coaster
Senior Advisor
Cash: $ 1356.20
Posts: 6678
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
Location: Wisconsin
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This is what customer service is coming to:
I bought a new Gateway laptop about two months ago and started having problems with the caps lock function. Gateway customer service had me reinstall the keyboard device driver. That didn't work. On a second online chat with customer service, the tech support person authorized a replacement keyboard, which will be sent direct to me so that I can install it myself.
Now, I've had a laptop apart, and I don't think replacing a keyboard is a task suited for the average person. This is something you'd normally take the computer in to a warranty service center. But this just points up what customer service is trending to:
First, the live telephone support was replaced with online FAQs, knowledgebases, and web-page help tickets. If you have a problem, find out the solution yourself. Now it appears the DIY trend has overtaken equipment repair. They send you the part and an instruction sheet, and you fix it yourself.
Anybody else have this experience, too?
~Tim~
Eye Candy : Why Whimsy
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Fri Apr 11, 2008 4:16 pm |
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coaster
Senior Advisor
Cash: $ 1356.20
Posts: 6678
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
Location: Wisconsin
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Well, I got the new keyboard installed. It was an interesting experience. But first off, I should say that I was pleasantly surprised at customer service at this (unnamed) computer company. I communicated via the online chat, and each time I used the chat support, I was number one or two in the queue, didn't wait more than a couple minutes, and the support techs were knowledgeable and helpful.
The keyboard arrived about a week after it was ordered. It was minus the instructions, so I had to go back to support to get a link to download the pdf. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. Except there was one extra screw holding the keyboard that they didn't mention.
It's incredible how tiny everything is in there. Maybe they NEED to be made in China. American fingers are too big and clumsy. And even with reading glasses, it was a strain. Getting the old keyboard out wasn't too hard, though I could see some parts getting broken in the process if you don't understand how these things snap together. Getting the new keyboard in was a bit dicier. I broke the motherboard socket the keyboard cable clips into. There's a tiny little retaining clip on the socket that came out, and when I tried to put it back in, the little flanges on both ends of the socket that hold the clip broke off. Those big clumsy American fingers!! I almost gave up at this point, but with a little more patience, and a small strip of black electrical tape, I got the cable into the socket and stuck in place with the tape. I wonder how long that's going to hold -- probably until the day after the warranty expires.
Anyway, the end of the story is that the new keyboard is in and it works fine. I was pleased with the communication end of customer support, but still have mixed feelings on the D-I-Y end of repair service. What surprises me is that apparently they're now designing these things so they can be customer repairable. The instructions I downloaded also covered replacing the hard drive, the DVD drive, memory modules, and the wireless module. Evidently it's cheaper to just ship out parts that can be replaced by the end user against the chance of an occasional broken socket or something that requires a trip to the repair shop.
~Tim~
Eye Candy : Why Whimsy
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Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:52 pm |
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