Hello, I was wondering what some of your favourite tricks are for telling if someone has opened the cover to a computer?
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Hello, I was wondering what some of your favourite tricks are for telling if someone has opened the cover to a computer?
Here we put a live mouse in each case. Don't worry the mouse is unconscious when we do it, otherwise it would be cruel. hehe
If the computer comes back with no mouse then we know the case has been opened.
:p
I use counter sunk rivets in place of the screws. A different color painted on the back of each rivet. Even if the colored rivets are noticed, they still wont know that they were in a certain order, because once they are drilled out they just fall to the bottom of the case.
Dave
I wire the case itself up to 440VAC. When you hear someone yelling, you know the case has been opened. :eek:
BEAR TRAP!
Bloody stumps = no warranty.
Plus warranty sticker that peels off and leaves "void" on the case...
Actually this is a great thread, I'm hoping to hear more practical answers as well. Working where I work we can't put "Warranty Void If Removed" stickers on because people distrust that we're actually selling them what we claim we are (hick town). But 90% of our returns are morons who screwed the system up, so a surruptitious way of knowing they've been in there goofing off would be a fantastic thing to have.
Any other SERIOUS suggestions?
I use a hard model paint and a dremmel tool - on all case screws and on card screws - screw in tight, then make a line from the screw to the case - if it does not line up, case was opened. Drop paint over case seam - if paint broken, or no longer sealed - warranty void.
We tried the Pop rivet but had a few customers complain. Tried fingernail polish on screws. Finaly went back to the Void if Removed sticker that self destructs if removed. Seems to work OK. Boss wants to use a pound of C4 and just void everything
I put a little 2" bead of solder along the rear seam of the case. (the side the parts go in)
if the solder is broken or missing, no warranty. :)
I build upgradeable systems. I don't care if a customer opens the system and if they screw something up I honor the warranty. However, I'm not opposed to telling them that they screwed something up and helping them to understand how so they don't do it again. I have told many who bought systems elsewhere that the "Warranty Void if Broken" stickers were total B.S. Why should they be locked into having to take their system in to get an extra stick of RAM installed rather than taking advantage of the convienence of having someone like me come to them? I sympathize with the frustration of having some id10t screw up the system but customer service is everything and I'll put up with the occasional 'user error' RMA.
I hear you there! I've been working as a tech in a computer repair shop for about four and a half years and we've always honored warranties by customers that had obviously opened the cases.Quote:
Originally posted by Sowulo:
I build upgradeable systems. I don't care if a customer opens the system and if they screw something up I honor the warranty. However, I'm not opposed to telling them that they screwed something up and helping them to understand how so they don't do it again. I have told many who bought systems elsewhere that the "Warranty Void if Broken" stickers were total B.S. Why should they be locked into having to take their system in to get an extra stick of RAM installed rather than taking advantage of the convienence of having someone like me come to them? I sympathize with the frustration of having some id10t screw up the system but customer service is everything and I'll put up with the occasional 'user error' RMA.
On a side note, we've also been a Packard Hell and HP authorized service center too.. They both didn't/don't have any problems with users popping the cases. I've only seen a few instances of customers really screwing things up and they came right out and said they did :) :)
When competing against the Dell's, Compaq's, Gateway's, and the like, the small guy always has to emphasize customer service.
I agree with the last 2 posts-- I work for a medium sized shop that builds and sells pc's-- about 35% of our business is local... we don't put stickers on either-- we actually will have customer's 'go inside' the systems that we sell if we feel they are capable-- it is MUCH easier and cost effective to RMA just one stick of memory if the customer can change it themselves, than it is to bring there whole system in and have it sit in line for 2 days before someone even looks at it.... makes the customer a lot happier too...
Yeah, we do get the occaisonal user who messes something up we have to fix- but we have a policy that if they cause PHYSICAL damage to a system- the warranty is void. Yes, this is hard to prove, but 9 times out of 10 these customers usually fess up when we ask them what happend.... (oh yeah- the back of the AGP slot just 'fell off'...)
Amen to that! If the customers didn't futz with their systems, we wouldn't get as much work.Quote:
Originally posted by tiffin_tom:
When competing against the Dell's, Compaq's, Gateway's, and the like, the small guy always has to emphasize customer service.
I still honor the warranty except in cases of major abuse. I just like that I can kindly let them know that I know the case was opened. Even if they put in new rivets.
Dave
For awhile we left the case open and showed the customer his new system then closed the system and stuck on the void if removed sticker. Customer service is all good but "The customer is not always right".