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It’s no mystery that Geek Squad, the subsidiary computer repair service of the Best Buy Company, is known for its incompetence and over-pricing in computer maintenance. After all, it’s Best Buy. Now, these computer services are sprouting up alongside many other major retailers.
A week after Dell announced its tech-support services with Wal-Mart, the retail chain Sam�s Club (which is owned by Wal-Mart) stated it will be adding a computer repair service to 20 of its stores. It’s called “Geeks on Call” and as the name implies, they make house calls. It’s not enough that Wal-Mart wants to produce cheap personal computers that are built to break, now they want to provide expensive services to repair them.
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While I will say that the techs with these companies are hit or miss… at LEAST get the facts right… Geeks on Call is a national franchise system for PC Repair… They have been around for nearly a decade. There are about 250 franchises nationwide. Yes, they do grossly overcharge, but are cheaper than Geeksquad.
And now they’re in 20 Sam’s Clubs.
ALL GEEKS ARE NOT CREAT EQUAL
Geeks on Call is cheaper than Geeksquad only charging a $79 onsite diagnostic in downtown cities like Washington DC and Chicago. This has not changed even with the rise in gas prices or problems with the economy.
They employ and send to your house and business industry certified techs with current background checks who are personable, honest, reliable and insured unlike many geek type companies working out of their kitchen.
They provide same day service in most cases with a one hour window of arrival and fix the problem onsite 95% of the time. They must charge more than most 19 year old technicians you find on the net or phonebook because they are a franchise and have a nationwide help desk and advertising requirements.
While their rates tend to be more than some teenagers working in between parties they usually fix IT related issues in 1/2 the time and why you should only trust a professional with your family’s pictures or your companies mission critical data.
As we all know you usually get what you pay for unless you are calling GeekSquad ofcourse and hiring a franchise provides a proven system and additional recourse through the franchisor if you are unhappy with local service..
Wow, �Sam�s Club has Geeks On Call to overcharge you and fix nothing.�
That�s a pretty big statement for a program that just started. Here are a couple of questions for the author (Ryan Ash) of this article. Are you a Sam�s Club member? If so, did you have �Geeks On Call� provide service on behalf of Sam�s Club? Have you ever had �Geeks On Call� provide any type of service for you in the last ten years?
Here are the facts. Other than a few company stores, �Geeks On Call� are locally owned Franchises. They are not affiliated with any big box store like �Best Buy�. These �Geeks On Call� Franchise Owners make it a point to provide a quality service. They have to because failure to do so would put their Franchise out of business. They have no big stores to hide behind and do not have any other ways generate other revenue like �Best Buy� They are just independent Franchises that focus on onsite computer repair.
Sure, �Geeks On Call� may be more expensive than local computer shops. However, one must keep in mind that �Geeks On Call� is onsite. If you compare �Geeks On Call� with other major ONSITE service providers, one would not find much difference in pricing. What you will often find if you have a �Geeks On Call� Franchise in you area is fast service. Many times it can be same day service.
So, you can drag your computer into a local store for repair, wait a couple of weeks, and hope it works with your printer at home. You can call the big stores and wait a couple of weeks for them to come out. Or, you can call �Geeks On Call� Again; you are paying for Onsite service and the comfort of knowing that the computer will work at your home or workplace where you need it to function. Also, it should be noted that each Franchise is independently owner and operated. Each Franchise Owner has to right to set their own pricing based on location and the market.
At the time of Mr. Ash�s article, �Sam�s Club� and �Geeks On Call� had just started testing a partnership in select areas. Most likely, Mr. Ash is not even in the select areas where this partnership is currently being tested. So, I would find it very difficult that Mr. Ash has had a chance to get any facts regarding service, pricing or anything else regarding �Sam�s Club� and �Geeks On Call�.
I do believe in �Freedom of Speech�. However, when talking about people�s livelihoods, I expect factual reporting. Without any kind of testing or facts, I find Mr. Ash�s statement regarding �Geeks On Call� overcharging and fixing nothing very irresponsible reporting to the point that some would consider it slander.
With Geeks On Call, you get CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS. You get professional people who left corporations to start their own business. They are local business owners and they give back to the community. In Dallas / Fort Worth, they have collected over 2,000 computers for Dallas and Fort Worth Can! Academies. These computers go to less fortunate childrens in these charter schools. They pay royalties and fees, to the Franchisor and they do not make allot of money. If you want good service for a fair price, call Geeks On Call. (1-800-905-GEEK)
cut out the middleman and hire the tech directly via OnForce.com instead of paying one of the Geek or Nerd companies to do it for you…
WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I’VE EVER SEEN
Geeks on Call finally showed up to my house 5 hours late and lied to me 3 times on when they would be there. I was on my way out when he showed, I didn’t want that liar in my house and told him I’m refusing service. I still can’t get a call back from a supervisor as to the $90 charge on my credit card. I’ve left 4 messages and an operator keeps telling me his supervisor will call me back. This is the worst customer service I have ever seen.
Unable to Get Repair or compensation from Sams Club … Get Runaround from different Persons each time I call … Failure to Repair HDTV From Nov 9 2009 to Now Jan 29 2010
2010 Feb 03 Sams Solution Number 1-479-498-6338 Say that is A Resolution when they Fail Some One Named Jenifer Called From 406-268-4084 ID Greatfalls Mt and told Me To Call The Other Number To Find Repair For Vizio 50 inch Plasma HDTV I have been working on Repair or resolution from 2009 Nov 09 .. they use a dishonest TV repair Company in Houston Area … Almost 3 months And No solution …Bad Warrenty Repair service … still unknown if 1 479-498-6338 is a Bad Joke …. Dial 1-479-498-6339# for a fax to be sent
02/04/2010 It Appears That Sam Club Repair 800-994-7267 & J & K Electronics 281-999-4443 Plan to Steal My HDTV for some reason . No return Of Calls From Either Place if there is a change I will Post again
Feb 7 2010 WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I�VE EVER SEEN J & K Electronics 281-999-4443 thru Sams Club Service. J & K Electronics Fail to return calls for over a month. They appaer to want to steal My TV For Parts or Unable to Repair … Maybe They Drop My Plasma Vizio TV Leigh Ann Supervisor From Sam Club Repair 800-994-7267 Failed to follow Up on service & refused My Calls on Feb 3 2010.. May Need to Make another attemped. Still working to get Repair or xchage or Refund since Nov 7 2010
Feb 18 2010 Got full refund Check From National Electronic Warranty .. Night Mere Over after over 3 MonthsYEA!!!