Apple Has The Best Tech Support, Dell, HP, Acer Have The Worst
After calling every major computer maker with two basic questions, Laptop Magazine determined that Apple has the best overall tech support, while Dell, HP, and Acer have the worst. Though the results aren't surprising, the depth of the PC makers' incompetence is truly disappointing...
The magazine called with two questions: how could they change their laptop's power settings; and, how could they switch their laptop's display to an external monitor?
Acer explained that the one-year warranty on their test laptop had expired in November 2008, even though the unit was manufactured in July 2008. Without answering the question, the representative said "we would have to provide the paperwork to prove it, and disconnected the call."
HP's representative "mistakenly told us that our notebook was 17 days out of warranty, and that we would have to pay for service."
Dell was the worst. Their representative "did not understand the meaning of a "power scheme." A second call to Asia was "full of static and hissing." The representative's "hard-to-understand accent made communication even more difficult."
By contrast, a call to Apple was promptly answered by a helpful unicorn, who, after quickly answering their questions, sent them a free chocolate cake for their troubles. Or something like that.
The full survey is chock full of the gory details of their encounters with every major manufacturer.
Tech Support Showdown 2009 [Laptop magazine via Lifehacker and Gizmodo]
(Photo: ardenswayoflife)
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Comments:
@Skin Art Squared: You're right. Everyone should become an apple user.
Then, when Apple no longer has the ability to take refuge in the "little guy" position, they can be targeted by anti-trust suits for maintaining a stranglehold over their OS. They're be forced to switch to a model which allows third-party manufacturers. Those manufacturers would have to compete in order to cut costs, and customer support would naturally suffer.
And then we'd be exactly where we are today, except the big guy's name would be shorter and more fruit-based.
@Moonshadow101: That's exactly the kind of scenario that Apple has been against since the beginning. I don't see that happening.
Computers are no different than the rest of reality. You have the cream of the crop, i.e. Mercedes, BMW..... and you have the crap the rest of the public consumes, i.e. Hyundai, Honda, etc.....
Apple caters to people willing to pay a premium for quality. Windows caters to the lowest common denominator, and always will. It's their business model. These third parties like Dell & Acer, are just doing what comes naturally: Feeding off the scraps of the shark that is Microsoft. They will sell as much as they can, with as little overhead and support as possible, to rake in as much as they can, while the environment allows them to exist. It's not their fault. It's what they are.
@Skin Art Squared: Ah yes, you're right. I'll throw out the Windows based PC that I built myself (and fix myself) so that I can buy a shiny white laptop instead.
What this article is getting at is not that "PCs and Windows are bad." It's that these particular companies (all supporting PCs) are bad. I have a PC running Windows Vista, and it works just fine. I've used PCs running Windows to complete valuable work for clients, and they have worked just fine for those purposes as well. All that, and my PC cost me less than half of what a macbook would.
Chocolate cake. It's funny, cause it's true.
Minority report. I have a half dozen Dell computers, desktops, laptops and minis, and the very few times I've needed technical support that wasn't readily available on the Web site, their service was very good. Of course the service was outsourced overseas (India, I think) and the accents were a problem, but the CSRs were competent and solved the issues (mostly software conflicts).
That said, my son as a Mac and prefers it to the HP laptop it replaced. To Skin Art Squared, a Ford will get you to and from the same place as a Mercedes. It's a matter of what the status means to you.
@Chizzer: Note that I also understand the merits of Apple machines. It just seems silly that people took "Dell, Acer, and HP have bad customer support" to mean "PCs are bad".
@Skin Art Squared: Correct, if I wanted an overpriced fruit product, I would get one. My computer is going on 6 years old and nothing has ever gone wrong, of course when you build it yourself, you don't have any issues.
Can we get a summary that's actually useful to PC users?
For businesses, Dell and Apple are on par with each other and are both excellent. Dell routinely provides me tech support on items not under warranty (not repairs, but support). This is on servers, mostly ...
HP server and business support is a joke. Horrible, Horrible, Horrible! I'll never buy HP products no matter how good ...
My friend had a horrific experience with Dell. How horrific?
She was so infuriated by the absolutely shameless indifference that the innumerable calls, delays and broken promises the Dell CSRs displayed routinely, she not only replaced her Dell laptop with a Macbook, but replaced her oldest daughter's Dell computer with a Mackbook and cancelled plans to get her youngest college-eligible daughter a Dell, in favor of another Macbook.
This, on top of another purchase of a Macbook for another person in my family who only used a PC before but witnessed the Dell CSR treatment. (I've only owned MACs and got firsthand insight into trying to help this friend navigate Dell's utter insanity.)
So basically, Dell lost two existing customers, one existing PC potential customer and one college-bound potential customer.
Not to mention the myriad people I've related the harrowing details of Dell 'Customer Service' to. We even wrote to the board of directors. We got a phone call from some flunky who said, "Sorry."
So not kidding.
Dell's CSRs are the best thing ever to happen to Apple.
P.S. After using their Macbooks, none of these people would ever go back to Dell. Ever.
@H3ion: It's not really about status. I'm sure it is for some people, but I don't appreciate being lumped into that group.
