Consumer Reports surveyed over 7,000 of its readers and declared its list of companies that provided the overall most satisfactory tech support for laptop and desktop computers.
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Tech Support Rating: Apple, Dell, Lenovo Top List
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Dell can be found lurking at the bottom of most customer service rankings and surveys. A recent incident in Texas left one of its customers with an entirely new reason to loathe its customer support service. Dianne Annunziato, a resident of North Richland Hills, is unlikely to recommend Dell to anyone in the foreseeable future.
She is accusing a Dell technician of remotely turning on her webcam during a troubleshooting session. She says that the technician turned on her webcam without her permission. "He turned on the webcam; he never asked, 'May I? Can I?' Not a word, (he) just turned it on," a NBC report quotes her as saying.
Another customer support executive added insult to injury by greeting Annunziato's privacy concerns with laughter. "I said, 'I could have been sitting here undressed,' and the supervisor laughed, and I just sat there in shock," she said.
As for the company, it quickly apologized and said it was probing the matter. It will only be fair to pass a verdict once the technician has narrated his end of the tale. In the meantime, don't forget to be adequately dressed when talking to Dell customer support.
Image Credit: Gizmodo
The next time you have a problem with Windows, there could be an alternative to sitting on hold with a certain Redmond software company. Microsoft has begun testing of a new service called Microsoft Answers. In this program users will post a tech support issue and experts will bid to help the user. Presumably, the lowest bid will win. That’s right; the same system used to determine who wins big juicy government defense contracts will be used to answer computer support questions.
According to a Microsoft spokesperson, “[The experts] have the skills and ability to troubleshoot and help resolve customer technology problems when the customer needs cannot be met through existing self-help channels.” Interestingly, Microsoft plans to provide the service free of charge. All the money will go straight to the experts, minus the Paypal fees. Microsoft hopes the reduction in support calls will pay for the investment.
Microsoft Answers is currently an invite only service, and will be free during the testing period. The testing phase is expected to conclude sometime this spring. Would you be willing to pay a few bucks for instant PC support, or are you willing to take your chances with the plethora of tech forums out there in the tubes? You could always email our very own MaxPC Doctor too.
I'm willing to bet than not to many of the Maximum PC readership make regular use of the Geek Squad, but at the very least, they help take some of the burden off us from "friends who are our friends simply because we know how to fix computers". With little in the way of competition, the Geek Squad has been making a killing setting up routers and HDTV's, but Wal-Mart is stepping in, and they are looking for a piece of the action.
Very little is known about the Wal-Mart branded tech team, but we do know that it is being offered in partnership with N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, and should be starting up sometime before the holiday. The service plans will be sold on prepaid cards ranging from $99 to $399, and each installation will include a consultation and tutorial.
Wal-Mart's non technical audience might make this initiative a hit, but then again, Wal-Mart customers can also be known for being a bit on the thrifty side. Do they have what it takes to compete with Best Buy?
