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Comp USA
Downtown Chicago location

On Wednesday I visited the store, spent a load of money on a PC and other bits and pieces to go with it, including extra memory, and various warranty programs offered by the store. Part of one warranty included delivery and set-up of the purchase.

The sales man was very helpful and answered my questions, the problems came after the sale was rung up.

The delivery and set up was scheduled for Friday between noon and 2pm. I guess I was expecting too much when I actually thought the delivery would be made between these hours. I had a late night Thursday, but crawled out of bed before noon so that I could let my new PC in. The Starbucks would have to wait. I waited and waited. No delivery man came. The phone didn't ring.

At two I called and dealt with one of those wonderful push button menu options which kept connecting me to a busy signal. When I kept calling and wouldn't let the phone system beat me, I eventually made it through to a human, who proceeded to connect me to someone's voice mail. After 1/2 and hour I got through to someone who could answer my question about my now, very late delivery.

The delivery guy was now just loading his truck (2:30pm), and would be on his way to me shortly. I asked if anyone had thought to call me and let me know. To the person on the other end of the phone, it was a question he didn't quite understand. All he could say was that the sales man had followed up with him to make sure the delivery was going out. Obviously a courtesy phone call was out of their realm of understanding. I had to cancel my afternoon plans and sit around irritated by the Comp USA, Chicago store's lack of customer service.

4pm rolled around. The phone didn't ring, there were no knocks on the door. My day off work was ruined and I called the store to cancel my order. I actually got through to a human on my first press of a button, only to be put on hold for 20 minutes whilst I was transferred to the tech department. The gal putting me through came back on the line after 20 minutes and the phone as though I was a new call and giggled when she realized I was still on hold and the tech department hadn't picked up.

It was 4:30pm by then and the tech department realized that my computer and accessories were still sitting in the shop and memory hadn't even been installed yet. They would get to it and didn't realize who the item was for. What was my phone call, which was received at 2:30pm, about then? They asked for an hour and it would be delivered. Needless to say I was skeptical as that brings us to 5:30pm and I had been waiting since noon. I live 20 minutes from the store if there is bumper to bumper traffic.

This has to be the worst service I have ever received from a store. Even the gas, electric and phone companies manage to show up between the hours they say they will. My wasted day and lack of reasonable customer service has me wishing I had never given my hard earned cash over to Comp USA and never wanting to buy from that store at all.

6pm rolls around and finally the delivery is made. This guy was no technician. Not in my description of the word anyway. He reeked of body odor and I had to air out my apartment when he finally left. I felt like I was in a scene cut from the movie Fargo watching this guy attempt to install the accessories I bought with the PC. He attached the keyboard cover incorrectly, which was as simple as attaching two clips. The cordless mouse I bought and wanted installed was supposedly faulty and had to be replaced. I have asked for a credit instead. By 7pm he finally left, eager to race home to his family, which explains his rushed job. My deal with the salesman was that the technician would install a program for me. This guy probably wouldn't have known how and didn't even know to attach the cordless mouse until I pointed it out to him. I wasn't about to have him spend another hour in my place trying to install a software program.

When he left I looked at what he had done. This guy must have cut himself and either not realized or just didn't say anything. There was blood all over the mouse, monitor edges and keyboard. Yes, blood on my brand new PC.

I had a printer which didn't have the correct connection for the new PC. I asked what sort of converter I needed. He said one that will fit in here and pointed to the back of the hard drive. That was all the information on the connection I could get from him. He suggested I buy a new printer. There is nothing wrong with the printer I have. Surely there is a less expensive way to go to be able to use the printer I have. He told me that everything in the box was trash. Luckily I went through it as there was a memory card in there (along with more blood).

7 hours later I finally have a PC. I have to install my software. I've cleaned off all the blood and aired my apartment. I now have to hope that my credit comes through for the cordless mouse and figure out what to do about my printer. The day was wasted and I am completely horrified by the service of Comp USA, downtown Chicago location.

~Sheila, December 2000

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