I can do the exact same thing on a Mac that I can on Windows. I'll be the first to say that. The difference is that I can do it significantly faster on the Mac. And when I charge by the hour, that means more projects I can get to in a day.
Granted, it's mostly because the Mac is what I'm used to. But it's also because the Mac is a bit easier to use for someone who regularly has to switch between 6-7 programs that are all open at once. And when my machine is down, Apple tech support has always been very helpful.
My company switched from Dell to HP partially because of the crappy customer service. That's about 5000 desktops and monitors. I have no idea how the customer service with HP is faring. . . .
Of course Apple is against that ideology. I mean just look at the iPhone and all the freedom you have with it. Oh wait...
I'm sure if Apple had their way and the world wasnt full of competitive customizable PCs, then MacOSx would be locked in a box of chains just like the iPhone.
Apple simply gets my pick, mainly for having an actual store in my area so I can just make an appointment for the genius bar, drop off my Mac instead of having to ship them and play the waiting game, and pick it up in a couple days.
As for others, don't call. I repeat, forget about calling. Instead, use email or live chat. Luckily, I have never had to deal with HP tech support, but Dell's is okay. Those outsourced tech support may not be the best in verbal communication, but they're okay when they're typing. The only downside was, in my situation, I had to wait for them to ship things back-n-forth, which could take weeks. For some, that downtime can be a big hassle though.
I've said it before and I will say it again. Dell is TWO companies, not one - the Home and Home Office side, and the Small and Medium Business side. The HHO side is a festival of suck, and the SMB side is a joy to work with. Never, ever, ever buy from the HHO side. The SMB side has much better support, and if you deal with a sales rep regularly, you can get pricing that's well under the website, too.
Also, in terms of building machines that can be repaired easily and quickly (and cheaply) Dell wins over Apple hands down. I know when I work on a Dell that the design is well-thought out to let me get to important and often-replaced components with a minimum of fuss - simple things, like all the screws associated with a certain part are the same size, instead of the salad of different lengths you need to keep track of on a Mac. Teardown manuals with good illustrations are a click away on the Dell website, instead of Apple's bizarre paranoia about releasing service data.
Dell is a computer company, and Apple is a consumer electronics company. I want a computer.
My experience with HP business support has been fantastic. Then again, the HP business line 15" laptops are about on par with the 13" Macbooks.
Desktops + Monitors are ~ the same as an iMac.
@Swifty: Sorry. I wasn't trying to lump you into any group. I was responding to Skin Art Squared who compared Mercedes to Hyundai in relation to computers. Either will get you there but there are tradeoffs. I happen to like PCs. That doesn't make me a bad person, at least not all by itself.
@Skin Art Squared: Wait, what?
...Nope. Not doing it. Not going into OS-war mode.
You have fun flailing about in your beret and tiny mustache while sipping starbucks, since that's the only image I can possibly conjure of you after that comment.
@pika2000:
The service rep my friend spoke to during her trip through Dell's Customer Service acid trip...and I'm not making this up...didn't know what day it was in my friend's hemisphere.
Of the planet.
But they were going to help with securing the means to ship something of Dell's to be repaired?!?
How is Dell still in business? Gone are the days when abysmal corporations go out of business. Now they get government subsidies based on their "too big to fail" backroom monopoly agreements; perpetuating awful products and unconscionable service practices.
@solmssen:
"I know when I work on a Dell that the design is well-thought out to let me get to important and often-replaced components with a minimum of fuss..."
Can you spot the irony? ;-)
Ok then so if someone wants to buy a PC what brand are they supposed to buy? Dell, Acer and HP is like, nearly all of the market. Assuming they don't want to buy a Mac. Mac's aren't for everyone.
@Doug Nelson: I suspect it's not kosher to simply extrapolate the results from an outside site and repost them. However, the original article is rather interesting (though the page links are a little confused), and it would likely repay your time just to read it.
@Outrun1986: You make it sound like you have to meet an eligibility standard.
The original article lists several more companies, and the results could vary strongly between web searches and phone trees for a given company, so if support response is crucial to your decision, I'd suggest reading the full piece.
@changed my name: Surely you've been around the internet enough to know that the cake is a lie?
Really, now.
I paid nothing for Linux or FreeBSD, but I'll be damned if they weren't the best OSes I've ever used.
OSX was nice, but despite being a Unix close, makes it so hard to get at the Unix functionality I gave up.
@Skin Art Squared: Reading Consumer Reports you'd find that Mercedes, BMW, etc are more expensive AND less reliable than Honda, Ford, etc? That means those luxury cars are of lesser quality than Ford and Honda.
Besides the article is about service, and not reliability, though you're associating the two. If we balance your analogy, assuming luxury cars have similar customer service as Apple, you'd get great customer service every four weeks when your MacBook Pro went to the shop for routine maintenance and service.
This is perhaps useful for calling and asking questions, but is this really what most people do? To be useful a study would need to show how easy it is to do things like get a replacement for defective parts. In my experience in that department, Apple is by FAR the worst, especially if you don't have a store nearby.
@Hanshiro: "After using their Macbooks, none of these people would ever go back to Dell. Ever."
