Customer support is so bad

J

Jameseth

Member
Having spent nearly £3000 on gaming laptops over the last few years, this is the first time I've tried to get some support.

First I called and after 45 minutes of remaining as caller number 24 in the queue I gave up. Tried again next day earlier in the morning but same issue, caller 22 for nearly an hour with no change. What are people on the phone for so long for?
Then I tried email and got very little help and it took 3 days for a reply.

None of this is acceptable time scales for getting tech support.

Still needing some help, today I called again and was on hold from caller number 15 down to caller 1 and the music stopped and I just got cut off. I called back and was immediately caller 19. No way I'm sitting there for 2 hours listening to you tell me my call is important to you when clearly it is not!

Having no luck with phone or email, I just tried the live chat. Having gotten the message "Sorry, no operators are currently available" a few times I eventually got through. I explained my being cut off, and repeated attempts to get help taking days and not getting through and was desperate. The response from the chat person was:
**********************
We are truly sorry for the increased waiting time on the phone and the emails, we are currently under a really, really high pressure

I do apologies, LiveChat is for pre-sales advice only, please do send us and email or call and the support team will be able to assist you further, 0333-011 7000 or [email protected]
**************************

The live chat does not state it's for pre sales only so another waste of my time. And all they did was tell me to go do what I explained was a problem to me.


You know what annoys me on top of this terrible terrible service? The live chat was responded to within 20 seconds - of course it was, it's pre sales, you put plenty of resource on selling but then once the deal is done you provide a very poor service.


At this point I will be looking to purchase my next gaming products elsewhere.
 
steaky360

steaky360

Moderator
Moderator
I can't condone the long wait times, they are not great. I understand from recent admin posts relating to this that PCS have teams of people working for their customer care department and are trying to reduce call waiting times etc. but obviously this isn't happening quick enough.

PCS phone lines/emails are for sales and technical support, so I think its a little unfair to ask what are people on the phone so long for.. when you were phoning up with a potentially difficult to solve inquiry which may need an extended amount of time on the call. Folk could also be calling up to place orders and all the components in a system need to be selected so that takes time etc. Maybe its just me, but it seems reasonable that individual call times might be long (afaik, they're 'even' longer currently given the distant nature of the contact center staff).

Not making excuses here, I don't think the current situation is acceptable as such, sadly though long wait times are common at the moment when phoning PCS. I'd suggest there's a wee difference between having to wait a long time for you to move up the call queue and you receiving really bad customer service.

I've always found when I have gotten through to someone, they were extremely helpful and always solved my problem/answered my query (I've phoned twice more recently and even posted about one my experiences on the forums, albeit my experience was more positive than yours has been thus far).

FYI live chat does make it clear that its for sales advice only on the page that loads when you input your name, email and question.
 
P

philj99

Member
I called technical support yesterday just after 1pm, and it took about 1 hour and 20 mins to get through to someone. I was initially caller 27, but the queue did gradually reduce over time.

The technical support guy that I spoke to was working remotely and had some difficulties with his mobile coverage, although we were able to complete the call. Perhaps there was a similar problem with connecting your call and hence you got cut off. Not ideal, but I guess one of many Covid related challenges businesses are facing.

Based on my experience yesterday I would encourage you to call again as once I got through, I found them very helpful. But the waiting times do need to improve, or PCS should introduce some form of call-back service.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Jameseth said:
Having spent nearly £3000 on gaming laptops over the last few years, this is the first time I've tried to get some support.

First I called and after 45 minutes of remaining as caller number 24 in the queue I gave up. Tried again next day earlier in the morning but same issue, caller 22 for nearly an hour with no change. What are people on the phone for so long for?
Then I tried email and got very little help and it took 3 days for a reply.

None of this is acceptable time scales for getting tech support.

Still needing some help, today I called again and was on hold from caller number 15 down to caller 1 and the music stopped and I just got cut off. I called back and was immediately caller 19. No way I'm sitting there for 2 hours listening to you tell me my call is important to you when clearly it is not!

Having no luck with phone or email, I just tried the live chat. Having gotten the message "Sorry, no operators are currently available" a few times I eventually got through. I explained my being cut off, and repeated attempts to get help taking days and not getting through and was desperate. The response from the chat person was:
**********************
We are truly sorry for the increased waiting time on the phone and the emails, we are currently under a really, really high pressure

I do apologies, LiveChat is for pre-sales advice only, please do send us and email or call and the support team will be able to assist you further, 0333-011 7000 or [email protected]
**************************

The live chat does not state it's for pre sales only so another waste of my time. And all they did was tell me to go do what I explained was a problem to me.


