Acer Tech Support Reviewed: C-minus

LINK: http://www.laptopmag.com/mobile-life/tech-support-showdown-2009.aspx?page=3

Laptop Magazine has a review of tech support from a number of laptop makers. I personally think their methodology is pathetic (they ask two annoyingly simple questions). However, my experience with Acer's tech support people was similarly ppor. All they can tell you to do is 1) turn off all windows services or 2) restore from the hidden partition on the hard disk. They clearly have minimal training and knowledge. Pretty much useless for any real trouble-shooting.

Has anybody had good experiences with Acer tech support?

 

Well, you get what you pay for. Assuming their hardware Q&A team knows what they're doing, though, I don't care (ie, as long as I don't receive a broken unit or one that breaks)-- I can figure the rest out myself.

But for $350, what did we expect? Having smart people on the job to help with user problems is expensive. And, judging by the level of expertise of the users on some of these netbook forums, it would probably cost them a lot to support all these people when most of the problems are ID-ten-T and BKAC errors.

 

I've never called any manufacture's tech support. The 800 numbers are simply information services. They do not have the expertise to troubleshoot a system they can not see. Only to answer general question about the unit.

Want high quality tech servcie? Buy a computer from a local guy who sells computers on the side, and who's real job is repair. Not from a big box, pick it up off the shelf store.

 

I agree that I shouldn't expect premium level tech support. HOWEVER, regardless of how cheap the computer is, I expect the tech support folks to know about the product. They get paid to answer calls 8 hours per day. Well, they should all get 2 weeks of training before they start. Then they can do the same thing they do now, and get paid the same as they do know, but know something about the machines they are supporting.

The difference between useless tech support and reasonable tech support is not as expensive as you suggest.