Gateway sucks, and here's whyMay 28 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Horrible customer service makes this company just another firm manufacturing generic Windows boxes. Avoid the rascals.
Gateway is rather going down the tubes these days, and there's a good reason for that -- the customer service provided by the place just plain stinks like an old shoe. Now, I realize that some folks may sniff at the thought of customer service, but let me explain why -- exactly -- I think it's important. When one sets out to buy a Windows-ready computer these days, I'd say that three factors are generally considered. First of all, there are certain features that one wants. Second, the price has to be rights. Third, customer service is considered a must by all but folks familiar enough with computers to fix the things themselves. It's in the third category where Gateway truly fails, and that's too bad because the firm really plays up the whole customer service thing. See, here's the thing about Windows-based computers -- they will fail at some point in time. I'm not sure which slogan best fits Microsoft, see. One could be, "If it works nine times out of ten, that's good enough for us." Another could be, "Beta testers? That's what paying customers are for!" A final one might be, "Screw you!" See, Windows is notoriously unstable (and, yes, that includes the "new" flavors of the OS -- they fail, too). Now, I've been around long enough (since DOS 1.1 on an original IBM-PC equipped with an 8088, mind you) to mess with buggy, horrible Microsoft products when they fail and usually meet with success. However, not everyone is like that. My mom, in fact, purchased a Gateway two years ago because she isn't real familiar with the beasts and wanted someone to call when problems strike her machine. She purchased a service plan, through which happy, cheerful Gateway technicians are supposed to guide her through computer crashes. So, why is it that I wind up being her computer tech half the time? Because Gateway's customer service is downright horrible, that's why. Half of the time, Gateway techs guide her to a blasted Internet site to look for answers to her problems (a real trick if the computer's messing up, by the way) or ask her to bring it down to the local Gateway outlet so they can sell her more hardware, charge her for additional software or make her problems even worse. Believe me, folks. I've dealt with some pretty simple problems on her computer that Gateway techs just didn't have time to sit down and figure out (and, I've talked to them on the phone, too, while visiting my mother in Central Arkansas). Extended service plans and the like are pretty much scams at Gateway, and I'm damned happy to see the company's in trouble. So, what are we left with when it comes to a Gateway? The prices are pretty good, in fact, but you can beat Gateway's prices all over the place by sticking with smaller company's that build cheap, Windows boxes and sell them with a barebones warranty and no customer support. Indeed, when we're working through the world of Windows machines, one cheap, white box with an Intel CPU and some specified graphics cards and the like is about the same as another. It's the customer service which really sets companies apart these days. Sadly, Gateway promotes it's fantastic service, but just doesn't deliver the goods. If you're looking at a particular Gateway system because you like the hardware and software that comes bundled with it, you'd better be sure you can fix it yourself when things go wrong.  |
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