First of all, I'm sorry for polluting the forum with yet another voice of discontent. I'm only doing this because because I have some faith in Lenovo. My loyalty to ThinkPads has brought me this far not to simply have me return the unit and wash my hands of the affair. I want a resolution.
I posted about this at the time, but two weeks ago I received a new W520 without an internal modem. I wanted the modem. This thread is not about the fact that I want a modem or why I might possibly have need for one; it is about the fact that no one I got in touch with really cared to actually help me out. (I had expected the part because it was listed as a feature of the model I purchased (specifically type 4270) in the tabook.pdf. Lenovo's business decision to remove the modems from these machines half way through selling them was not mentioned anywhere in the sales process. I call this blatant misrepresentation. I only found out that it didn't include the modem once I'd paid for it and received it.)
But I have now made countless calls to the numbers Lenovo lists on its US site, and not one person I talk to can help me either get a modem or have my complaint listened to. I have taken names at every opportunity for a shred of accountability but it does not help. In the end I just started asking for the customer service/relations number directly, but none of the helpdesk staff would give it to me. Apparently there's "no such thing". Finally I got so frustrated with the lack of any real customer service that I had to hang up on the last guy.
I was told that I couldn't buy a modem. I was told that no models include the modems anymore, when they clearly do. One manager ("Pasha") told me that my machine was upgradeable and that I could in fact buy the part, at additional cost. But I couldn't; I called technical support, got the part number, and when I called Sales back they said they "didn't carry it". Pasha also told me that technical support was customer support, but the tehcnical support man with whom I spoke said there was, again, "no such thing".
The helpdesk operators were indifference to my case. They didn't really care that I wanted to give them business. They didn't really care that I was actively seeking to help Lenovo improve. The story is quite long, so I'll stop there, but essentially no one I called at Lenovo could help me or even cared to help me beyond the "scope" of their immediate job description. They couldn't even redirect me. They were quick to absolve themselves of blame. They didn't even want to try. All they have are their flowcharts to direct customer queries - and it's disgustingly poor service.
But, now that I think about it, I'm actually going to send this W520 back. Maybe ThinkPads have finally lost their charm for me: when you spend a lot of money on a high-end product, you shouldn't be fighting to give your money away. You should be relishing in the quality of your purchase. I don't think any other luxury good maker takes this approach.
What I want to know is: who is it at Lenovo that cares about its customers? Where are the PR teams, the customer relations teams? What kind of company hires and trains frontline staff to present to its most loyal customers such a disjoint, inconsistent and totally irresponsible face? Or is Lenovo now the archetypal corporate behemoth whose customers are but a nuisance to humoured only until they part with their cash?
I'm genuinely sad... indignant, even.
