-0-Meter



"Prediction for the future: High tech companies will very soon become the new scum of the earth above used car salesman and insurance salesman."


Not all insurance salesmen/women are scum btw.

How did lawyers not come in #1 on the scum list?

 

[CraigRT]

haha, i feel your pain... but let me just say. unfortunately its not only computer companies that are bad.. all sorts of companies.

 

[Evadman]

For customer service, please press "one" *presses one, bzzt*
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 341 minutes.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 343 minutes.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 342 minutes.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 343 minutes.
Please press one if you would like buy something just to talk to a human being. *presses one, bzzt*
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 471 minutes.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
*system disconnects you*

 

[masterxfob]

Originally posted by: Evadman
For customer service, please press "one" *presses one, bzzt*
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 341 minutes.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 343 minutes.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 342 minutes.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 343 minutes.
Please press one if you would like buy something just to talk to a human being. *presses one, bzzt*
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
All are representitives are busy assisting other customers. Please hold for the next available. Your wait time is estimated at 471 minutes.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
Please hold, your buisness is important.
*system disconnects you*

lol

 

[wyvrn]