True that. I know many people who have gone from PC to Mac, but never one the other way around.
The best thing Apple ever did was to use Intel Processors, if they hadn't they wouldn't even be close to the market share they are now. I mean honestly how many people use bootcamp and use Windows over OSX, it will be even more so once Windows 7 is released.
@Hanshiro: If you seriously think that passes for irony, you've clearly never had to open up a mac...
@Megalomania: I agree. If you buy a Dell computer, just get it from dell small business (They do ask for a company name, however you don't really have to be a small business to order from them). The products are made better I believe and the service is better. You don't have quite the selection, but thats the trade off.
@Hanshiro: Hmm... I missed the story in the news where Dell got a government bailout.
Which company has the monopoly on the PC market? Is it Dell, HP, Lenovo, IBM, Acer...
@Hanshiro: I had a Macbook, I hated it. I went from a Macbook to a Lenovo laptop and I have never looked back.
@Skin Art Squared: Erm, I use Linux, didn't pay a cent. Also, you do know that Mac OS is based on BSD, which you can also get for free (freeBSD, OpenBSD...).
I once had an employer who used RedHat in the server area, even bought their support. It was gobs cheaper than MS support and licenses, yet it was also far better.
Now, Apple's OS is a great product, and boy is their hardware sure shiny. However, expensive does not always mean better. Nor does cheaper always mean inferior.
There are far too many variables to make such a wide claim.
@floraposte: Or find a computer guy you know and have him build you one, it will work amazing if he does a good job and picks quality parts. Throw him a hundred for his trouble and you will still be less than an Apple computer.
Acer, and HP Support centers live in an alternate accelerated time stream.
Dell's live in an alternate dimension.
As far as Apple goes ... you better get good support for what you pay. I am NOT dissing apple. Just noting one reason for the price discrepancy.
Your assertion that one gets what one pays for can be met by purchasing a business-line computer.
One does not have to purchase an Apple computer to obtain a quality computer.
Some examples of business-line computers that include a Windows operating system include Lenovo ThinkPads, Panasonic ToughBooks, and Dell Precision workstations.
@hypoxia: I find that shocking. Dell Business support is always american and is WAY better than its Home support. I have been supporting Dell PCs, servers and laptops at every job I've had since 1998 and the support is always top notch.
That said, having tried to deal with support on my relative's Home supported laptops, I can completely understand the results of this survey.
Acer hasn't been "bad", necessarily, but it's been peculiar... I have the first-generation model of Acer's 1920x1080 line (the 24" P244W with the touch-sensitive control panel for screen adjustments), and according to Acer's website (even on the very same day I ordered it from Newegg within two weeks of the item's initial release) it didn't exist. When I called about a couple of stuck pixels on the display (which did eventually take of themselves with a little prodding on my part), the customer support flatly told me my display didn't exist. After looking the issue up online, it seemed to have happened to loads of owners of the same monitor. And then I discovered there have been multiple, other items that have suffered the same fate-- Acer releases them, and then mysteriously fails to document that they actually exist.
Confusing, to say the least. But the monitor is an absolute beauty, so I won't complain. I'm just lucky I've never had to call about it again.
@floraposte: Lenovo and Sony had the best scores for Windows PC's, each with a B+. I'd like to know, also, whether their Dell was a home (Inspiron model) or business (Latitude or Vostro) machine. You get better service through Dell's business support.
@GuinevereRucker: I know someone who has a mac and they're planning on switching back to windows. It does happen, just not as often, I think,
Man, how much more awesome would genius bars be if they handed out cake at every appointment?
I* get** all*** my**** tech***** support****** for free********.
* That is, a statistical minority of under 1% that yet still comprises over 50% of the Win-fanboys who loudly exclaim on any Apple-related story here that their computer only cost them $700.
** By "get" I mean, "research on the web for a week then thru trial-and-error that lasts twice as long, get my PC to work almost on a quasi-functional basis. Almost.
*** By "all" I mean ignoring all the daily crashes, freezes or virus infections that Windows offers its users for free - a bonus!
**** Mine and only mine (who needs friends when you can build your own computer from scratch?)
***** Since the $400 price-point I blare when comparing Mac v Windows, I boldly assert netbooks are fully functional, no-compromise, bit-slaying monsters!!
(I also mean, why wait to enjoy Apple's technological innovations today - just wait four years and Redmond will (badly) clone it. Win!!)
****** The only support real men need is knowing their computer maker will correctly charge your credit card. And aren't you a man? Well, aren't you?!
******* My time has no market value. None, whatsoever. And see (****), above - I have neither a social life or friends.
@Nicole: I miss the days they handed out bottled water. Unfortunately it got too costly to do all the time since EVERYONE would try to score water
Wow, that car statement was a glimmering example of ignorance.
The "crap the rest of the public consumes", tends to dominate both quality and customer satisfaction. Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and their subsidiaries generally dominate in both areas.
In fact, computers might be the only category where the luxury brand is even worth considering. When buying cars, furniture, grocieries, and even musicial instruments, the luxury version is little more than a prettier box.
You get what you pay for. Someday the rest of the existing Windows / PC crowd will figure that out.