VietNamNet Bridge – At first, super-speed computer warranty service meant that the computers’ errors could be fixed within 24 hours. Later, the service could be implemented within 8 hours. And now, users can get their computers back after four hours only.
8 hours is … too slow

Foreign computer brands now not only compete in the domestic market by offering specific features, good designs and low prices, but also by offering super-speed services.

In fact, the super-speed service competition kicked off in 2009, but it has only heated up recently, while a series of foreign brands, namely Acer, HP, ASUS, and Lenovo or Toshiba, Sony, Vaio and Dell have joined the race of upgrading the warranty services. They have been trying to expand the networks of centers that take orders from clients, and to shorten the time needed to fix problems.

Therefore, the concept of “super-speed service” has changed regularly in its meaning. Two or three years ago, when using super-speed service, clients automatically understood that the errors would be fixed within 24 hours. The time needed was shortened to eight hours in 2009, and then to four hours now. Especially, in many cases, errors could be fixed on the spot after tens of minutes.

HP Vietnam is considered the pioneer in the race. In mid 2009, the company launched the warranty service in which it committed to fix the problems just within eight hours at consumers’ houses. However, the super-speed service then was applied only to some models.

Especially, HP Vietnam promised that in case the maintenance center could not fulfill the services during the committed time, clients would be able to change the products, or borrow products from the supplier for using.

HP Vietnam has made another step when in early 2011, when it announced the 4-hour warranty mechanism, applied for some models of products, including HP ProBook, HP G-series and HP Pavilion (dv3 and dv4). As for the troubles relating to the power supplies, batteries, hard drives, DVD drives or keyboards, clients would get other devices immediately for replacement.

While HP Vietnam was dominating the market with super-speed service, in mid July 2011, ASUS announced the launching of the warranty service with free receiving and delivering at clients’ doors, applied to many laptop lines, Eee PC and Eee Pad.

Clients just need to make calls or send emails to report about their problems, while the company will send staff to clients’ houses to take the products away for fixing and then they will bring the products back to the clients.

However, ASUS only made a general commitment that the errors would be fixed within 12-36 hours, depending on the complexity of problems.

Meanwhile, a lot of other brands including Acer, IBM – Lenovo, Sony Vaio, Toshiba or Dell, who have been present in Vietnam for a long time, still keep indifferent to the super-speed service race.

Acer, for example, launched the “24/7 warranty services”, and then launched “golden warranty” service package. However, it collects the fee of one million dong a year for the service to fix problems due to contingent incidents, or the mistakes of users. Meanwhile, no more new noteworthy policy has been launched since 2009.

However, according to Buu dien Vietnam, a lot of manufacturers, though having not officially announced super-speed service packages, is still taking special care for VIP clients, who are general corporations, or ministries.

Super-speed service – an important playing card

As such, if only considering the committed duration for fixing troubles, though most companies now only have services in big cities of Hanoi, HCM City and Da Nang, HP is now leading the Vietnamese market.

Trinh Thanh Lam, a senior executive of HP Vietnam, said that HP wants to create a differentiation with post-sale services, which explains why HP has been focusing on developing post-sale services and distribution channels, considering this an “important playing card” in the games.

An executive of a company firm said that the short time for fixing problems still cannot say about the quality of products or the quality of warranty services.

However, other executives argue that when the technologies have become popular, and the quality of products has been upgraded every day, good post-sale services should be seen as an important factor to attract clients.

Buu Dien