Category: | Computer Store |
Address: | 1349 Som Center Rd, Mayfield Heights, OH 44124, USA |
Phone: | +1 440-449-7000 |
Site: | microcenter.com |
Rating: | 4.2 |
Working: | 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 11AM–6PM |
MA
Marc Vinson
OVERALL Im still trying to figure out this store. Were all lucky its here, in this age of rampant tech proliferation, confusion, duplication, and inevitable hardware/software meltdowns. And newly-created cable monopolies that blame your hardware, not their services (and deceptive, deliberate signal manipulations). Ive purchased laptops, monitors, back-up devices, modems, routers, security cameras, various hardware (large and small), even a coke on the way to the register. Maybe 30 trips, and many references. POSITIVE -- Helpful, collaborative, knowledgeable, personable salespeople -- Classy management -- Product selection (esp some impossible-to-find things) -- Prices -- Tech support (in store and on the phone) -- The (usual) ability for both managers and salespeople to make things right NEGATIVE -- Occasional lapses in knowledge (esp. of certain products) -- Product consistency (where did these come from) -- And a major, 6-month-old, unresolved service lapse (error, mistake, or total loss -- I dont know because no one will answer). The last issue keeps away the 5th star. POSITIVE DETAILS First, the most amazing people in terms of helpfulness, patience, customer first attitude. Perhaps its part of the Ohio-nice, perhaps the store culture. Some salespeople are a little more knowledgeable than others, and their time gets monopolized. But everyone is 10 steps above any competitor. Ive covered Stuart M, Veronica P, John W, Chris C, Ron W, Brian B, and others -- all great. A special kudos to John Mansel (only in Cleveland) for being one of the most helpful, unassuming, problem-solving tech guys/gals Ive ever come across in a retail store (including, respectful sigh, 75-year-old Radio Shack guys). The return policies are generous, the deals can be great, the things you can find if you take half a day and wander up and down the aisles are tech godsends. Its funny, I find some of the little things to be lifesavers, but some of the basics like monitor/TV mount selection (while wide) is repetitive/redundant (i.e., too much of basically the same, when I would expect to find a couple of out there options. PROBLEM DETAILS -- KNOWLEDGE: Product categories where assigned salespeople dont know the products in-depth, or much at all (e.g., security systems, home automation). If you really want answers, you have to wait for and hound the all-around techies. -- PRODUCT CONSISTENCY: Three products I purchased that -- either at the time or later -- seemed grey market (I subsequently verified all 3 as built for the US market via S/N confirmations). One example: an expensive monitor, couldnt be located in their SKUs, & it was one of only 2 in the store at the time. Another salesperson happened to overhear my questions and said, hang on, Ive seen something that might be interesting. The item: not previously carried, not carried since, so my support has to come from Samsung. But the price -- Im happy with the purchase. -- LOST REPAIR: Most problematic (as of this writing), relates to items I left for service that couldnt be fixed and one that has disappeared. Despite 4 attempts to locate a service order (retrieving data from a questionable old hard drive, but a fully functioning, back-up drive), it remains unfound. The first attempt to recover from the HD failed (fine), so I handed over the backup drive (though they declined to take the software, manuals, power supply, etc that went with it). I was promised a call from the technician working on the case within a week that never came. 5 months later, multiple trips to the service counter, paperwork in hand, and its still missing. The data loss, if it exists, I can live with, but all responses so far have amounted to I can see the order, but give us a few days to locate the hardware and/or data transfer. I dont know if they dont want to admit a mistake, or are genuinely still looking. Ive asked, but so far, no resolution and no attempt to make things right.
MI
Mike Eisenhut
Microcenter used to be one of my favorite stores if not my favorite! Unfortunately, not the case within the last year.. I go there ONLY if I absolutely need a computer part right then. A bigger issue I had was when I purchased a hard drive and couple memory sticks online for in-store pickup. Got an email an email confirmation saying “Your pickup reservation is ready!” I shoot out there (45 mins each way). They start pulling the order and only give two memory stick. I ask them about the hard drive and they had none in stock. It was a really good deal so I ask if they had any comparable. They said nope sorry. I head home with the memory only to find out that one is a DDR2-533 and one is a DDR2-800. Try them anyway and did not work, bios is beeping. Take pictures of the packages next to the ram. Drive all the way back out exchange with the correct ones. Write an email couple days later with pictures to Microcenter CS. Explaining how someone should verify that brand and series. Making sure no else has the same issue. Also about how a few days had gone by and they never fixed the hard drive inventory mismatch and the whole online/in-store pickup experience was dreadful. Just please fix that online drive issue, don’t bother having anyone call me over it. So sure enough they have the store manager call. He leaves a very monotone scripted sounding vm. I thought not worth my time to call back. Just to hear blah, blah, blah… sorry. Another time MC had a deal advertised on a Seagate drive with 5 year warranty. I grab that and a few other things. Get home, swap the drive out and go online to register the drive. To my surprise was only a two year warranty. Contact CS to let them know their ad is incorrect and they really should fix that. They were thankful and fixed it right away. I asked them if they could just throw an extended warranty on the drive. The one they always ask you to buy at the register. The rep said he cannot authorize that, but just to return the drive for a refund. Right.. After spending all that time mirroring the drive and there ride there and back. (Thanks! Big help you are! That sorry resolved everything!) I have had more issues, but running out of write space. All I have learned lately. Microcenter is happy to sell you something. However, if they have made a mistake, they give you nothing but a “sorry”. I thought it was really pathetic they would not even offer an extended warranty on that drive. Could have cost them nothing if I never used it. When a company does a little extra to show you they are truly sorry. It goes along way. Their response is “return it”. Woah! Great! Thanks! Not like every other store already offers that! Ive kept good documentation on the situations. Which is why I decided its not worth the headache of mistakes and poor attitude to shop there. Plus they make the employees franticly want to put "there stickers" on stuff they help you and dont help you with. Blah!
RO
Robert Lutsock
In the last month, ive made over 6 trips to microcenter to swap out defective parts for a computer im building. This comes with building computers so I expect it. The other trips were very educational and I usually had an employee who knew what they were talking about. My most recent trip has completely ruined my outlook on Micro center. For starters, I was returning a processor, some RAM, and a case fan. The return associate processed two of the returns fine, but repeatedly asked if I wanted to have the amount sent back to my credit card or store credit. From the beginning I told her I wanted everything in store credit. She asked me 4 seperate times, I repeated myself each time. What happens? She messes up on the most pricy item and sends it back to my card. Although she AND her coworkers claimed the money was usually deposited immediately or within 24 hours, im sitting here and still havent recieved anything. I drive 45 mins each way to get to microcenter and for the amount of money ive spent on gas going there, I couldve just bought everything online and not of been as surprised when I recieved faulty parts. I was there to return all of my AMD parts and switch to intel, which I couldnt do after she screwed my return up. You had one job, and two buttons to press, and you still chose wrong. Oh , and for anyone else this happens to, they cant override it after they mess up, so enjoy waiting 1 week to 1 month for a credit card refund. Still need to make yet ANOTHER trip so I can hopefully fix this, im just praying this is my last trip to micro center.