Just how bad -is- IBM EZServe Service?
Chris
1.) The reason the Thinkpad A30P was sent in - uneven backlighting - wasn't
noticed (Tech didn't read the instructions logged with Cust.Service)
2.) Another "problem" with the LCD - a dark area in lower left corner -
which I never noticed at all, was noticed and was deemed "billable". The
A30P is 35 days old and has never experienced abuse of any kind.
3.) After IBM EZServe (not sure if I'm spelling that right) Customer Service
as well as the IBM technical help center, agreed that this didn't make any
sense, the EZServe technician called back to explain that he was mistaken
and the screen would be repaired/replaced. He added that he still could not
see any screen flicker - the other reason the A30P was sent in. But he did
hear the drive knocking and/or notice problems when running the "Drive
Fitness Test" (doubt he ran it) and that the drive, i.e. the third reason
the system was sent in, would be replaced.
4.) Day 3, I call to get a status. Status: They do not have the recovery
cd in stock. Therefore, the system was in a "hold" status, waiting for the
recovery cd.
5.) Day 4, I call to get a status. Status. The recovery cd was obtained
and applied to the A30P. However, it turned out that this was the *wrong*
recovery cd - the correct recovery cd for the A30p was being shipped out
from IBM.
6.) Day 4, I call to complain to the IBM EZServe Customer Service. They
inform me, after being put on hold for a good 15 minutes, that the recovery
cd for my A30P was indeed on order and it would take about 5 days to get to
the EZServe facility in Memphis, TN. At this point, I'm at a loss for
words - how can a repair center -not- have something as crucial as a
recovery cd? I call the IBM techcial help center (i.e. the people who set
me up with the return box and reference #)
7.) The support person becomes defensive as to my complaints on the overall
experience, which includes having my 2nd A30p at this point (the first
returned for making buzzing/humming noises), and having 6 or 7 logged
legitimate issues and problems with hardware/software on the second A30P.
When I inquire as to whether I can install the recovery cd myself (I figure
I can perhaps get the cd shipped to me next day) he tells me that the time
it would take to get to the EZServe factility is the time it takes to get to
any customer - 3 to 5 days. I ask why the EZServe facility wasn't at least
proactive enough to have a recovery cd on hand. He basically explains that
this facility does not typically replace or repair hard drives because hard
drive replacement is usually done directly with the customer. Ok, I can
understand this, but what if you have multiple hardware issues, as I do,
where you have a screen replacement and a hard drive replacement needed -
this has never happened before? Well, he tell me, the A30P is new, so,
probably no, it has never happened before. Hmm, the A30P has shipped since
at least last October-November (my first was delivered the second week of
November). So, it seems, I am the guiena pig for this scenario. I explain
my overall dissatisfaction with the entire experience, from having to return
the first A30p, to having issues with the screen, the drive, svchost.exe
constantly causing the system to crash, being told to run the "drive fitness
test" when a floppy doesn't come standard with my a30P, screen flicker,
built-in encryption crashing constantly, and other problems. He agrees, I
have a legitimate reason to complain.
8.) Contact the general IBM complaint (800 #) and they seem sympathetic. Oh
well, let's see what happens.
I cannot believe, with all I've read here about the lauded IBM
service/support that this is the reputation IBM is building for itself
through products like the A30P. The machine itself is great - when
everything works the way it is supposed to. What a frustrating experience.
Gimme, anything, Dell, Sony (yes, Sony), Apple, uggh, this is a nightmare, a
top-dollar nightmare with bottom-shelf service/support.
Computer-Guru
EZ Serve is the main thing that keeps me from buying IBM ThinkPad's. The
machines that IBM actually designs and builds are great, I will admit that.
Their hardware overall has to be the best around.
But, I think IBM is making a big mistake in having EZ Serve handle their
warranty work. They are not honest, and seem to go down hill every year. It
seems to me like they are trying to do more billable work than warranty
work.
James
--
--
Regards,
Computer-Guru
pct...@fdn.com
***!!BUSH WON!!***
====================
"Chris" <usenet_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4Z_%7.15$ec...@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
Chris
"Computer-Guru" <pct...@southeast.net> wrote in message
news:a1qgu3$rvau5$1...@ID-77366.news.dfncis.de...
