Apple tops for tech support
By Martin James,
Apple leads the way when it comes to tech support, according to a new study on after-sales service.
US publication Consumer Reports asked 7,000 subscribers who owned a laptop or computer to rate their computer maker's after-sales support. They were asked to rank the companies in four categories: problem solved, phone waits, phone staff and online support.
Apple managed a clean sweep in all four categories for both desktops and laptops, with overall scores of 87 and 86 out of 100 respectively.
Trailing a distant second on the desktop front was Dell, which managed a score of 55, closely followed by HP/Compaq on 53, while Acer/Gateway/eMachines brought up the rear with just 39 out of 100 for its desktop tech support.
When it came to laptops, Apple's lead was smaller – but not by much. Second-placed Lenovo's score of 63 still fell short by 23 points, followed by Toshiba (60), Dell (56), HP/Compaq (53) and Acer/Gateway/eMachines (39).
Apple's performance is a slight improvement on the corresponding results last year, though Consumer Reports admits a margin of error of up to seven points meant slight fluctuations couldn't be seen as decisive.
In fact, the only company whose results fell outside that margin of error was Gateway – its merger with Acer and eMachines saw a major slump in both desktop and laptop support.
Ironically, one of the reasons put forward for Apple's tech support excellence is also one of the chief points raised by its detractors, namely the rigidly controlled ecosystem that has been criticised for reducing user choice and giving Apple free reign to dictate price levels.
However, that ring-fenced ecosystem is also said to make it easier for Apple's support staff to identify and diagnose problems, and cuts down on customers being bounced back and forth between companies when in need of tech support.
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Not surprising, provided....
that one doesn't try to get support for Windows running on your Mac. But then, if you have a Mac for your main computer, why not just keep your old Windows machine for those applications you just can't/won't live without (remember: a lot of them have a Mac version of the same program and/or a close equivalent. Very often, even the old data from the Windows version can be imported into the Mac version (or by a similar application). Once you make up your mind to keep OS X as your sole OS on the Mac, you'll have ultra smooth sailing from then on.
By donlevy on Friday Mar 12
haha
The whole Mac genius thing - they can't solve incredibly simple problems. One draws blank stares. People who've never used a mac in their life as long as they are good with PCs can fix mac problems for a Mac brainwashed friend (that's a friend who's decided to buy a new Mac) after they have received no help on the phone for hours and no help when they brought the WHOLE SYSTEM in to the mac store for their free time with a genius. WHAT A JOKE! I admit that at one point in the now relatively distant past that Macs were better for photoshop and up until very recently they were better for most video editing. Now they aren't better at either and they aren't even better at running native iTunes (yes, they are probably better w/ Safari - I can't really say there as between Chrome and Firefox/Cometbird - nobody should use another internet browser. Lets identify what people are doing on their Mac.... They are Using the internet... and if their a kid their video chatting doing things you don't want your kid to do They are using itunes they are typing up papers for class/work That's about it What are PC users using their computers for 1) some just use them the same as above. 2) Most do everything on them. If it can be done on a computer it's being done. Apple is more rigid in their quality control but they are huge in their brainwashing you into thinking you're getting a good hassle free system. I've even a close relative who made the switch you know, right after Vista came out..... he's very computer savy and was so ticked with Microsoft. I'll give you that - Vista was a colossal mistake. Unfortunately many of the people extolling the virtues of Macs only know OSX or Vista but with XP (no it didn't keep up) and now Windows 7 - you'd have to be incredibly stupid to buy a Mac now. Sure there are problems with some systems. In the next post I'll establish the largest contributors to the customer satisfaction bubble.
By IhamMhee on Friday Mar 19
The biggest problem with this hypothesis (I mean survey)
When polling a user Do you have a PC desktop Do you have a PC notebook Do you have an Apple Mac Desktop Do you have an apple mac laptop The first two are going to be thousands of times more popular YES answers. What we need to establish if Based on a specific price point are you happy with your PC or OSX system and further WHAT DO YOU USE IT FOR. People who only use their computer for video chat/surfing the web, and writing papers should be eliminated immediately. Then we'd be left with a ratio of about 25,000 to 1 PCs to Mac owners and then we can pole based on if your system $1000 or more......... if your system $2000 or more..... is your system $3.... is your system more than $15,000....... Then we'll have at each price point assuming they have enough and equivalent poll base..... Mac with perhaps .001% Personally I know Acer, for customer service, is complete junk But I've had 30 Acers in the past few years, only one has failed due to a bad hard drive, they are all technically owned by me but most are in use by others and not one has ever had to have a service call (the one HDD failure was out of warranty and I just replaced the HDD. And those were cheap systems - well made but low, low cost. They have some of the best looking LCDs out there.... extremely vibrant with pleasing color representation. I am in fact typing this on a Ubuntu/FreeBSD/windows7 Acer laptop right now that's 3yrs give or take old and was at that time $499 after $125 mail in rebate. It's faster for many things than a 6month old $3200 OSX desktop. Now I also own numerous Sony, HP (very spotty) Asus, Alienware (pre and post Dell), a handfull of Dell and a lenovo, and a few others. Numerous Custom PCs and a couple custom lappys - no real point in customizing lappys anymore. With all those I've had less problems (total problem of all those added together) than friends who have a couple or handful of kids with OSX Macs (ie, ones without Vista/ win 7) And I'm not saying compared to all them added together I'm saying over hundreds of systems that are currently operating and many full time 24/7/365 I've had less problems that ONE FAMILY OF TWO CHILDREN WITH MACS or one family of six children with macs. perhaps the occasional family with one or two parents and a children or three with macs. -- I'm comparing with specific families I'm friends with here not just generic examples. Now I didn't mention that the odd system might have a problem with a BSOD under XP occasionally and under Vista (I try not to have Vista on any system I buy am still in charge of/'own' I can frequently identify a problem and eliminate it by either returning it or swapping out mostly a video card - sometimes another piece of hardware. On the plus side there if I swap because one system is being affected by a conflict with a particular hardware - I can usually pull it out of another system for replacement and use the problem piece in that system then I have two systems with no conflicts. So that part might not be a fair comparison with Apple. Also in the states we have Costco a retail psudo-giant with a 6month no penalties return on all computer systems and two years of manufacturers warranty on their systems for free (HP/Acer/Etc...) If I'm buying directly for someone else to use I'll frequently use Costco - for lappys that is not really for desktops.
By IhamMhee on Friday Mar 19