Study: Dell customer rating plunges, Apple leads pack

Macworld ^ | 08/16/2005 | Tom Krazit

[RATkiller]

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[Age of Reason]

I made the mistake of teaching myself a programming language so that I might write my own software for my business (as much as anything to prove to myself that in middle age I am no dinosaur).

I accomplished that task--but in the long run it was a foolish mistake: Took up so much of my time that I lost a bundle of money.

I would have been FAR better off paying someone to write custom software for me, while I attended to my real job.

That is the last exercise in micro managing I EVER intend to commit. EVER!

So I don't think I want to build my own PC.
No siree.

I thought about having someone build it for me, but finding someone reputable may also take more time than it's worth.

It sounds like ABS is a PC retailer like Dell or Gateway?

I'll find their website and see what they're all about.

Thank you!

[Age of Reason]

Dell is keeping its prices low by shipping computers with adware installed. You can't play solitare without a popup.

OMG. Tell me they are NOT doing that to their small business customers?

[festus]

Overseas outsourcing......

For whom the Dell tolls......

[js1138]

http://www.abspc.com

This is not an endorsement. I haven't dealt with them in several years. I would call them up and find out if you get a Windows CD. It's really critical if you ever have to recover from a failed hard drive.

I would also get an external USB hard drive for backups and use it.

[js1138]

I think large corporations reformat any computers they buy. But yes, Dell is shipping computers with adware installed.

[Age of Reason]

Thanks and thanks.

As for backups and the like, got it all well covered.

And off-premise and in more than one location, in case the office burns down.

[Political Junkie Too]

I just had to deal with them.

My DVD-ROM drive stopped working for the second time. The guy had me go into the BIOS and do a ctrl-e followed by a ctrl-F. He told me it was so that the BIOS would try detecting my drives again. Actually, it reset my BIOS completely back to the factory settings. I told the guy that this is the second time I had this problem, that I don't feel or hear the drive spinning, that my RW drive works, but no, he had to have me fiddle with the BIOS.

After installing the new drive that they sent me, I noticed two things: 1) RAID was turned back on, and 2) Task Manager was only showing one CPU (that was my clue, as I have a hyperthread P4).

Anyway, the most interesting thing about the whole conversation was that he seemed obsessed with getting all of my contact information, home phone, work phone, cell, emails, etc. I only gave him my home phone and said the others were useless because I won't be at the computer for a callback. He finally said that they wanted all the contact information for the follow-up customer satisfaction survey that was coming. Several times during the conversation he mentioned the survey, and he wanted to be sure that I understood the lo/hi scoring.

-PJ

[BunnySlippers]

Mac always used to dominate in this area. And, yeah, I use Macs for the same reasons. :)

[Age of Reason]

Do you know any reputable nationwide custom PC builders?

I am not after saving money--I'd much rather spend a few hundred per PC to get what I want.

Many of the big PC makers, like Dell, aim to give the most bang for the buck in the reviews.

I'd rather spend more and just get the most bang!

Read something Catherine the Great wrote in a note to herself, which I have found to be true in my own experience.

It went something like this: the best work is done by people who are often less well known and hard to find.

[Age of Reason]

Correction to my last post:

"I'd much rather spend a few hundred per PC to get what I want."

Should be,

"I'd much rather spend a few hundred dollars more per PC to get what I want."

Which would include an ample power supply (one of the things the popular PC makers skimp on)

[Age of Reason]

One of the things that frightens me about local custom builders:

I once went to one for a cable in an emergency.

They sold me something that looked to me of suspicious quality (bag was printed in Chinese and the cable gauge looked kinda skinny to me)--but being desperate, I bought it anyway.

You know those little plastic knobs that you turn with your fingers to tighten the screws?

Well, they disintegrated when I tried to tighten them with my fingers--and I wasn't being Tarzan about it, either.

Obviously a place that was using super cheap components.

[Varda]

Dell...I'll never buy another.

[Kirkwood]

Not my fault that Dell has lousy support with people who can't speak english! Why you blaming me? Besides, I paid for the top of the line support for all of my Dell systems, so if I get crappy service, I have every right to complain. I paid for the right to complain, Jack.

[speekinout]

I'm sure Apple outsources much CS to Asia as well.

Possibly. But if you live within easy driving distance of an Apple store (as I do), there isn't any better CS. For anything.
Those stores were a great idea.

[kingattax]

[Eva]

My husband's harddrive at work, lasted three years. I, on the other hand, have had few problems, but I would think twice about investing in another Dell since the move to India.

[Swordmaker]

Apple again tops in customer satisfaction PING!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[coconutt2000]

I once suggested to a customer who was not keen on bringing their computer in for service to light some candles and sacrifice a chicken... For a moment there, I wasn't sure if they understood I was joking.

[Swordmaker]

apple is the quintissential fad. i recall when the company was about broke. it would be a memory today if Bill Gates hadn't bailed them out.

The "fad" has been going for 29 years.

You recall the MYTH of the "bailout". There was no "bailout." There was, however, a lawsuit that Apple won. When Microsoft purchased the $370 Million of Apple preferred stock as part of the lawsuit settlement which Apple won, Apple had over $2 billion in the bank. Also as part of the court ordered suit settlement, Microsoft had to continue developing and selling MS Office for Mac. In exchange, Microsoft was allowed to use certain patents held by Apple for a period of 3 years.