You know what annoys me on top of this terrible terrible service? The live chat was responded to within 20 seconds - of course it was, it's pre sales, you put plenty of resource on selling but then once the deal is done you provide a very poor service.


At this point I will be looking to purchase my next gaming products elsewhere.
Click to expand...
You should probably know that these fora are not an official support channel and that PCS staff only visit here rarely.

I would advise you to complain about your experience and dissatisfaction to [email protected].
 
J

Jameseth

Member
steaky360:
"PCS phone lines/emails are for sales and technical support, so I think its a little unfair to ask what are people on the phone so long for"
I was caller 22 in the queue for over an hour. That means everyone on the call at that time was on for over an hour, unless I was getting bumped up the queue which I don't suspect.

"Maybe its just me, but it seems reasonable that individual call times might be long"
I guess I don't mind really how long people are on the phone, but I care when it (seemingly) has a knock on effect causing long wait times to get through - which was my point really, maybe I didn't make that clear.

I've spent the last 7 days trying to get through and get help. The only help I got was here on these forums by non staff helping out for free in their own time. While forums as a support medium is fine for business, it shouldn't be the primary useful means to get help.

I get business has to make money, but offering more resource to people who have not yet spent anything (pre sales) is being funded by those who have spent money, who get bad support. Not really fair imo.
 
J

Jameseth

Member
ubuysa
"I called technical support yesterday just after 1pm, and it took about 1 hour and 20 mins to get through to someone. I was initially caller 27, but the queue did gradually reduce over time"
You end that sentence in a (seemingly) positive spin, and of course we all have our opinions :) but 1 hour 27 mins is not an acceptable time to be on hold in my opinion.

I'm also sympathetic to the current Covid issues, and business in general. But bad support is bad support however much sympathy and understanding one can offer. Delayed/cancelled trains, long queues in supermarkets, poor service from a business - sympathy doesn't negate the issue the sympathy is for, it just means we put up with it in a calm manner. It doesn't make it ok tho.


Thanks for the replies all. I wasn't here to vent it's just that after 7 days of waiting for calls/emails I just got fed up and wanted to highlight the problem.
 
Bradden

Bradden

Bronze Level Poster
I have to agree with the OP... the customer service is currently unacceptable. Covid has been around long enough for companies to adjust. I suspect PCS are just taking more order than they can handle. This may be good for the bottom line in the short term buy may cost them due to a loss of reputation.
 
P

philj99

Member
Jameseth said:
"I called technical support yesterday just after 1pm, and it took about 1 hour and 20 mins to get through to someone. I was initially caller 27, but the queue did gradually reduce over time"
You end that sentence in a (seemingly) positive spin, and of course we all have our opinions :) but 1 hour 27 mins is not an acceptable time to be on hold in my opinion.
Click to expand...

No spin intended. Was simply my account of the dealings I had with technical support yesterday.
Good luck getting your tech issue resolved.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Jameseth said:
ubuysa
"I called technical support yesterday just after 1pm, and it took about 1 hour and 20 mins to get through to someone. I was initially caller 27, but the queue did gradually reduce over time"
You end that sentence in a (seemingly) positive spin, and of course we all have our opinions :) but 1 hour 27 mins is not an acceptable time to be on hold in my opinion.

I'm also sympathetic to the current Covid issues, and business in general. But bad support is bad support however much sympathy and understanding one can offer. Delayed/cancelled trains, long queues in supermarkets, poor service from a business - sympathy doesn't negate the issue the sympathy is for, it just means we put up with it in a calm manner. It doesn't make it ok tho.


Thanks for the replies all. I wasn't here to vent it's just that after 7 days of waiting for calls/emails I just got fed up and wanted to highlight the problem.
Click to expand...
I don't think there is anyone on here who would praise PCS's call waiting times at present and my earlier response was not intended to try and shut you up (in case that's what you thought). IMO the only way PCS are going to be persuaded to improve in this area is if enough people constructively complain. That means contacting PCS directly, either by phone (yes, I know!) or via email at the enquiries address I gave you.

I encourage people to complain, but in the right way and to PCS themselves.
 
jamiephillips909

jamiephillips909

Godlike
Jameseth said:
Having spent nearly £3000 on gaming laptops over the last few years, this is the first time I've tried to get some support.

First I called and after 45 minutes of remaining as caller number 24 in the queue I gave up. Tried again next day earlier in the morning but same issue, caller 22 for nearly an hour with no change. What are people on the phone for so long for?
Then I tried email and got very little help and it took 3 days for a reply.

None of this is acceptable time scales for getting tech support.

