The Changing Face of Service

I just had 2 experiences last week where I changed my mind completely about the service standards of two places where I was given really great service the last time I was there. Here are the details.


Bad Service Candidate No. 1 - IBM Service Centre

I currently own an IBM ThinkPad T43. My previous computer was an IBM R40. The reason why I got one IBM after another was because I thought really highly of IBM computers. My R40 didn't give my any problems despite it being run almost 24 hours a day for 3 years. My luck with my T43 was not terrible but not good either.

A few months after getting the T43, I encountered some problems. To summarize, the hard disk had bad sectors and had to be replaced. This was done at the IBM Service centre and I was really impressed with the service. So much that I was practically singing praises to almost everyone who happened to bring up a computer related conversation.

Then recently, I wanted to clean out my computer by doing a reformat to wipe out any potential spyware, trojan horses etc that could be hidden. Now IBM ThinkPads do not come with a system restore CD or MS Windows CD. These are preloaded onto the hard drive in a separate partition. So when I tried to reset my computer back to the original factory settings using the System Restore Utility, I was told that it could not be done as some files are missing.

Now wait a dog darned minute...

Isn't that the problem I had the last time round? I couldn't reformat my computer then due to a bad sector on my hard drive and I can't do it now due to some missing files.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the hard drive replaced by IBM? And wasn't it preloaded with all the necessary operating system and utilities? In a separate partition no less. So if there are some missing files... whose fault is it?

Well I concluded that it wasn't my fault cos I don't go round touching system files. So I figured that since the System Restore Utility on my computer was missing some files, I should get the CD from IBM to fix this problem.

I went to the IBM website to try to send an email to tech support. After 30 minutes of navigating the (in my humble opinion) poorly laid out tech support section, I finally found the link that will connect me with the IBM tech support.

It turned out to be a telephone number for the service centre...

Wah lau... So high tech wan...

The best thing was that the centre was not open on Saturday afternoons and the whole of Sunday. Since I had just gotten off work on a Saturday afternoon, I had to wait till Monday to call them up.

Monday came and I called up the Service Centre first thing in the morning as soon as they started operations. Since this coincided with my working hours, I had to do it sneakily and quietly.

The person who picked up my call was poilte but he sounded as if I was the most boring person in the world and I was putting him to sleep. There was absolutely no joy in speaking to him and it made me feel as though I was bothering him in the middle of his personal time. Anyway, I told him my problem and my suspicions and my theory of how my problems could be solved if I could do a system restore using the CDs which IBM unfortunately did not include with my ThinkPad.

He told me that I if I wanted to use the CDs, I had to purchase it or alternatively come down personally to the service centre to borrow it for use at the centre itself. The last time round, I did the latter but the situation is slightly different now.

I told him that I would have gladly gone down to the service centre as I did before but unfortunately, the opening hours of the service centre now coincides with my working hours and unless IBM was prepared to open the service centre on Sunday, I cannot possibly make it.

His reply was simple. He said that if that's the case, I had to BUY the CDs.

I told him that I don't think it was fair that I had to pay extra for a problem that was not caused by me. Furthermore, my computer was still under warranty.

He was quite persistant in maintaining his position on the CD situation even after hearing my difficulties. When I asked him if there was any way that IBM could make an exception on this matter, he started panicking and going into short lapses of silence on the other end of the phone. So I asked if I could speak to someone else with more authority who could help me. I was then put on hold.

After an eternity 3 minutes, the same person came back on the phone and told me that things remain unchanged and that I either had to buy the damn CDs or go down to the service centre to use the loan set. What really pissed me off was when he said:

"I can refer you to a higher authority but the result will probably be the same."

I was stunned... He wasn't higher authority... Heck he didn't even sound like he knows what he's talking about. How dare he make a dismissive assumption like that. Didn't I tell him that I wanted to speak to someone WHO COULD HELP ME?

At that point, I was getting worked up and I had to get back to work so in order to end the stupid pointless conversation with him, I asked how much the CDs would cost if I had to buy it. His reply was:

"I do not know the cost but I will refer your case to the technical side and they will get back to you with a quotation."

