Wal-Mart will have technical support....

NetworkingStudent

Wal-Mart will have technical support in place before the holiday season.


ZoomTech support? Since when does Wal-Mart offer tech support? Apparently as of now according to Reuters, stating that the retail giant's new customer support move could turn up the heat on rival Best Buy. But don't take the announcement literally: consumers won't be able to waltz into the Electronics Department with a burned up PC and expect immediate repairs.

For tech savvy consumers and Tom's Hardware/Guide readers, the new tech support will probably be useless. But for consumers who have no clue in setting up a wireless router or throwing together a brand new home theater, Wal-Mart's new service may be worth the money. In addition to the products, shoppers will be able to purchase service plans on a prepaid card ranging from $99 to $339. The service will also include a preliminary consultation and a tutorial after everything is installed.

Wal-Mart is working with privately held N.E.W. Customer Service Companies to get the technical support service into gear, and plans to have it up and running in all U.S. Wal-Mart stores in time for the holiday season. The service may prove beneficial in the long run, reducing the amount of returns based on consumer inexperience in setting up the equipment or using them correctly.
Wal-Mart in the PC repair business..........I just can't see it
Thoughts?

/usr

As much as we as IT professional may look down on these types of services, I think they're simply trying to enter a market where they see the potential to generate revenue.

Let's face it. Even today, most aspects of IT are still a mystery even to folks who use the technology daily. Something incredibly simple to us, like setting up a home network or troubleshooting a simple PC problem, is just something the average user simply doesn't understand and doesn't want to understand.

If they can make money providing the service, I say go for it. Wouldn't you?

dynamik

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

Apparently as of now according to Reuters, stating that the retail giant's new customer support move could turn up the heat on rival Best Buy.

Why are people vying for the title of worst support?

Kaminsky

/usr wrote: »

Let's face it. Even today, most aspects of IT are still a mystery even to folks who use the technology daily. Something incredibly simple to us ...

Neighbour of mine works at the local refuse ****. He regulary brings home discarded laptops/PCs and sells them cheap to another neighbour of mine who does a few minor things to them and gets them working perfectly again. Then he sells them for good money on ebay.

In the UK we have support chains like PC world who charge rediculous prices for "fixing" customer problems but I can't moan as there is no way I would want to repair peoples systems as a sideline. They will argue over cost, moan that it's not as good as it used to be or unable to recover damaged/deleted files, expect you to install unlicensed stuff with scant disregard to the legality of it and blame any future problem they encounter on whatever you did when you fixed it before.

Let them go to the repair chains I say.

Zartanasaurus

Why the thumbs down? You one of those Wal-Mart haters?

Daniel333

IT people do look down on this sort of thing.

But just flashing back to Geek Squad days. I can remember us having as many as 40-50 computers backed up for repair and our 3 field guys backuped up 2-3 weeks! There is a lot of money here.

matradley

Daniel333 wrote: »

IT people do look down on this sort of thing.

But just flashing back to Geek Squad days. I can remember us having as many as 40-50 computers backed up for repair and our 3 field guys backuped up 2-3 weeks! There is a lot of money here.

Yes, people need to have their computers "looked at" one way or another.