> Chris,
>
> EZ Serve is the main thing that keeps me from buying IBM ThinkPad's. The
> machines that IBM actually designs and builds are great, I will admit
that.
> Their hardware overall has to be the best around.
>
> But, I think IBM is making a big mistake in having EZ Serve handle their
> warranty work. They are not honest, and seem to go down hill every year.
It
> seems to me like they are trying to do more billable work than warranty
> work.
I tell ya, what a wake-up call this has been. I didn't realize EZ Serve was
a separate entity (at least it appears that way). I swear, the EZ Serve guy
that answered the phone sounded really ignorant. The thought of that guy
actually replacing parts in my A30P, i.e. the LCD, sent absolute shivers
up/down my spine. I mean, he sounded that bad. I wouldn't be too much of
a stretch to say he sounded like one of the characters imitating a homeless
guy from the Howard Stern show. Yikes.
John
To be fair and balanced ... I've owned 8 Thinkpads in the
past 5 years. Three had to be returned to EZSevice for
service and were returned within 5 days. I found the folks
courteous and competent.
Regards ... John
Paul Rubin
> On average, they're very good hence the reputation that IBM has for
> good service and support. You, unfortunately, had a bad experience.
IBM got the good reputation by having good service and support. Then
they sold the service/support operation to another company and the
quality level fell. I wouldn't call it terrible now, but it's not at
past levels. This has been a recurring topic on the Thinkpad mailing
list.
AtomTune
"Geoffrey C. Jennings" <geof...@zim.com> wrote in message
news:3c41b8e1@news....
> Chris
>
> I took delivery of a new A30p on December 18 and after using it for three
> days evrything stopped and it refused to boot up.
>
> IBM sent me an EZ Serv box by Airborne Express and that arrived on
December
> 24. I packed the A30p immediately and it was taken away that morning. Of
> course, Christmas, came and went and that didn't help with the work at
> Memphis Repair Center. They called me to say that the CPU had to be
> replaced and they were still checking the machine. I asked if they had
this
> problem with other machines and was told that at Memphis they had only
seen
> one or two of these new machines and that was a good sign.
>
> My A30p was returned to me by Airborne on the morning of December 27 in
> perfect working order. No problems have showed up since.
>
> The A30p is probably the best ThinkPad ever marketed by IBM and I have
only
> good things to say about EZ Serv.
I'm glad to hear that my experience with EZ Serve seems to be offset by the
good experience you and John have had. I don't want to give a negative
impression where one is not deserved. But, as I explained to IBM's general
customer service, it has been the whole experience of going through two
A30ps, each with problems, that really just made this EZ Serve experience
the "icing on the cake". I find it difficult to believe that this EZServe
place was not at least prepared with the right recovery cd , which cost me
an extra 3-5 days wait time. I guess it's not a big deal, I have a backup
laptop (what I'm writing this on) but for the guy at EZServe to suggest
something is "billable" or might be, when clearly the system is under
warranty (40 days old) and no abuse of any kind was done (and that is
evident, even to the engineer I spoke with) is outrageous and not the way to
handle a customer who has been through the mill with this laptop (his
second).
I've spent untold numbers of hours at work and at home trying to get this
damn thing to stop blowing up due to "svchost.exe" errors - it took
refreshing from an earlier registry backup to fix it, in addition to the
annoying buzzing and drive knocking problems, not to mention the screen
flicker. Ugh.
I'd like to add that since perusing the thinkpads.com site, I've learned a
few things that I didn't know about EZServe...like how they are not owned by
IBM, how one or two folks have mentioned their impression with EZServe is
that it tends to label things "billable" or "user abuse" when in fact that
isn't the case.
I find it also amusing that the IBM technical support guy I spoke with
compared this overall experience that I've had with his personal troubles
with his ISP.
>
> Geoffrey
>
>
> "Computer-Guru" <pct...@southeast.net> wrote in message
> news:a1qgu3$rvau5$1...@ID-77366.news.dfncis.de...