SURVEY: 1-800-426 SERV for Support

[Shumpert]

All,

Have you ever called the Lenovo Support center at 1-800-426-SERV?

If so please reply with your opinion on it with the following questions as a starting point:

1) Is each option described too much? not enough? just right?
2) Is there too many options? not enough?
3) Is the language used easily understood?

And lastly, If you could change ANYTHING about the support line what would you change?

Note from Moderator: Added poll questions.

[underclocker]

I'm assuming you're asking about the telphone prompts?

Just about perfect to me, gets you to the right tech. rep. quickly.

The only thing about the support that I'd change or try to change is the consistency of the service that is received when you have to send in a unit.

Sometimes, the unit comes back perfect, just as diagnosed and discussed with the rep.

Sometimes, a clearly inferior used part is installed (like a scratched LCD or one with bad pixels). Another call to service and the unit is accepted back for another shot at repair. In the end, I've always been satisfied, but it has taken up to three trips to the EZServ depot. I will note that the tech. reps. are always accomodating and understanding about repair issues.

And finally, sometimes, a skipped quality control step can take away from an otherwise super job. For instance, I've received a ThinkPad back with a new LCD and keyboard, but it looked like someone ate their lunch on it after it was fixed. Thick paw (finger) prints everywhere. Perhaps the last step before putting a unit in the box should be to swab it with Windex (or other suitable cleaner)?! Just a thought.

Like I said above, I am quite satisfied with the EZServ service. I continue to use Dell's and other manufacturer's support (many times, I have corporate responsiblity here), Lenovo's is the best still, IMHO.

[JaneL]

Hmmm.... I'm a little surprised that so few people are taking advantage of this opportunity to directly give Lenovo some (civil) customer feedback about the Support center.

[Brad]

I remember in the past that once you entered your machine type you were routed to the proper department. Now when you call there appears to be an extra step or two. Not really much of a problem. Maybe it is me.

Just received a repair and there are screws missing.

I agree that there is a missing QC check just prior to shipment.

Other than that I would look now where else for hardware or support. IBM/Lenovo is absolutely a premium brand that I have no trouble continuing to support as long as I am here on earth.

Brad

[ajkula66]

It's been a while since I've last used the support, but at the time I've been extremely pleased. Any update will have to wait...

In the past, support has been one of the main reasons I've stuck with ThinkPads and never owned another brand of laptops...let's see what tomorrow brings.

[GomJabbar]

I notice there is no option in the poll for ones that called between 6 months and a year.

I called this past April to add a warranty extension to my Wife's T42. I don't remember much about the call other than I accomplished what I set out to do.

[JaneL]

I notice there is no option in the poll for ones that called between 6 months and a year.

Well, that's just because I screwed it up when I added the poll trying to drum up some interest!

[underclocker]

By the way, the number is 1-800-IBM-SERV, maybe that's why people aren't responding, they may not recognize 1-800-426-SERV!

Does anyone remember 1-800-PS2-2227? That one used to work, too. It's from the IBM PS/2 days. That PS/2 MCA (microchannel architecture) sure was a big hit!

[erik]

By the way, the number is 1-800-IBM-SERV, maybe that's why people aren't responding, they may not recognize 1-800-426-SERV!

true, but lenovo doesn't want to market a support line with "IBM" in the name.

[Truthfinder]

I too have used Lenovo Support 3 times since purchasing my T-60, however, it was for very minor issues. Each of the 3 calls were taken care of without incident.

On the otherhand, my Son purchased a T-61 a few months ago and after going round and round with tech support, the unit was taken back and a propmt refund was issued.

But, why should it come to having to make the return of a two month old unit? Thisa unit was sent to be repaired, only to be sent back to my son with not a thing done to it. Rhe computer would not boot up when it was sent and still would not boot up when he got it back. So, there is certainly a problem.......

[Xcalamento]

I used the support line as a tech for more than a year and was more than pleased, during that time I must’ve called at least 100 times as the company I was with only sold Thinkpads to all of their clients. The options are just right, just the right amount of options and the language used is easily understood (I'm hispanic and have only known english for 7 years).

The support techs understand people with no knowledge and with knowledge and provide support from there; not like others that even if you know you have to speak with level three tech, they start at level one, then two and then three; just a waste of time in my opinion. The reps from Lenovo understand when you tell them “here is what I’ve done so far”, and don’t make you do it over and over again for no apparent reason other than "I just have to do what’s on the script".

One bad experience. I recently called the support line (last week) because my computer wouldn’t boot up. I was told that my only option was to do a factory restore. I told them that the error I was getting from windows read that if I had the Vista disk I would be able to repair my system. The rep said Lenovo doesn’t support repairs. I was disappointed and the next day went to a friend’s house and he lend me his Vista OS disk. I was able to repair my T61 in less than 5 minutes from there.

It saved me a lot of time because I didn't have toreinstall applications and transfer all my data data again. Good thing I didn’t follow the rep’s advise. I’m extremely disappointed of the fact that Lenovo does not longer supply the OS disk with laptops. If that’s the stance then there should be a way to fix windows without having to go back to factory settings and start again from scratch. For more referring to this problem please view this post:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=187205

Other than that I’m please with support and Lenovo.

[AvalonXIII]

Called two weeks ago. Support was bad. I got in contact with somebody who apparently couldn't speak English very well and got my address and my laptop problems wrong (I know this because I looked up the case number that he gave me on the Easyserv website). I had to call back once more to get the box sent to my exact address. Overall, not bad, but not that good either. Can be improved more.

[noetus]

Called two days ago.

"lower third" issue and bezel issue with X61 tablet.

Phone service was good, I can't remember anything I would want to change. Got through to someone pretty quick. Box came same day. I would say that the staff I spoke to (two different occasions) were unduly pessimistic about turn-around times. They told me box would be there next day, and it was same day. Then they told me it would be 4-6 days turnaround, and I had the repaired machine in my hand in 48 hours! That was amazingly quick.

I had some issues with DHL. They gave me inaccurate tracking information. First that the return box hadn't been picked up (it had), then that it was going to EZServ ground (it was there the following morning), and then that it was still in transit (IBM had it and were already working on it). As a result, that it was back in my hands within 48 hours was even more of a surprise (a very pleasant one).

However, I do have TWO negative issues with the repair.

I also have lots of finger marks on the screen (which was replaced) , as an above poster did.

Also, most of the little black round screw covers were scratched/pitted from having been removed for screen mounting disassembly - not serious, but definitely visible when you look closely. I could have done a better job myself at removing them (and to be honest I'm surprised the technicians reused them - I would have thought they would have used new ones when putting the thing back together).

Those two things make me feel the repair wasn't up to scratch, professionally, and makes me a bit wary and afraid of having EZServ service again (though I've never had a major issue in the past, and have used the service 3-4 times altogether)

[noetus]

Postscript.

Also, I needed to have the machine sent back to a different address (different city) than where I had got it picked up from. I had expected that to cause issues (unusual requests like that often cause issues in large industrial processes that have been streamlined) but everything went without a hitch.