Gillware and Dell: Solving Data Loss (Story 2)

This week we are sharing stories about how Dell and Gillware work together to solve data loss.

When a hard drive fails in a Dell computer, Dell solves the real concern for many in the situation: getting back the lost files. Dell refers people who need data recovery to Gillware. Gillware gives an exact price quote following an in-lab evaluation, shows a complete list of results if the customer requests one, and charges only for success.

We asked Dell customers who used Gillware Data Recovery to tell their stories. One writer won a prize and was published on Dell’s blog. We wanted to share more entries and thank everyone who wrote to us about their successful data recovery with Dell and Gillware

Here’s what Linda Engelman had to say:

My story isn’t wild and crazy.  It isn’t going to be the most “amazing” story you ever heard.  But to me, it means everything.  When my hard drive suddenly stopped working, my heart sunk.  All of my daughter’s precious photos and videos were lost, and I hadn’t done a backup in a very long time.  I stayed up all night long trying to get my computer to recognize the drive, and in the very wee hours of the morning, I gave up.

As soon as local businesses opened the next day, I started calling around.  Several companies suggested that they might be able to recover my data, so I ran all around town taking my drive from one place to another, begging for help.  At each step of the way, I was told that regretfully my drive was damaged beyond recognition. One company told me that even as badly damaged as it was, they could recover my data.  But it would cost about $3,500, and this was not a financial possibility for me.  I was so upset….losing my work, my personal files, and my other data was bad…but losing my daughter’s memories was something I couldn’t forgive myself for.  I continued to ask myself: “Why hadn’t I backed up my hard drive more recently?”

That’s when I found Zachary at Gillware Data.  I was referred to Gillware by Dell Computers.  I’m in California, and Gillware is in Wisconsin – I was doubtful that this was going to work out.  But when I called, and Zachary answered the phone, it became clear very quickly that this was the company to help me.  Zachary was empathetic to my situation, assured me that he was pretty certain he could get my data back, and that he would work with me on the financial part of things. He helped me in every way that he could, went over and above what he needed to do, and personally stayed in touch with me as we went through the process.  In the meantime, Zachary also advised me on how to get back up and running with work while I was waiting for my recovered data.  He walked me through each step, and I was working again by the end of day one! A couple of days later, Gillware sent me a file to review online – it showed everything that they were able to recover off the damaged drive, and I was jumping up and down with joy, seeing that they recovered 99% of what I thought I had lost.  It was only days later that I had a FULLY recovered hard drive in my hands, and at only a small fraction of the price that the “other” company had quoted me.  I was SO grateful.

I immediately went on to Yelp and wrote about my experience, and would be happy to continue to be a thumbs-up voice for Gillware in any way that I can.  These guys are first class, with customer service that is just amazing.  Zachary, as well as each member of the Gillware team that I spoke with, had the same “bedside manner”, giving me complete confidence in the process, right from the start.  I hope that I am NEVER in this position again, but if I am, you can be sure that I will turn to Gillware for help.

Thank you again guys – from me, and from my 5-year-old, whose memories were saved.

Gratefully,

Linda Engelman