Your experience with Lexmark technical support?

[Rivergoat]

Recently I have found Lexmark to be simply absurd. Whereas I am a "certified service technician" and have access to the service providers site, it still has been more than frustrating to submit a warranty claim. The site requires a numeric code for the printer type, while not impossible, surely tedious since I have to backtrack and find out that a T630 is a 6090-xxx (or whatever the code); then the "machine type number" entry did not recognize anything I tried to enter on a claim to an X646e multi-function. Trying to call has been a joke. The first support number bounced me around for over an hour to at least 6 - 8 different people, ultimately transferring me to the department I began with. Another support number has a recording "this number will be disconnected soon," and refers me to another number. That number got me through to someone (and according to my company's directive is supposed to be a more knowledgable support line), but as soon as I said "warranty" they transferred me to the same know-nothing personnel as before. I gave up and drafted a letter (remember U.S. postal mail??? ) to the technical heads of the company. We'll see what happens.

Then today I just couldn't remember the key sequence to get into configuration mode on a T630. I did an on-line chat. The "tech", despite my clear question of configuration mode, comes back with the step to get into diagnostic mode. I repeat that isn't the mode I need, but configuration instead. Finally I got the sequence, but this should be base knowledge on their part. I am convinced I am writing to apes who are reading off a primer sheet, and actually do not know the product line.

Dell and HP are much easier to deal with, with HP being the easiest. A phone call to them and I get a warranty claim processed. On-line I can order parts through Dell with usually no problem.

So after all the rant, what's your experience with Lexmark? The products aren't bad (I service the big mono laser printers for the most part), but the company support is laughable.

[mojorolla]

Agreed. Lexmark tech support is a nightmare. I had one of their tech support people tell me " the service manual is a last resort type of thing"....no joke.

[fixthecopier]

They Suck. Only one company in my part of the state is an authorized service provider and they all have bad attitudes [COECO} . I had to service a full size Lexmark for Boeing,after a water pipe broke and got the machine wet. Boeing is one of their major accounts,and they would not give me the time of day. So I said I could not do anything with the finisher and made them buy another finisher for over 2 grand. They bought it, I hooked it up, and I hope I never have to work on it again. And they suck!!!!!

[jdylong]

We have been part of Lexmark's BSD program since 2008. If they have one weakness it is back end support. With that said we have seen some improvements in their service department. We have an 800 number that get's us straight to level 2 support and we are finding it easier to get 3 level support IF you have a good level 2 rep. Their main issue is there is a huge disparity between their level 3 (meaning people in Lexington) and level's 1 & 2 (ie. not on this continent). They are aware this is an issue, but how they fix it remains to be seen.

[skywalker]

Well people, one thing i can say. Read my signature! If you can't get any answer from the support find somewhere else.

[prntrfxr]

I used to deal with Lexmark all the time, since the company I worked before was the VAR in this state. We always had tech support issues. The best thing to do is tell them you're not going to talk with level 1 or 2. Not their fault really, everything the level 1 and 2 people give you is in the simple step like make sure it's plugged in, and they don't give you everything only the first thing to check. So you have to call back repeatedly to get the list of things to check. Getting to level 3 means you can ask, "If the (insert name of part) doesn't fix the problem, what else could it be?" and they will give you more than just the simple stuff you've already tried. Unfortunately, to get to one of those techs requires that you sit on hold for at least an hour (one time I was on for 2.5 hours).

[skywalker]

Some technicians really think they're that good because they have 10 years experience or more fixing these machines on the field. One time I was talking to this tech fixing a 900.80 on one of Lexmark's X646 machine. When ask have you done this, he said yes yes yes and he asked me " have you been on the field? I said no, but i've fixed 900.80 several times. Sometimes we think we are that good but we're not, telling about your experience won't help. Don't even know how to go to the config mode, or doesn't bother to look in the manual. What i'm saying is if you want to get your problem solve then cooperate. There's really a big difference with a people who are good than those who think they're good. A tech who uses their brain always cooperate and ask question and troubleshoot as a way of experience to better know the problem and fixing it easy the next time. I don't care if you have 10 plus years experience or a supervisor, if you don't cooperate then your just making it hard on yourself.

[prntrfxr]

OMG...Skywalker, I think you're misunderstanding this post. We are not complaining about techs or with anyone one on this forum. We were speaking of the manufacturer's tech support hotline. We are complaining about how it's set-up. Even if the level 1 techs have the answer, they are not allowed to give anything other than the dialog on their script. A lot of manufacturer tech support lines are set up with a similar system, but Lexmark is the least hassle free of the ones I've had to deal with. It is because of such hassles that this forum is of so much help to our fellow techs.

[Ducttape n Glue]

Hmmm, as techs we can't always fix everything, we can't remember everything, though we mostly do try. There is a reason we have manuals and when a customer comments about having to look in the book, I quietly close it and comment, your right, let me guess instead. My point is in response to a previous post, sometimes it facilitates the service call by using what the manufacturer calls a " Tech Support Line " , it is there for a reason, doesn't mean we are being lazy, dumb, complainers, or non-cooperative. Some support centers are just a hell of alot better than others.
Back to point , my experience with Lexmark support was not good. They simple insisted that " Then it should work " . We know a printer should work, we know the procedures but it is not working, we are looking for "Support" and possible other avenues to try and possible a solution to a known problem experienced by others.

[Ducttape n Glue]

Well people, one thing i can say. Read my signature! If you can't get any answer from the support find somewhere else.

I think your signature line is an over generalization and not always practical. The first half is unnecessary but I do like the research part but the experiment part is questionable.IMHO

[Rivergoat]

I was informed the Lexmark vendor website will go off line this weekend for improvments. Hmmmm...we shall see. While I have been able to order warranty parts through the on line system (still tedious having the page refresh after entering data in a box), I often cannot update the order another day if I need to order add'l parts; the site just errors out with some sort of message of "invalid data in field..." which is basically bunk. All I try to do is add an add'l comment and part number of what else I might need. I end up calling or emailing the support person I have on file and get them to process my order....

[Silvertoast]

hopefully they will improve the site. on the adding parts thing, the way u do it is find ur old claim, highlight it, then click edit, in the comments box say u need to add a part, then resubmit. always works for me

[mojorolla]

This is a classic. We had a x734 that kept blowing main boards;4 in six months. I had enough so I contacted Lexmark about a whole machine replacement. I kept getting the run around for over a week with several promises of a call back. On the sixth day, still no call back, a quality assurance person called me to inquire on how my tech support experience had been. I informed her that she was the only person to EVER call me back and as of yet I had received NO support what so ever. So, once I was done venting, she finally got me to someone who had the authority to approve my whole machine replacement. Three weeks later, I finally get my "new" machine. As I am unpacking it, I notice that some of the usual packing tape is missing. When I opened the ADF lid, I found a post it note written in Spanish. I took it to a Spanish speaking employee and the note said "From machine lists, everything was made to work" This is my new replacement? Really? So we install the machine and a week later, starts dumping toner like Niagra Falls. Since then, we have not sold a single Lexmark. The monochrome boxes I have no beef with, but the color boxes, as well as any of their "support", are a complete and utter waste of time. I will say the customer is very happy with the Sharp we installed. So thank you Lexmark, I am sure the other manufacturers appreciate your crappy color boxes.