WARNING - COMPAQ GUARANTEES 0% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION!
Dec 21 '00 (Updated Jan 01 '01)
This is the message that should be listed on every single Compaq computer. It has now been two months since our six month old Compaq 5900T decided to stop working. My husband and I have talked to customer service at least several times each week. For over a month we did not have a working computer!
WHY DID WE CHOOSE COMPAQ? -
An excellent question that is simply answered, price. We had just bought our first home and money was pretty tight. All we really wanted was a faster processor so we could install the Cox Road Runner service. Our then four and a half your old Dell with its two hard drives was not quite up to the challenge. We did not want any other frills. At the time, Compaq's 5900T was a few hundred dollars less than comparable Dell and Gateway models. We bought the Compaq and hoped for the best.
WHAT HAPPENED –
Five months went by. The computer did seem faster, but it would freeze at times, almost as often as the Dell had been doing just before we got the Compaq. You would have to reboot the computer or completely shut it down rather often in my opinion. The main difference was really having the cable connection for the internet. Then we went on vacation. We were away for just six days. When we returned, the computer refused to boot up. The only message we could get was "unable to access hard drive".
After about an hour of trying to see what my husband could do, he finally decided to call Compaq. The first of MANY calls did not go all that well. The conversation went like this - my husband explains the problems, tells the woman at the customer service number that he has turned it off and on, disconnected and reconnected it, connected it directly into the wall instead of through the battery backup. He finishes with the fact that it just continues to make clicking noises and the only message says "unable to access hard drive". Her response "Did you try to reboot it?". My husband, this done while pulling out some hair, clearly showing his frustration and speaking very slowly now, "It won't boot". Her response "Oh, then I guess you can't reboot it". My husband, still speaking slowly and pulling out some more hair "No, I can't reboot it." Her response "Ok, you will probably need to talk to someone with more technical knowledge than I have". My husband whispers to me, "I think just about anyone would have that". To her he says, slowly "Ok, is there anyone else there I can talk to right now". Her response "I think I should have a technician call you".
It was Saturday night and we thought the quickest way to get the computer repaired and to hopefully recover some information from our hard drive was to send it to an authorized Compaq service center. Clearly, Compaq did not have any one knowledgeable working customer service that night! The woman explained that it would take three to five business days before any technician could call us, so the authorized service center seemed like a great idea, especially since there was one less than a mile from our home. My husband wrote out the problems with the computer and taped it to the side. He dropped the computer off that evening.
He returned after our son was in his crib and told me that the woman at the service center was thrilled that he had written out all the information and taped it to the computer. He said the technicians would be extremely happy with us. My husband also wrote that we wished to recover the information from the old hard drive “if possible”.
That particular service center, The Micro Center, located in Fairfax, VA, was a very poor choice. They were suppose to call us back in a few days. When we had not heard a thing since Wednesday, I decided to call Thursday morning. I called as soon as they opened and it took about an hour before I finally reached someone. I became very familiar with their phone messages. After ringing several times, you would finally get a message saying “Thank you for calling the Micro Center, due to excessive call volume we can not answer your call at this time. Please place your call at a later time.” When I finally did reach someone I was shocked!
All the woman could tell me was that they were still working on my computer, but she would ask a technician to call me within the hour. I never heard back from them. I called again late in the afternoon and at least this time got someone to go back and check on the computer. They said the technician had a note stating that the old hard drive had been shipped out and they were awaiting a new one from Compaq. I was quite upset by this. How could they have shipped out our hard drive before they told us they were going to do this? We had all our financial records and several pictures of our son that were stored only on that hard drive!
I immediately called Compaq to see what they could do to locate my hard drive. I explained to the gentleman on the phone about the pictures of my son and how we desperately wanted our hard drive back. His response was “That will teach you.” I just couldn’t believe how rude and unsympathetic this comment was. That did teach me all right, I had already decided that we would NEVER BUY ANOTHER COMPAQ EVER AGAIN! After you read the rest of this, you will hopefully decide the same thing.
As it turned out, the gentleman at the Micro Center was incorrect. My hard drive was still in my computer. Not that it did me any good. According to the manager at the Micro Center, Compaq would require the old hard drive be returned to them three days after they shipped a new one to them. This new hard drive arrived early the following week, but it took the Micro Center three days to put the hard drive in! I had given up on phone calls and only went to the Micro Center in person. I tried calling Compaq to get special permission to take our hard drive with the hope that we may find a way to recover some of the information from it ourselves. Again, the Compaq customer service staff was just awful and totally unhelpful. I was very upset over the loss of five months worth of digital pictures of my beautiful son.
If you think the story is over, think again. This was only the beginning of our troubles. It was two weeks later, now, but we thought we had a working computer. The Micro Center had not reinstalled the zip drive. We actually had made a backup, before we left, but the tape had an error, so we really had lost everything! My husband reconnected the zip drive and started the computer up again. He had already reinstalled Cox road runner and a few other programs before he had noticed that the zip drive was not connected. When he did connect the zip drive and rebooted the computer it took a full 15 minutes to boot up. Then it came up with this message “Failure of hard drive is imminent.” At least this one warned us!
Yet another call to Compaq, but this time we decided it was best to wait for the onsite technician. He arrived several days later, put in a new hard drive, connected the zip drive and started quick restore. I asked how long it should take and he just said it really depends. We talked for a few minutes. The whole time we talked, the computer screen kept flashing “quick restore”. The technician seemed anxious to go, so I let him.
