Thinkpads Forum

I sent my T60 to get repaired for a fan error that prevented it from booting up. Before I received the box from IBM (it happened on Friday, so I didn't get the box until Monday), the T60 started working again.

Following the advice of other, more experienced forum members in my original post, I sent the notebook anyways, so they could replaced the fan, which is what they said they would do.

In any event, I got the computer back today, and the summary of repairs sheet said that they had only performed a BIOS update (which it didn't need, as it was up to date), and nothing more. I called Lenovo and asked about this, and they said to try it, and if it failed again to call them back.

I understand that if it didn't fail when they looked at it, they might have a procedural instruction not to replace the purportedly failing part. But... this seems kind of screwy to me. What if it fails tomorrow, and then I have to send it back? It's going to be double the shipping expense for Lenovo, and more days without my computer for me.

I know there isn't much I can do but wait for the computer to fail again, but does this seem right to you?

P.S. I must say that the service was pretty fast though.

No it's not right. But then this is a business, and IBM doesn't really care how many days you are without your computer. You as an individual simply don't matter. It's an us and them mentality. Next time you send it in, all the shaking in shipment may also fix the problem, and then at some point you become a whiner.

What I mean is the whole rationale seems a little twisted to me. I understand that Lenovo/IBM cannot replace every part a customer says is failing. However, the fan is probably just a few bucks, and if it fails again, I will have to ship it back and they will have to pay again for the next day shipping from DHL (which is not cheap I must say), and we'll start the whole circus again.
So, doesn't it make more business sense to just replace the inexpensive part, thereby making your customer happy, and preventing any future problems with the failing part, and in the long run saving money? There are companies that apply this model and they do pretty darn well, and have a loyal customer base.

Oh well, since I am not a business person, I hope the fan does not fail again.

I'm sure with an intermittent problem like yours, it's a business decision which is probably based upon "what costs less given the odds of it happening again". Sure the fan is only a couple of bucks, but that has to be weighed against the cost (and time) of the technician doing the R&R AND the possibility of making things worse (or being blamed for something which they may have done).

Hypothetically, you could have also gotten a lazy tech who gets rated by the number of systems he/she turns. (Please note: this is just an personal example and may not apply in this situation. I am not a spokesman for IBM, Lenovo, Solectron or any other repair service, nor do I know anything about their procedures.) Yes we are talking about a large corporate business, but there are individuals here on both sides of the repair fence. If the fan starts acting up again and you are forced to send it in for repair while it's still intermittent, I would include a friendly note that it's the second time for this repair and that the shipping costs must be eating into their profit/loss numbers.

rmendoza wrote:snip...........In any event, I got the computer back today, and the summary of repairs sheet said that they had only performed a BIOS update (which it didn't need, as it was up to date), and nothing more. I called Lenovo and asked about this, and they said to try it, and if it failed again to call them back............snip.

Sometimes reflashing the BIOS does help. Nevertheless, use your machine extensively for the next few days and if it replicates the same overheating symptoms or that fan error shows up then give IBM support a call again, mention the reference to the previous case #, they would send you another box and shipping labels if additional labels weren't supplied before. Photocopy the repair sheet and attach a copy to the new one that you'd receive.

rmendoza wrote:snip.........It's going to be double the shipping expense for Lenovo.........snip

IBM (and Lenovo) run contracts and own corporate business accounts with many shipping carriers, they don't lose almost anything and btw you know what, IBM and Lenovo have alot of monies .