OWC Online Tech Support? What Tech Support?=no Response...Hello?

[rexrzer]

I'm upgrading my G5 1.8GHz DP (Rev. A) with a new internal RAID 0, and I was on the fence about what parts to put it together with. So knowing that OWC stocks virtually everything to make it happen, I sent in an online Tech Support Request on Sunday. I asked a bunch of specific questions about Sonnet's G5 Jive, the FirmTek SeriTek 1V/4, and 4 Maxtor or Seagate HDs...basically I wanted confirmation that the products would work well together BEFORE I bought anything. I gave them my email, and my telephone number.

Spending upwards of $700 on this project, I wanted to be sure I was buying the right stuff.

Well, here it is Wednesday, and I've not heard a word from OWC Tech Support. I am a previous customer, and have a buying history there that goes back to 2000, so it's not the first time I've asked questions online before buying something. I also sent in a support request to FirmTek, and they responded on Monday, and Tuesday after receiving even more questions from me. In fact I have four emails from FirkTek's head support person, a Mr. Kim, and he was most helpful.

So today I emailed MAXupgrades.com, sellers of MaxConnect, a rival product to Sonnet's G5 Jive, at about 11AM, for some feedback on that product. Also gave them my email and phone number. At about 1PM my studio's phone rings, and it's a Mr. Sayed from MAXupgrades.com, and he's most cordial, tells me everything I want to know in a few mintues, and offers his personal assistance, should I need it, in installing/configuring a RAID 0 array in my G5 if I buy his product.

Most impressive, I thought. And the best part is that MAXupgrades.com is local to me, being in SoCalifornia like I am, so getting Mr. Sayed on the phone shouldn't be very difficult should I need his help. So guess which way I'm going with my purchase? Yes, unfortunately I'm not buying from OWC this time.

As for HDs, I found a source for retail packaged Seagate 7200.8 300GB SATA HDs last night on eBay for $128 each shipped, so that part came together easy. I hate buying OEM HDrives, and I got lucky last night on eBay, finding a motivated seller with some genuine retail boxed ST3300831AS-RK HDs.

And I'll order the MaxConnect kit, which is an aluminum billet HD mounting system, SATA data and power cables, a Y-splitter for the optical drive power source for the RAID, and a FirmTek SeriTek 1V/4 4-port internal SATA controller, to complete my upgrade. The whole package lists for $199 plus S&H.

I really wanted to purchase this upgrade from OWC, but it just didn't work out this time. I know, I could've called OWC on the phone and asked questions that way, but I've just been too busy to go through OWC's phone cue system. I gave everyone the same chance to contact me, and those that did are the winners here, along with yours truly. OWC's online Tech Support promises 24-hour response time, but here it is more than 3 days and nobody's called or emailed me.

I'm not trying to give OWC any bad press, just reporting exactly what's happened in the past 3 days, things that formed my buying decisions. I do think that if OWC offers online tech support with 24-hour response time as the automated botmail that I received on Sunday night wrote me, that they should deliver on that promise:

"Thank you for contacting Other World Computing's Technical Support!

Your email has been received, and you should expect a reply within 24
hours from one of our Technical Support representatives."

______________

[Racer X]

They are hit-or-miss when it comes to getting their attention. It has always been that way in my experience. that goes way back to the late '90s for me.

[grad]

Why not just call their Tech Support Phone # and talk to a human?

[MacMagus]

I see your point about calling OWC, however, my experience is that they answer the phone pretty quickly and the phone-menu is remarkably less irritating than most.

[OWC Larry]

How did you contact us? I get regular reports on our queue and the response time there is under 24 hours. Even same day except sometimes on Monday. We have a full tech support staff there 7 days a week now to cover e-mail support - and by there, I mean they are physical in, at our 1004 courtaulds location. They are also there now till about 11pm at night and from 6AM in the morning Monday through Friday.

That all said - the response time on e-mails should be damn swift.

Did you submit your request via:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Service/index....ntact.html

or use an e-mail address you might have corresponded via in the past?

I am very interested to know as unless it was the latter - something is quite amiss.

Also - from the form request, you would have gotten an automatic ticket# generated and e-mailed back to you confirming we received your submission. If you did not get that - then I would recommend checking your spam folder or the one your ISP set up for you in the event an overzealous anti-spam setting incorrectly classified our auto response and then real response after.

[OWC Larry]

sorry - missed this part as I re-read the whole thing.

Will certainly be all over this tomorrow.

One detail - the response from the system doesn't come from the same e-mail address as the auto-reply. The info I have doesn't support that no response was sent - will find out tomorrow what and when and then follow up with you. Still a possibility it got hung up. Regardless - doesn't change that you didn't hear from us.

And Racer - it takes very little to get our reps attention - their customer support staff pays attention to every customer and potential customer before and after the sale and whether on the phone or by e-mail - gives significant time to make sure each customer is taken care of. We don't rush people whether it be electronically or live by phone.

And soon - going to have that wonderful live chat via the website too.

One day at a time.

rexrzer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> "Thank you for contacting Other World Computing's
> Technical Support!
>
> Your email has been received, and you should
> expect a reply within 24
> hours from one of our Technical Support
> representatives."
>
> ______________
>
>
>
> What's the difference between reality and fiction?
> Fiction has to make some sense.

[rexrzer]

My apologies to those I've offended and/or upset with this post...there was no harm intended, and it was not necessary for everyone to have a heart attack about it.

What happened is what happened, no more, no less. I have no idea what internal problem there was that a simple tech support request would fail to get answered, after I was given a confirming email from the OWC robot on Sunday everning.

I gave OWC Larry the ticket number, if it makes any difference. Hopefully it will.

FLASH! Just as I was typing this, I got an email from Zach in OWC's Tech Support Dept.
That's amazing. I guess a fire got lit under someone's canopy in the past hour or so. Well, better late than never. I appreciate the effort, albeit a trifle late.

I hate to be the bell ringer, you know? The squeaky wheel on the carriage...I just wanted some advice, some quality advice, regarding a rather expensive investment in my G5 tower. I hope that next time things will go more smoothly. For everyone...

______________

[Racer X]

In all fairness, every time I have needed OWC for something out of the ordinary, I have always gotten at least what I needed, and usually more than I was expecting.

I always seem to need help when they are experiencing growing pains.

[d0e]

maybe this is the right form to fill out http://eshop.macsales.com/Service/sales_request.cfm , tech support to me would be having a problem with something you just got not something you are thinking of getting

[kap]

The tech support has often been good with assistance over the phone with me :-)

Kap