The screen was still flashing “quick restore” five hours later when my husband came home. He called Compaq this time. We were taking turns since neither of us really liked to talk to them. We had received a second set of quick restore disks from the Micro Center. My husband tried both sets, but the computer had no interest in going any further. My husband was told another technician would call us in a few days.
Thankfully, this technician called me first and listened to me explain all the problems. She came the following day and worked at the computer for an hour. She called Compaq and explained the problems to the as usual, unhelpful and unknowledgeable customer service representative. She put me on the phone and the man began with “So when did your problems start?” AAAHHHHGGGG!!!!!! I just kept saying to myself, “How can anyone run a business with this kind of customer service”. I had to explain the entire history again, even though the technician had already told him her version. He gave me another case number, we were up to three by this point, but he did tell me that he would be handling our case from now on. His name was Mike, and I could request that I be transferred to him whenever I called Compaq.
I had my husband call that evening. He did get to talk to Mike and he explained exactly what we wanted. Another hard drive, another mother board and a technician that would stay until the computer was working!
This happened the following week, the technician was here for an hour and a half. Quick restore would start, but would not complete the restore. It actually gave a message to call Compaq. The technician told me that there was nothing more he could do. He called Compaq, but they said they would have to look over our case and hung up.
I called Compaq and eventually was transferred around to Mike. I told him the technician had gone now and that I had reached my limit on this. I wanted a new computer. Mike told me that we had a “repair only warranty” and that Compaq would get the computer fixed. I said “It has been a month, you have had one service center and three technicians look at this and we still did not have a working computer.” He came back with the “repair only warranty”. I asked to speak to his manager. He put me on hold and then came back saying his supervisor was not available and would not be able to do any more for me then he was able to do.
I was really fed up now. I mentioned that while on hold, as was often the case when you call Compaq customer service, they place this lovely message that promises “100% customer satisfaction guaranteed”. I said, “I am the customer and I am NOT satisfied! I want a new computer.” He just came back with the repair only warranty line.
OUR WARRANTY –
Our Compaq warranty does state that Compaq will repair or replace defective parts with new equivalent or superior parts, or at the option of Compaq, serviceable used parts that are equivalent or superior to new parts in performance. If after repeated efforts Compaq is unable to restore the product to working order, you are entitled to a unit replacement equivalent to the hardware originally purchased.
Obviously, I read this differently than Compaq. How much repeated effort is required before we are entitled to a new computer. One month, one service center and three technicians was quite enough for me.
NOW BACK TO OUR STORY –
I insisted that he have his supervisor call me. He said that he could close my case if that is what I would prefer. “What?!?!”, I shouted, “Close my case without fixing my computer!” I WAS REALLY LIVID NOW! “No I don’t want you to close my case!”, I shouted. “I just want this resolved and I believe it is time for a new computer.” He went back to the “repair only warranty” line. By now, my then 20 month old son was begging for attention and his afternoon snack. I told this awfully unhelpful man that I had to go, but that my husband would call him that evening.
My husband was very unhappy with all of this too. He talked to this man again for quite a while. Finally he agreed to give one other authorized service center just one chance to fix it.
The following day, I took the computer in and my husband started talking to people where he works. My husband is a government employee, so he decided he should talk to someone in the procurement department to see if they could give him anyone else to talk to at Compaq. He was called in his office by a Compaq representative that afternoon. After hearing what had happened, they were all for sending us a new computer if this service center was unable to repair it. They also talked to Mike, the very unfriendly customer service representative. He called the service center to let them know that this was a priority.
SO WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM –
As it turned out, the problem was with the quick restore disks. Both sets were bad. The computer is finally working and so far, we have had few freezes in the past three weeks since it has returned. After being called by someone that was obviously above this Mike, he has been much more agreeable. He has extended our warranty for an additional three months and sent us a new set of quick restore disks.
WILL I BUY ANOTHER COMPAQ? –
NO WAY! This has been an awful experience and I have no confidence in the Company at all. My in-laws actually own Compaq stock but they plan on selling it soon. They would have done so already if it were not for the fact that my father-in-law is in the final stages of dealing with lung cancer.
WHAT DID COMPAQ DO WRONG? –
EVERYTHING! This is absolutely no way to treat customers. They should have assigned one person to deal with our case initially. This person should have checked up with the first authorized service center when I called them about the delay. They should have allowed us at least a week after getting our computer back to try to recover any information that was on the old hard drive. If Compaq had done this, I would have been pleased instead of totally annoyed.
Instead, Compaq has completely lost us for any future purchases. Of course, we will certainly warn everyone we can about the awful treatment that you can expect from Compaq customer service. And here I am typing away and posting on the internet the awful treatment that I have received from Compaq. All of this alone shows what terrible business sense they have at this company.
Also, they way I calculate it, Compaq probably spent at least $1,000 in hardware for all the hard drives and the new mother board. The technicians told me that they charge Compaq $150 an hour for the hours working and their travel time. That would be at least a charge of $750 and probably more. I’m sure the authorized service centers must be paid also. I’m guessing they would at least get $100 an hour and I’m quite sure they each spent a minimum of four hours working on my computer. This means that it cost Compaq at least $2,550 to fix a computer that they sold to us for $1,200! Our five year old monitor and printer did not need replacing. It would have been cheaper for Compaq to have just sent a new system in the first place.
CONCLUSION –
Please do your self a very big favor and DO NOT BUY A COMPAQ! If you are a stock holder, I suggest you sell your shares and fast. I do not see how this company can manage to successfully stay in business.
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Epinions.com ID:
momofchris
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Location: outside of Washington DC
Reviews written: 68
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