Tech Shop at the University of Michigan — Local services in Ann Arbor

A brief summary of my experience with Computer Showcase:

-- Spilled soda on my keyboard, and accidentally broke one of the keys trying to clean it myself.

-- Brought computer to get it repaired (de-stickied and the keyboard replaced); was told that it would be done in two days and three at the latest.

-- After two days, having heard nothing, submitted online question form. Was sent autoreply email saying I'd hear back within four business hours. Never heard back, even after 60 business hours.

-- Called Showcase three days after originally bringing computer in, was told that a part needed to be ordered and that it would be done within 24-48 hours. Was apologized to, we'll keep you updated, typical customer service platitudes.

-- 48 hours having elapsed, called Showcase again. Was told there was a delay in the shipping of the part (it having been ordered), and that it couldn't be predicted when computer would be ready. Was apologized to, we'll keep you updated, etc.

-- Came in a full week and a half after bringing it in, and was told that I could take my computer (still missing a key) but leave it in the queue, and when my part came in, I could bring it back. Well done Showcase, I was happy with this.

-- Computer was not cleaned -- all of the keys were still sticky, often to the point of being unusable.

-- Another week passes and there is still no word about my part, so I send another email message; this time it's actually replied to. I get a phone call from a manager in Tech Repair, and explain to him that it's been 2 and a half weeks for a repair I was originally told would last two days, and that neither part of the repair has been done -- even the part that I was told was done two weeks ago, and which the tech repair people specifically flagged as done.

-- Person is very sorry, will do anything to help, blah blah, I'll get back to you soon.

-- To his credit, actually does get back to me soon; in fact, as he explains, the part was never ordered because HP won't let the Computer Showcase order those parts! This is, apparently, despite the fact that I was told that the parts were ordered and in shipping two weeks earlier!

In summary, Computer Showcase is extremely good at apologizing. They're not good at...

I requested a loaner laptop from Sites@Home one year back. It was mid-August, so they gave me a Dell laptop from one of the new ones. It worked great but after a year, its battery degraded significantly. That was expected since I used it for gaming occasionally along with academic and internship work. But when I took it back to Tech shop for battery replacement, they told me straightaway that they do not replace the battery and I need to use it with degraded battery. This happened in July. Fast forward to August end, fed up with poor battery backup, I returned it. But I needed a lightweight laptop because my personal laptop is a gaming one and is heavy. So, I put a fresh request and went to the shop to pick up the new loaner laptop. This time the laptop they gave me had just 44% of battery health. The reason was that the laptops from new stock were already claimed which is a valid point. I was fine with that, but I just don't get it - What is the problem with battery replacement? It takes just 5 minutes to replace it, and battery is not glued to case like that of a MacBook. But they denied replacing the battery and giving loaner. Had to take it. If they can just order batteries for the laptops and replace them, it will save a lot of...

I am a massive fan of Computer Showcase at UMich. MASSIVE. As a frantic freshman with a laptop malfunctioning in every way imaginable, I walked in with anxiety, fearing the presumably inevitable words, “you need a new one.” However, those words were never spoken; in fact, they weren’t even considered! The hospitality in mannerisms was impeccable – the workers there are incredibly welcoming, understanding, and most importantly, helpful. I walked in with a list of about 6 issues, among those being USB drive malfunctions, Google Chrome crashes, software glitches, and internet connection barriers. All 6 of my problems were fixed in a matter of hours. Not only did they fix them without charge (given that I am a student), but they even apologized for taking 3 hours to finish! This apology was unnecessary in the best way possible and incredibly revealing of their high standards. I have every reason to thank them. I 11/10 would recommend this place for any and every computer issue. There is a special place in my heart for Computer...