The Computer Council – Clocked Gamer Quad

 

When purchasing a new pre-built PC, it can sometimes be hard to find a company that is small enough to give you that “personal touch” while also having the knowledge and experience to build a system based around the very latest technology. Larger companies such as Dell and Voodoo often have the latter down to a “T”, managing to push out base units with the latest graphics cards and processors on a production line scale. However, while these companies are more than capable of getting your new purchase out the door in a record time, there is one thing they all distinctly lack: a personal level of service.

 

A personal level of service is one of those things you don’t really realise you need until you find yourself on the phone to tech support, being thrown between “departments” and generally being forced to explain your problem over and over again. We’ve all been there, and this is exactly why many people make the choice of getting a friend or local company to build their new PC for them. The Computer Council (or TCC for my lazy fingers) IS one of these local companies, and based out of Staffordshire in the UK, their small team of dedicated engineers have almost a decade of experience in selecting components and building PC’s. Here’s what TCC list as their core competencies on their website:

 

 

 

As we can see, A large portion of TCC’s morals are built around customer service. This certainly isn’t a shock either considering their staff have a combined total of 15 years support experience in the IT industry. TCC also showcase their systems on a monthly basis over at the Bristol Computer Fair. This allows potential buyers to take a good look at the systems, play the latest computer games on them and chat to the TCC staff before making any decisions. Interestingly, TCC only sell their systems online, meaning that there are no salesperson pushes to ‘sign on the dotted line’  when viewing the systems.

 

 

 

Being a “web only” style company, you would certainly expect TCC to have a top notch website. Many other manufacturers and PC builders have interactive websites that allow you to custom-build your dream machine while keeping a running total of how much the machine will cost along with an updated image of what it will look like once completed. Unfortunately the TCC website still seems to be somewhat in its infancy, with only the most basic of options being available via drop-down boxes on the order page. Professional looking and user friendly websites do tend to give buyers a reassured feeling that their money is going to a more established company and for this reason we’d really like to see TCC investing some time/money in bringing their site up-to-date. * Following on from the feedback above, TCC have revamped their website. Please read our addendum on page 10 which reflects the new website design.

 

However, having gone through the whole order process as a customer would, things certainly pick up after placing your order. TCC are extremely verbose during the build process, keeping you up-to-date every step of the way via either e-mail or telephone. There is also an online order tracking facility available via their website, but in all honesty we found the regular exchanging of emails between the team at TCC and our reviews mailbox to be more than adequate at keeping us informed.

 

TCC also provide free UK Mainland delivery on all of their base units as standard – with DHL being the courier of choice. All PC’s are double boxed to ensure that they are well protected against shipping damage, and we’re pleased to say that our system arrived in pristine condition.