I was working on a customer's computer today that was taken to Staples for a "tune-up" service. For whatever reason, the customer did not feel comfortable with any further service, and she brought the computer to my shop. Apparently it needed a new fan. Thankfully a customer of ours is a friend of hers, and they recommended bringing it in here.
Like always I clean out every computer carefully with compressed air. While having the machine open, I do a full inspection of all the guts of the computer and make sure all parts look ok, and seem to be working as they should. This computer was very dirty inside, and had never been cleaned out, and apparently they had put in a new modem for her. Also, there was an old post it note sitting in the bottom of the computer???
After cleaning the machine, I install a new fan, and it is working great, can't even hear it when turned on. Then I thought I would take a quick peek to make sure the computer was cleaned up and things were in tip top shape.
When the computer booted it had several errors about files it could not find. There were way too many processes running and obviously if there was a cleanup, I don't know what was cleaned up. Staples sold her Windows Live OneCare and it was installed, and of course they charged her for that too.
There are several issues that I have here. First of all Staples is a great store for Business and stationary supplies, but they are not a computer repair company, even though they market it like they are the computer gods that will make all your problems go away.
Secondly, they sold her software that is not longer being made, and soon will not be supported by Microsoft. That Anti-Virus is terrible, and they still sold it to her and charged her for it. I blogged about it recently: http://paulrepair.blogspot.com/2009/02/microsoft-security-software-another.html
My last rant is about what they promise, and what they did. If you read the promo below, you will see that system was supposed to be cleaned out, clutter removed, and the performance of Windows optimized. None of that was done and a lot of important little things were missed including spyware and adware.
I feel that this customer was ripped off, and all they wanted was to make as much money as they could without really doing anything of any value for the customer. This makes me very angry, if you could not tell!
Interestingly, this is not the first time I have seen this happen. I had another customer a few months back who had a VERY similar experience. This customer took the computer into Staples computer repair department, and ended up bringing it to me to be fixed. Staples messed things up big time, charged a lot of money and could not fix it properly. They brought the PC over to my shop and I got that computer running the way it should have been.
I want to bring this to your attention so you, your family or friends do not use this service and get ripped off. I take pride in my work and the computer repair field. I hate to see companies giving our industry a bad name and customers getting such bad service.
Here is a copy of what was included in their promotion. This was printed in Staples Flier, PC magazine, and other websites :
Bring your personal computer into your local Staples store, through April 4th, and receive a free tune-up ($29.99 value).
From PCMag:
The Staples PC tune-up, conducted by certified in-store technicians, addresses the most common issues impacting computer performance by:
Cleaning out system clutter and eliminating unnecessary files
Optimizing platform Windows performance
Organizing files on hard drives by defragmenting files
Suggesting low-cost ways to upgrade disk storage and memory
Identifying security vulnerabilities such as outdated virus definitions, the absence of firewall software, and lack of e-mail filters
Customers will receive a full Tune-up report that includes a comprehensive system analysis, a detailed list of services performed, and suggestions for further improving performance. With the free PC tune-up, customers can identify ways to extend the life of their current computers with low-cost performance upgrades.
If you think I am the only one not happy with Staples Easytech service. Read this horror story.
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