How I Went Through 150 Gateway 2000 Computers and Came Out Happy
Aug 21 '00
With Gateway 2000, as with any large computer manufacturer, you will find plenty of anecdotal evidence on both the positive and negative sides of the fence. All it takes to sour someone on a company is one or two calls to technical support that are not handled in a professional manner. Pushy salespersons will also turn off potential customers. Fortunately, in my professional dealings with Gateway 2000, I’ve encountered neither of those problems. In fact, my experience with the company and their product has been uniformly positive.
Gateway 2000 in a Business Environment
In 1999, I worked in the IT department of a large health educational facility affiliated with Duke University. The center used Gateway 2000 computers exclusively. There were over 150 PCs shared by over 200 users. Having always associated Gateway with the home consumer market, I was taken aback when I learned that all the computers I was to maintain were not Dells or Microns but instead were the old spotted cow.
Placing volume orders was as easy as obtaining a single system. There were never any problems with missed delivery dates or incorrect shipments. I dealt with a single account manager with whom I developed a first name relationship. I even got a special phone number that allowed me to bypass the aggravating automated voice-mail system.
Adaptability
The computers at the center ranged from 486 DX/2 66mhz machines through Pentium III 500mhz setups, with a little of everything in between. The operating systems ranged from one or two holdout Windows 3.1 systems through machines running Windows NT with SP4. While the majority of the systems were used as personal desktops by the administrative and educational staff, there were a number of Gateways used by the public in the medical library and by students in the computer lab.
Most of the components in the computers were factory installed, although I did replace nearly 70 network cards when we upgraded to Fast Ethernet. I didn’t have a single problem using 3Com network adapters in the Gateway 2000 systems.
We also configured several Gateways for use as video tele-conferencing systems. As long as we made sure that the computers met the minimum requirements of the video software, we didn’t encounter any problems.
Problems Encountered
The problems I encountered in servicing these machines were limited to run of the mill component failures. Occasionally a hard drive in an older machine would fail. There were also the odd floppy or CD-ROM drives that needed replacing. The problems were random and never reflected a trend. When the machines were in warranty, it took only a simple phone call to get a replacement overnighted. There was none of the usual wrangling to convince the support techs that it was indeed an equipment failure and not user error. The techs seemed to understand that IT folks don’t have an hour to spend on the phone troubleshooting a smoking hard drive. I can hardly express how grateful I am for that! On out-of-warranty systems, I never had a problem using standard components purchased from a local computer warehouse.
So What?
I fully realize that the superior customer service I received from Gateway 2000 was directly related to the amount of money my employer spent with the company. Inexperienced owners of entry-level home systems will probably not get the same treatment.
Home users can take comfort in knowing that they have a reliable computer made from quality components. Should a problem occur when the system is out of warranty, the technicians at the local repair shop won’t run screaming into the back room as they would if they saw a customer carrying in a Compaq, Hewlett Packard, or Emachine.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
amerpie
|
|
Member: Lou Plummer
Location: Fayetteville, NC
Reviews written: 176
Trusted by: 154 members
About Me:
Stop the war. Bring the troops home now!
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.