HE COULDN'T EVEN TELL ME HOW MUCH THE DAMN CD COST!!!

So that same day, some one from IBM calls me up WHILE I WAS OUT FOR LUNCH and leaves a message for me to call her back. I tried calling several times when I got back from lunch and keep getting her voice mail.

A few hours later, I tried calling again and finally she picks up the phone. She told me that she has received my job request and that it would cost $65 for the recovery CDs.

65 FREAKING DOLLARS FOR A RECOVERY CD!!!

I was quite extremely taken aback by the cost and told her that I don't think that it is fair that I have to pay such a ridiculous amount of money for some CDs (We are not talking Blu-ray or DVD ok... it's bloody CD) to fix a problem that was caused by IBM in the first place.

She then told me that if I didn't want to buy the CDs, I could always create a recovery CD using the system restore utility.

I told her that if the system restore utility was already missing some files, wouldn't the resulting CD created also have those files missing? (I MEAN... USE YOUR COMMON SENSE PEOPLE!)

This of course put her in the same sense of panic as the other guy and she told me that she would have to get back to me.

I got a call 2 days later from another guy but upon hearing the word IBM, I told him that it's too late. I already bought another computer and that I am never buying anything IBM again.

To think that in the past few years, IBM was my number one recommendation to people who wanted to buy a laptop computer. The shame I feel in my lousy recommendations. So if anyone is thinking of buying an IBM computer... think it through. Of course, your experience might not be the same as mine. Just know that I will not willingly buy or recommend another IBM product.


Bad Service Candidate No. 2 - S**h S****t Deli

Over the weekend, I met up with Steffa and Casey for a late lunch at S**h S****t Deli located at a corner of R*****s Hotel. I had previously enjoyed myself tremendously during my last visit, which unfortunately was a few years ago.

Upon being seated, I noted dismally that they had done away with the bowl of pickles on every table which was what I liked most about the place.

A waitress then came and asked if we wanted to order drinks while waiting for the rest of our party to arrive. Weng and I ordered a Dr Peppers each which cost an astounding $7 for a can that cost 80cents in a supermarket. Just then, Steffa arrived and told us that our current table for 4 might not be enough as Casey was bringing her 2 kids in tow.

I asked the waitress if we could be switched to a bigger table and she said that she would make the arrangements.

While waiting, Steffa went out of the restaurant to see if Casey might need a hand with her kids as it was drizzling. As soon as she left, we were served our Dr Peppers.

The waiter who served us our drinks started pouring them out slowly and I told him that it was alright and we'd rather do it ourselves. His reply was:

"It's ok. That is why you are paying our service charge."

I was really insulted by his tone of voice. He was speaking as though we couldn't afford to be eating there just because it's part of the R******s Hotel. However, I let it slide as I didn't want to get myself all riled up over an as***le's thoughtless remark.

A few minutes later, we still had not been assigned a bigger table. Due to the rain and odd hour, the place was quite empty. I looked around and saw the staff hanging around, arranging cutlery and other very miscellaneous duties. Thinking that they might have forgotten, I signaled a passing waitress and requested for a change of table to suit a bigger party. She affirmed my request and tried to rearrange some smaller tables behind where we were already seated but I guess the tables were too heavy for her to do so alone and she decided to go get help.

SHE DID NOT COME BACK AND NEITHER DID ANYONE ELSE.

After 5 minutes, Steffa, Casey, her domestic helper and 2 kids showed up and there we were, still sitting at our little table for 4. It was only when they were standing awkwardly around the table that the staff decided to get their behinds in gear and showed us to bigger table which was already available since the moment we stepped in.

That's not all. Throughout the one hour we spent there we noticed that not once did the staff come by our table to refill our glasses of water. Instead, they hovered attentively around the tables of some Caucasian guests, constantly topping up their drinks and asking if everything was fine and dandy.

*coughracialbiascough*

Needless to say, none of us there will ever be going back nor will we be recommending that place to anyone.