Apple and IBM laptops/desktops have a specific build of tested components that are consistently built and sold. This method builds a more reliable machine with less issues and normally these companies have customer service based in the United States and not India. They cost more because they employ US employees.

Sometimes when you go to the big box stores, I cannot get any help. Instead of spending time trying to find someone to help me, I usually just leave. I rarely have to buy anything. If I get customer-no-service, then they are not getting my business.

Good tip about the French number for customer service. I will give that a try next time.

So, I made DH call. The ended up sending us a replacement plus 3 other types that they sell. We made a nice profit on that one, well worth our time.

A year ago I changed my ISP from cable to a local DSL reseller (Atlantic Nexus) after Charter wasted more than 12! hours of my time between phone call queues and service appointments they failed to meet. Even though they are slightly higher than BellSouth (now AT&T), Atlantic Nexus’ customer service support is amazing and absolutely worth the nominal cost.

Lisa mentioned Indian call centres. I prefer to speak to someone in Canada (I am Canadian) and one of the tricks I have for doing so is to call the French phone number. Canadian companies will normally have a French phone number and an English phone number, or else you will press 2 for French or whatever. The French call centres are going to be in Canada, not India. I had a very frustrating experience with a heavily-accented sales rep whom I suspected was based in India; I hung up and called for French service with better results. I am bilingual so I just speak in French but I have heard of people who phone the French line and then speak English. Even if the rep does not have perfect English at least the accent may be more understandable and he/she will have more familiarity with the Canadian situation than an Indian would (for example, understand that snow on your roof might affect installation problems, etc.).

Wells Fargo gives me okay service. They were great when someone fraudulently cloned my debit card a few years back – I had replacement money in my account in 48 hours. However, when a $1200 charge to my account was “triple-dipped” then refunded, it seemed to take an act of Congress to get them to refund the overdraft fees.

And all those customer service jobs in India – those represent jobs that Americans don’t have and part of the reason our economy is heading down the toilet.

Maybe before we buy stuff, we should call the customer service line and find out where customer support is based and then buy products (even if they are more expensive) that are made here (if possible) and have Americans (who speak comprehensible English!) in customer support.

Lisa
http://greenerpastures-lisamarie.blogspot.com/

-20-year Apple Customer

If a company provides poor customer service to just one person every day they could turn off over 100 people each week! Want to lose over 5,000 customers per year? Just tick off *one* person a day! Interesting thought.

As for my own experience, Samsung is horrendous. We have a color laser printer at work that has had 2 separate problems and it has taken call after call after call to finally get them to agree to come replace a defective part. Each call was a mattr of jumping through a number of hoops, re-installing the drivers, opening this, trying that. Recreation of a recent call by my boss to Samsung: “I’m sorry, your problem has already been referred to our Escalation Department. Someone from that desk will call you back about the problem. No, I can’t tell you when they will call. I’m sorry, I can’t assist you with this matter. It’s already with our Escalation Department. I’m sorry. I can’t transfer you, they’ll call you.”

The other current problem I’m having is with Webkinz World. My 5 yo was devastated last week when she went in and all the clothes, food, furniture, charms, etc. she’d acquired had disappeared. We filled out a form (there is *no* clear and easy way to just email them without including all your confidential info) that was supposed to be dealt with within 1 to 3 business days. Three days is up. Still no response. No way for me to follow up on the original complaint. Webkinz World is very cute and it has improved my daughter’s computer skills dramatically, but it’s driving us both crazy right now.

Calls came to me at 9 P.M., just as Delhi was going to work. One call would counter the previous one. Everything was misinformation and screwed up. I am grateful, however, because I bought an Apple laptop instead of a Dell. The Macintosh PowerBook G4 changed my life. I love the laptop and have never had to use customer service–after 45 months it is still fine–I added a gig of RAM and have always run the latest OS.

With a Dell laptop, I couldn’t upgrade from Windows 95 to 98 within two months of purchase even though I paid for maximum memory. When I called to find out why the machine ran so slowly, I was told that the maximum RAM was considerably less than the minimum required to run Windows 98. And, by the way, you invalidated your warranty.

Recently, I’ve tried multiple times to get Dell NOT to send me a brochure or catalog every week. Unfortunately, the Dell representative didn’t understand the concept of a street number and after taking half an hour to comprehend my request, I was told that it might not work. I couldn’t help myself. The outsourced customer “service” person was more clued in than most Dell reps, but I blurted out, “This is why I will never buy anything from Dell again. Their customer service is awful!” The catalogs continue. I have to cart them to the recycler.

A few years ago, I placed an order for my brother for a personalized iPod (engraving on the back) on December 23rd, understanding that they wouldn’t be able to get it to me until a few days after Christmas. This was explained on the website, and, of course, I accepted. I included no special instructions with the order. I planned to give my brother a note on Christmas morning, telling him to expect something big in a few days.

The next morning, December 24th, I opened my mailbox to find a box from Apple — the personalized iPod I had ordered for my brother the day before. Not only had Apple put an anonymous priority on the engraved iPod, but they had shipped it to me — OVERNIGHT and FREE OF CHARGE! Someone in the shipping department anticipated that it might be a gift, and made sure it got to my doorstep in time for Christmas morning.

Needless to say, I was floored, and will be an Apple customer for life.

I will cheerfully pay more for products in stores where I am treated courteously and helpfully. And I never return, ever, to a store or any outlet in a chain whose employees have treated me rudely or where I can’t get decent service.

Among the former places of business:

First Interstate Bank, which shortly before it was acquired by Wells Fargo “lost” a $30,000 municipal bond and then told me they’d dropped it in a mailbox and it was my responsibility to get the U.S. Postal Service to track it down.

Ford, which lived up to the rumor that its name stands for “Fix or Replace Daily.”

Bed, Bath, and Beyond: takes the grand prize for rudest employee on the planet.

CompUSA. Are they defunct yet? They oughta be.

Home Depot. Staff in their kitchen cabinet department is rude to EVERYONE–even other HD employees! Their garage door installer quoted a price double the amount of the in-store come-on. And they sent over a roofing subcontractor who tried to high-pressure me into a $10,000 install on a $4,500 roof. Never, ever make a major purchase there.

Toyota service department. Used to be great when they were breaking in to the U.S. market; now competes with Ford for prizes in mediocrity and rapacity.

I’ve had good luck with Apple so far. Other customers seem to be running in to problems…hope that’s not becoming S.O.P.