This was my first experience using ReMachines for a computer repair. It was a random selection for me, having never used a pc repair shop. ReMachines did a fantastic job and I will definitely return in the future.
PROS:
1. Manager and staff are all really friendly and helpful and never tried to talk over my head, took all the time necessary to explain pc issues and solutions to someone like me, who has minimal pc knowledge.
2. Staff were really responsive with phone calls with updates, helped me figure out best next steps to maximize my resources. Zero pressure sales whatsoever; just really great education and explaining to help me make decisions.
3. When I picked up my repaired pc, the repair tech showed me everything, explained all the repairs, showed me the old parts that were neatly boxed up for me. I really appreciated the transparency.
4. Reasonable labor rates, based on pricing out other local repair shops. I did not feel over charged at all.
5. Everyone gets good service. Twice when I was in the shop, the manager was talking customers about their computer repair, explaining everything to make sure they understand.
CONS:
1. While the people that work at ReMachines are knowledgeable and super nice, their dependency upon having to get permission from the owner for several steps of the process became apparent early on in my experience. From a customer standpoint, it made the business look less professional. Example, I opted to pay using Venmo which required the manager to call the owner to verify payment was received, as the owner solely controls the Venmo account; owner's name is the Pay-To, not "ReMachines." Another example, I wanted to send links to the repair tech for new components that I was considering, but the only person who has access to their only email address is the owner, so owner had to get email and forward it to the tech at the store. Owner needed to be consulted a few times related to decisions that I believe a store manager should be making. Employees seem to be used to this and act like this is a normal way of doing business, but again, from a customer perspective, it takes away from the credibility of the people who are actually doing the work and interfacing with customers. A business that is run by a guy who doesn't work in the shop is weird to me and quite honestly, gives off this money grab vibe.
2. The shop is rustic, to say the least. I tried to refrain from judging when I saw it first, rationalizing that if it was fancy, I would probably be paying more. That said, it looks like a computer junk yard to a certain extent.
3. They have OLD stuff on hand. My motherboard was shot and they had no means to test my old i5 6500 CPU because nothing they have is new enough. In my mind, they should have newer machines on hand for this reason, even if they are selling super old components and pcs.
4. Small issue, but the parking lot is tiny with barely enough room for 2 cars. If some lady parks her SUV crooked it eliminates all available parking.
5. Store manager has specialty in laptops, with less knowledge about gaming PCs. It's not a big issue, since there are techs that clearly know gaming PCs really well, but it did limit discussion when it was just the manager in the shop. Owner had come into the shop that day and looked at my PC, so manager relayed info to me. IMO, the owner, who knows gaming PCs should have called me to discuss repairs, rather than leaving to someone who doesn't have as much knowledge. I ended up waiting until the next day when a gaming PC tech was in the shop to continue the conversation.
Despite the above shortcomings, I will return in the future because the service was honest, transparent, collaborative, respectful, and reasonably priced. I feel the owner needs to let go of some control and give more authority to the folks that are actually doing the work and interfacing with customers to increase the professional face of the business. I want to especially compliment Vidas, one of the repair techs, who clearly has lots of gaming PC knowledge and fantastic interpersonal skills. Not only did he repair my computer, but he organized and everything inside the case, leaving it in infinitely better condition than it was before. Dude even cleaned off some old tape adhesive that was on the outside of the case! Thank you! read more
