StarTech PC — Local services in Austin

I came in because of the top-notch reviews and initially they were nice to be fair. My overall experience wasn't so great however. After getting my iPhone cracked screen replaced, I could tell the replacement screen was low quality (Force Touch rarely working, regular operations not working in many areas of the screen). The person who I presumed to be a manager mentioned how they did switch manufacturer's recently. Understandable. They replaced it again the next day and I realized it had the same issues + proximity sensor not working at all. Next time I speak with them they mention that it's likely that my phone is the issue and not their screens. I was skeptical because of the varying problems in the two replacement screens and the fact that I've seen how cheap quality screens behave from my time replacing screens years ago but the manager just rolled his eyes as if I was arguing needlessly and being a nuisance. The biggest issue for me with all of this was the fact that the manager mentioned that they thoroughly tested all these issues before handing me the phone; he even mentioned that the 2nd time I came in there were NO issues and they replaced the screen just in case. The thing is, I never gave them my passcode for the first two replacements so I knew he was lying through his teeth. Sure enough, he calls me on an alternate phone while fixing it for the 3rd time and asks for my passcode because "we can't actually test Force Touch capabilities without it". I drove 20 miles one-way to them 3 days in a row and waited a total of at least 7 hours and never received even a semblance of an apology. This was after they completely dismissed my concerns of the initial low quality screens being the root cause, gave me two faulty screens and the fact that they failed to properly connect a proximity sensor. Clearly no "thorough testing" happens here, so I would just be...

Honest, local company with easy parking and fair prices. I went to StarTech to have them fix my older Apple Watch. The face had cracked badly. This was my first visit and I didn't know what to expect. First, parking is easy - there's a lot in front of their building with plenty of space. It was easy to find: Immediately north of Oat Willies. I walked in without an appointment and was greeted immediately by a friendly tech. (No lines!) Because it's an older watch (by tech standards), he explained they would have to order the glass. He told me how much it would cost and promised the repair by Tuesday. (This was midday on a Saturday.) Heck yeah, MUCH easier and faster than the manufacturer's store, and the cost was in line with what I expected (hoped). I had my card out to pay when he paused and looked at the watch again, then used his thumbnail to pop off the screen protector. (Wait, what? I thought it had no screen protector - it was a gift.) He handed back my pristine, undamaged watch and recommended I buy a new screen protector online. No charge, no problem, have a nice day.

Folks, StarTech could have charged me for the repair, pocketed the money, and sent me on my way, another ignorant sucker. Not only did they not do that, it genuinely seemed like they didn't even think of cheating me. You bet I will remember them next time I need repair on a phone/computer/tablet/etc.

Bonus - they have a few super-nice refurbished laptops built for gaming /graphics/video production at reasonable prices -...

Some perspective on customer service: I stopped by to get cash for really old computer equipment. While there, I heard someone complain that the laptop they came to pick up didn't have the bag and mouse it came with when he dropped it off. This guy dropped off his laptop in March; it's the middle of August. The manager kindly explained that they don't normally take additional equipment, but will look for it. The customer berated the manager, saying their service has gone downhill.

Two points:

1. Businesses like this don't make money until you pay them. So they essentially worked on his computer, only to not get paid for five months. Yet they're expected to maintain space for new equipment to repair for money. Leave something at the dry cleaners, and it gets thrown out.

2. The manager tried explaining to the customer that they receive a couple hundred of computers a week - in fact, just received twelve since they've opened. By complaining about them "losing" what he could've taken with him (ironically, he said he kept it all together so it wouldn't get lost), yet leaving his stuff there for several months, he is essentially part of his problem with the store. He cluttered up their store, and wondered why they couldn't find his extra stuff.

Moral of the story: help a business stay in business by not being the problem you have with them. Thanks to the manager of this business for staying...