Once you’re purchasing for a brand new laptop computer, you should think about many traits of the gadget, just like the efficiency, battery life, show and design and naturally, worth. Nevertheless, the standard of tech assist you will obtain from the producer must also be an element.
The extent of customer support you will get does not seem on a spec sheet, however it issues loads whenever you’re attempting to get a report accomplished for the following day and the touchpad or show simply stopped working. That is why, for greater than a decade, Laptop computer Magazine has printed our Tech Help Showdown, for which we go undercover to check and grade the ten main laptop computer manufacturers.
From Fb to Reddit, from the online to creating precise telephone calls, we’re testing each facet of your favourite model’s tech assist. We additionally take a detailed take a look at every firm’s warranties to see which model will reign supreme.
Google and Gigabyte/Aorus have been excluded from this yr’s showdown as Google did not launch any laptops this yr and we did not obtain sufficient from Gigabyte to make the minimize.
Listed below are the outcomes of Laptop computer Magazine’s 2023 Tech Help Showdown.
| Firm Title | Total (100) | Net Rating (20) | Cellular App Rating (15) | Social Media Rating (15) | Cellphone Rating (30) | Guarantee Rating (20) |
| Apple | 95/100 | 20/20 | 13/15 | 12/15 | 30/30 | 20/20 |
| Razer | 86/100 | 18/20 | 15/15 | 15/15 | 18/30 | 20/20 |
| Lenovo | 85/100 | 17/20 | 12/15 | 13/15 | 27/30 | 16/20 |
| Dell | 80/100 | 17/20 | 9/15 | 12/15 | 24/30 | 20/20 |
| Asus | 80/100 | 17/20 | 13/15 | 12/15 | 23/30 | 15/20 |
| Microsoft | 79/100 | 18/20 | N/A | 14/15 | 27/30 | 20/20 |
| Acer | 73/100 | 16/20 | 12/15 | 10/15 | 20/30 | 16/20 |
| Samsung | 67/100 | 16/20 | N/A | 13/15 | 20/30 | 18/20 |
| HP | 63/100 | 12/20 | 8/15 | 8/15 | 18/30 | 15/20 |
| MSI | 44/100 | 15/20 | N/A | N/A | 14/30 | 15/20 |
Laptop computer Tech Help Showdown: The Winners
After three lengthy years, Apple has lastly recaptured the crown. The corporate supplied near-perfect service with well mannered and educated employees. The corporate’s tech assist group actually impressed with its endurance in the direction of a perceived aged individual.
Razer additionally had a near-perfect efficiency. The corporate did not miss considered one of our questions. They have been quick, well mannered and authoritative. So the place did they go unsuitable? The corporate nonetheless does not supply 24/7 telephone assist and typically we referred to as in and nobody picked up.
Laptop computer Tech Help Showdown: The Losers
With no actual social media presence or appto communicate of, MSI finds itself again on the underside. These lacking parts already put the corporate on the again foot, however just a few incorrect solutions helped decrease the corporate’s rating.
No. 1: Apple (95/100)
Net assist: https://assist.apple.com
Cellphone quantity: (800) 275-2273 (24/7)
Key takeaways: After three years of sitting in second place, Apple lastly reclaims the highest spot. The corporate served up right solutions, with professionalism and a heaping dose of endurance. The corporate presents a deep properly of sources on its assist web page and an important guarantee plan.
No. 2: Razer (95/100)
Net assist: https://assist.razer.com
Cellphone quantity: (855) 872-5233
Key takeaways: In a shocking flip of occasions, Razer drops from the primary spot, regardless of having an ideal rating when it comes to pace, accuracy and accumen. Nevertheless, a number of unanswered makes an attempt to contact the decision middle sealed the corporate’s destiny.
No. 3: Lenovo (85/100)
Net assist: Hyperlink
Cellphone quantity: 1-877-453-6686
Key takeaways: Lenovo is a drive to be reckoned with within the tech assist area. The corporate’s power is in its telephone assist the place Lenovo’s tech assist group gave right solutions. However decreased hours on the patron tech assist aspect stored the corporate from rising larger. However regulate this firm as its solely a few factors away from the highest spot.
No. 4: (Tie): Dell (80/100)
Net Help: Hyperlink
Cellphone Quantity: 1-866-695-2237
Key takeaways: Bots and people working collectively in the direction of a extra excellent tech assist expertise. Boasting a ridiculous quantity of name facilities, an ever increasing library of useful movies and a seamless app expertise, Dell has loads to supply shoppers. They only have to brush up on their proprietary software program information notably on the Dell XPS entrance.
No. 4 (Tie): Asus (80/100)
Net Help: Hyperlink
Cellphone quantity: 1-888-678-3688
Key takeaways: Asus slipped a spot all the way down to fourth and continues to be locked in a tie with Dell. The corporate has a powerful telephone presence as properly, we simply want the service was out there 24/7. On prime of that, Asus’ dwell chat are again up and working which is nice for these of us unwilling to talk to somebody over the telephone.
No. 5: Microsoft (79/100)
Net Help: Hyperlink
Cellphone Quantity: 1-800-642-7676
Key takeaways: Microsoft maintains its maintain on fifth place for an additional yr. The corporate delivered stable assist with correct solutions more often than not delivered in a reasonably agile turnaround. Nevertheless, a devoted assist app will assist Microsoft climb larger within the ranks.
No. 6: Acer (73/100)
Net assist: Hyperlink
Cellphone quantity: 1-800-624-9896
Key takeaways: Acer sits in the course of the pack because of a blended efficiency on telephone. However spotty social media efficiency within the U.Ok. turned a hinderance to the corporate. Nonetheless Acer’s assist sights presents a plethora of useful sources bolster by a speedy dwell chat.
No. 7: Samsung (67/100)
Net Help: Hyperlink
Cellphone Quantity: (800) 726-7864
Key takeaways: Samsung presents a deep library of FAQs, guides and tutorial movies on its assist web page. The corporate additionally boasts fast social media response. Nevertheless, a glut of considerably redundant proprietary apps makes it tough for tech assist brokers to level you in the best course.
No. 8: HP (64/100)
Net assist: Hyperlink
Cellphone quantity: (866) 695-2237
Key takeaways: HP finds itself in eighth place because it continues to make it tough for folks on the lookout for assist to search out it on its web page. The app makes customers leap via lots of hoops to get to a solution, that wasn’t essentially the best one.
No. 7: MSI (60/100)
Net assist: Hyperlink
Cellphone quantity: 1-888-447-6564
Key takeaways: MSI is as soon as once more in final place and its unhappy to see. It was making a sluggish, however ascent up the ranks. However its lack of a social media presence and no assist app is holding the corporate again.
How We Charge and Take a look at Tech Help
To see how properly laptop-makers assist their merchandise, we went undercover, posing as on a regular basis customers, and tried to get solutions to 3 questions. We explored nearly each choice out there to shoppers from the highest ten laptop computer producers together with boards, social media, dwell chats, apps and the calling in.
For every model, we requested about methods to regulate touchpad sensitivity in addition to methods to cover the system from different gadgets and networks. Whereas our third query was customized for every producer.
We initiated two telephone classes for every model, asking one query per session. We additionally used every firm’s net sources — together with articles, boards and dwell chat — to search out solutions. We tried to contact the businesses by way of each Fb and Twitter. If an organization provided a cell app for assist, we additionally tried that.
Every model obtained a rating out of 100. Thirty of these factors price the corporate’s telephone assist with 20 factors going to net and guarantee and 15 factors going to apps and social media presence, respectively.
