Does Customer Service Still Exist?

In recent blog entries, I've shared horror stories about customer service from the likes of Lowe's and Home Depot, as well as CompUSA, HP, and others. Reader responses indicate I'm far from alone in my customer service frustrations.In its June issue, Consumer Reports notes that, with the exception of Apple, Best Buy's Geek Squad scored higher in PC problem resolution than the manufacturers of the PCs themselves. "Independent services trounced all Windows PC manufacturers, who solved a measly 59% of problems. … By contrast, independent tech support services affiliated with major retail chains … solved 84% of users' problems with Windows-based PCs," the report states.

Think about that: The companies that make the PCs are able to solve customers' problems with their own products fewer than six times out of 10, while independent services do so more than eight times out of 10. It raises the question: Is the tech industry at all capable of providing decent customer service?

Which brings me to the issue of the day: We are preparing future editorial coverage on the state of customer service in the tech industry, and we're looking for your input. What's the best company you've dealt with in terms of customer service, and what is it that makes it so effective? Conversely, what's the worst, and why? Please consider all your experiences, including the PC/personal tech space but, importantly, also factor in those companies that provide enterprise IT products. I'm just as happy to report on standouts as laggards, but we can't do so without your input.

By the way, three months after my previously mentioned blog about CompUSA, the same two issues I had with that retailer on a new laptop remain unresolved. Customer service? Hardly.