Charlotte Street Computers - Mac and PC Repair — Local services in Asheville

A TALE OF TWO VISITS. I am having a problem with the MACBOOK Pro I purchased from Charlotte Street Computers a few years back. It isn't a big problem. For some reason I am losing my Internet connection minutes after coming online. I am computer illiterate so I figured I must have pushed the wrong key or something. I thought I'd stop by the home store and ask if somebody could take a quick look at it. I'm talking no more than a minute or two to see if I had screwed it up. So briefly explain what is going on with my Macbook to the gentleman manning the counter. I asked him if he could take a quick look at my settings and see if I had turned something off, etc. He told me he knew NOTHING about computers and that if I wanted a technician to look at it I'd have to check it in for diagnostic tests. I explained to him that I needed my computer and checking it in really wasn't something I had planned for. I asked again, "Isn't there anybody who can take a minute to look at it. He reiterated to me that was not possible. At this point I really didn't have a choice so I decided to check it in. The person "checking" my computer had a few questions, i.e., Address, phone number. He asked me to repeat again what was going on with my Macbook. So I repeated to him the problem I was experiencing and as I was explaining the issue he interrupted me, "That's enough. I'm not writing a novel." That was kind of rude but isn't the reason I am writing this review. So after 10 minutes or so he started to put a service request sticker on my computer. He said, "To run diagnostics it is $80 paid in advance." I suggested to him that in the future he tell the customer upfront about the $80 service charge. But that is not why I am writing this review. I told him I had no problem paying to get it fixed but that I really didn't believe it was an $80 problem.. By then a technician emerged from the back. "Now this guy knows his way around a computer. He can help me!" So I asked him, "Could you take a minute and look at my computer and see why it is losing the internet connection minutes after starting it up?" He was my knight in shining armor! He looked at me and said curtly, "And I could break it in a minute too!" WHAT? Did he really just say that? I was speechless. This guy, well to be honest, both of these gentlemen were the opposite of helpful. Not only that, they made me feel foolish, like I was oblivious to the way of the computer tech... WHICH I AM! They are supposed to make me feel comfortable and take solace in knowing I am in good hands. Yet still that is not why I am writing this review. You see, the day before I had brought the same Macbook into the same store. I was waited on by a very kind and empathetic young gentlemen. I explained to him that I could not get my Macbook to start up. He grabbed my Macbook, with no fear that he might BREAK IT, to a work area behind the counter. Within minutes he had my computer fired up! He took a look at my power cord. "This is the problem. You have the wrong power cord. Your Macbook needs the 85W power cord. The cord you are using is meant for a much smaller computer." I had no idea! So he went and got me one. It retailed for $79 plus tax. I also purchased a phone adapter for my car. My bill came to a little over $90. And I was happy to spend the money. I had worried the Macbook was ruined. He told me I should get another 5 years or so out of the Macbook before I'd need to replace it. He then took the time to look at a picture of my two iMacs, one purchased in 2008, the other in 2011. He told me the older computer was basically useless but the 2011 iMac, with a servicing etc., for about $300 would be viable for another 2 or 3 years. And that is why I am writing this review. I have done a lot of business with Charlotte Street Computers. And my interactions with staff have always been exemplary. Including my visit yesterday, (Thursday, September 12, 2019.) But what happened today, well there is no excuse for that. It's laughable. And I imagine quite embarassing to the ownership of...

We have used Charlotte Street Computers because it is very close to home and we believe in supporting locally owned business. So those of us in the family who buy and use Apple computers have bought there and used their services to transfer data. Their service is comparatively slow, unless you pay the expediting fee, but otherwise reasonable--until lately. We bought a new Macbook Pro because we would no longer live with the dongle hell that Apple gave us with the new one-port Macbook. The Pro crashed hard four days later. The people at Charlotte Street guessed that it might have happened because the computer was shut down during an update (Apple does silent updates). We said that we would appreciate anything they could do to retrieve data, but we wanted a new computer. They said they would not do that, but would give us a free expedited service. Two days later, they returned the computer, saying they had returned it to its original state as a new computer, which was not true, because it had a "tech" sector that didn't belong. The next morning it crashed again. We called, and they said they would not replace the computer but would help us work with Apple on a replacement. Since we had purchased AppleCare, we expected better, and called Apple, who told us that any licensed Apple Store was required to take back a computer for a refund for any reason within 14 days. Why did Charlotte Computer refuse to honor that? The Apple representative said it was odd, looked into it, and recommended that we not go back to Charlotte Street but deal exclusively with Apple itself, which we're doing but at further cost of time. As for getting the data off the 4-day-old computer, well, it's just four days of work lost. And don't believe what reviewers say about "friendly service"--it's friendly right up to where you don't agree entirely that they are right about everything. By comparison, my son bought an expensive gaming laptop from BestBuy, decided he wanted even more power and would build a desktop from scratch, and BestBuy returned his money promptly, no questions asked. They sell Apple, too, and if we stick with Apple, we'll be buying from them, and using the Geek Squad...

And now this store has closed... as of 4/28... Suddenly... the owner is ill and burned out after a long run, and can no longer manage, an employee may be an angel.... overheard: the official Apple connection will disappear; repair will continue...The techs were completely shocked...Which makes you wonder what's happened to these stores. Experimax, which was so good at fixing hardware and sold used apples mysteriously closed... another apple store is rumored to be on edge... And then Christopher's computers is 'troubled'. The tech, the only tech, comes in twice a week from Hendersonville, has not heard from "Christopher' in a year, makes $14 an hour and is overwhelmed... When it comes to the trades Asheville is a strange place. Generally speaking. In my experience, people are professional and competent but often small retail businesses seem badly managed. A sweeping statement... but true... a small town having problems coming of age?... In the case of Charlotte street computers, there were hints perhaps, an often empty store, too much 'merch', and the $50 express fee, which no one seems to have thought through...Despite all that, my last experience was very good....and fair.... In response to the response to my original review, the problem is not covid, and demand is there, along with techs.to do the work.... With CSComputer the problem is management — according to people who know far...