Still needing some help, today I called again and was on hold from caller number 15 down to caller 1 and the music stopped and I just got cut off. I called back and was immediately caller 19. No way I'm sitting there for 2 hours listening to you tell me my call is important to you when clearly it is not!

Having no luck with phone or email, I just tried the live chat. Having gotten the message "Sorry, no operators are currently available" a few times I eventually got through. I explained my being cut off, and repeated attempts to get help taking days and not getting through and was desperate. The response from the chat person was:
**********************
We are truly sorry for the increased waiting time on the phone and the emails, we are currently under a really, really high pressure

I do apologies, LiveChat is for pre-sales advice only, please do send us and email or call and the support team will be able to assist you further, 0333-011 7000 or [email protected]
**************************

The live chat does not state it's for pre sales only so another waste of my time. And all they did was tell me to go do what I explained was a problem to me.


You know what annoys me on top of this terrible terrible service? The live chat was responded to within 20 seconds - of course it was, it's pre sales, you put plenty of resource on selling but then once the deal is done you provide a very poor service.


At this point I will be looking to purchase my next gaming products elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Can I ask what your issue is maybe some of us may be able to help ?
 
J

Jameseth

Member
jamiephillips909 said:
Can I ask what your issue is maybe some of us may be able to help ?
Click to expand...
TL;DR;
I need to know what fans the laptop uses so I can order new ones.
17.3" Optimus IX 2018


-----------

To explain and avoid other suggestions or questions :)
It's a family members laptop who lives miles away, and used for Uni classes which are currently online due to Covid, so the laptop is a critical device not just for play. I get the laptop via courier to service/clean and it's 2.5 years old and is currently overheating, and shutting down with high loads. It's not been cleaned in 8+ months so the problem is "probably" that the fans are blocked and/or heat exchange blocked.

But this means the fans have been working hard, and for a small price (presume £30 or so?) for new fans it'll protect an expensive (£1300) laptop and parts like the CPU that would be expensive to replace. So I was just going to replace fans along with new thermal paste and a deep clean, as a decent service for a 2.5 year old laptop.

If it was my laptop I'd replace fans only if they were broken, but factoring the above with £20+ courier service each time I get it (and time/boxes/etc) I'd rather just give it a good overhaul than back and forth.


PCS replied in email suggesting they would order fans for me, but at the time I was in a scenario I needed them fast and as I couldn't get through on the phone after numerous attempts, and email takes days for a reply, I got stuck needing a simple reasonably quick answer about how long they'd take to deliver or what fans they are so I could perhaps buy elsewhere with fast delivery. Hence this thread about support being bad and causing me problems.

I don't "expect" an instant response from PCS and accept they are busy and under strain from Covid, but I've spent well over 4 hours on hold on the phone with no outcome (never getting down the queue), and a recent attempt getting to number 1 and being cut off only to have to call back and be at number 19 again and would be another 2+ hour on hold. Being on hold with the music going is a problem within the PCS support hours as I have to work those hours myself.

I asked about aftermarket fans for the laptop in here https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/threads/optimus-series-overheating.76465/ but learned there's no such thing. But I do still need to know what fans to order, or if PCS will deliver within a few days.


Cheers :)
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Jameseth said:
But this means the fans have been working hard, and for a small price (presume £30 or so?) for new fans it'll protect an expensive (£1300) laptop and parts like the CPU that would be expensive to replace. So I was just going to replace fans along with new thermal paste and a deep clean, as a decent service for a 2.5 year old laptop
Click to expand...
I get why you would rather just replace the fans, but they are expensive if buying from an official parts stockist.

They're specific to the chassis, you'd have to buy replacements from an authorised reseller like Eurocom but they're not cheap (around £50 per fan):

Eurocom Upgrade Clevo

EUROCOM Fully configurable and upgradeable Desktop Replacement Notebooks, mobile workstations, mobile servers and Portable LCD PC systems. Our products are engineered for quality, performance, long-term stability and serviceability. Eurocom Corporation is based on the philosophy that the...
eurocom.com eurocom.com

That's if it's a clevo model (the model number will be on the underside of the laptop).

If it’s a TongFang, then your only option is through PCS as they don’t supply any resellers, only system integrators like PCS.

PCS will deliver next day once despatched, although at the moment it may take longer than normal to despatch.
 
Last edited:
Bhuna50

Bhuna50

Author Level
Have you tried just putting through an RMA request for a new fan(s) then PCS can try to source for you and as part of the RMA they will quote and add an invoice to your account. When settled they will then post out to you.

In the RMA make sure you state that you are happy to change it over yourself and it’s not a return of the laptop to do. They will advise further then.

It will probably be quicker/easier than talking to someone on phone. You don’t have to waste hours waiting on phone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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