Yeah, you really got it tough.
Posted on 01/06/2010 4:30:29 PM PST by snippy_about_it
Please excuse this vanity but I have the need to shout from the rooftops in frustration, Dell Computer Company has gone to Hell.
Oh my gawd. I have had the worst time with these people. I have owned Dell computers for over 20 years but never again.
I have some Alienware on order from them and have since October. OCTOBER people. It has been delayed yet again. This is the fourth delay with no notice and no explaination.
The only reason we know it is delayed is by checking the status which always changes right before the ship date.
You see we don't lead a life of such luxury that we can take of work anytime we want so we have to plan ahead. We therefore check the expected date of shipment and put in for a day off so we can be here for delivery.
Low and behold it was delayed from an original ship date of 11/19 to 12/23 to 1/6 and now to 1/22.
But wait, there's more.
THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS!!!!!!!
Good luck getting anyone who has English as their first language or can do any more than tell you what you already know....the new ship date.
They can not tell you the rhyme or reason behind the delay so I cannot determine if the computer will ever be delivered.
I have spent on average two hours on hold with about 5 different "customer care" workers as they pretend to understand my frustration and move me up the chain.
Oh yes, they ask for your phone number and email in case you get disconnected. We did, after two hours but did they call back? No. Did they send me an email? No. They simply hung up on me.
Tonight they actually asked me after being on hold and on my third person to call back in two hours. I said, pardon me? They said in their usual un-understandable accent, yes sir, we have making change and cannot see order, call back two hours.
I told them to go to hell.
I can't take it anymore. There is absolutely no where to turn and no one to speak to. Last night they said they would send me to the "specialized queue" and when I got there the lady said, oh yes, the problem we have been having with Alienware is..bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. That's when I was disconnected.
Tonight I asked to get back in the specialized queue. They had no idea what I was talking about.
There is no service any longer. They all suck.
Thanks for listening. It's more than Dell is doing.
I don't feel any better.
If you learn the major languages of India you should do much better with customer service.
>>If you learn the major languages of India you should do much better with customer service.<<
HAHAHAHA!
That is EXACTLY what I was thinking!
I have several friends that own dell computers. Some several. Every single one of them will not do it again. I just helped a guy choose a computer to replace his Dell Laptop.
I got both of my Bare Bones pc’s within about 8 days of placing the order @ pricewatch.com with a few other parts from newegg.com.
I would not even consider owning a name brand pc at this point.
Dell has indeed gone downhill. Not sure of the reason but it was right around the time they moved support and production offshore.
Do you have an Nvidia card in the computer? Nvidia has been notorious for promising cutting edge cards even as their foundary partners are unable to produce the chips in quantity.
I’d change the order to an ATI 5800 or 5900-series card, if so.
I think there stock will continue to fall if we have to all learn Hindi or whatever in order to get better customer service.
I suppose though Dell is just looking to the future when there are no more white guys with jobs to buy computers.
We are the last of the dinosaurs and therefore unimportant to the rest of the world.
Building your own from scratch is more fun. I figure out what I want, what I want to spend; read the reviews; find the best prices, and get it. Pick up some extra stuff for when things break down, and start planning early for the next build. ...Probably not what you want to hear, or not even something that applies to you, but it’s the only thing I have to say when it comes to getting computers. ...I hope you get things worked out.
Sorry Dell closed it’s customer service center in Twin Falls, Idaho last year or the year before so you have to deal with India.
By the way, Michael Dell partnered up with George Soros on purchasing a bunch of mortgages from IndyMac. They are foreclosing on them every chance they get because the FDIC is forced to give them 80%-95% of the original value of the loan, not the distressed price Dell/Soros bought them for.
I’m currently hoping that my Dell laptop survives long enough for my newegg-ordered parts to get to me for my first custom build gaming system. I’m getting one component per paycheck. The HAF 932 case should be here tomorrow.
Yes on the Nvidia card.
The thing is, why can’t Dell simply tell me that is the problem. Yes having the delay is frustrating but their lack of communication is awful and just plain shameful for an American company.
LOL.
I think he was thinking of a very specific context when he made that statement, but thanks for putting the bigger issues into perspective ;)
I KNOW how you feel my friend. I wrote a diatribe of my at http://www.tableofwisdom.com/MrArbitrage_Stock_Picks.html
over a year ago. Since it is mine, I’ll just paste it below to add to yours.
I am about to purchase a new PC this month and it will probably be an HP - but definitely not a DELL. They are like the GM of PCs. Good luck!
Dell: “Dude, You’re getting a ...”
by MrArbitrage
I’m writing as one who is objective on Dell stock. I have never been long nor have I ever been short DELL as I don’t see a great deal of investment potential in the “screw driver shops”. The margins in this business will not get better. I did purchase a Dell desktop about 2 years ago and it went through 2 mother boards in 1 year – now it makes some really crazy, LOUD noises when I download from the Internet. It sounds more like an old washing machine than a computer.
Yes, they were “gracious” enough to replace the motherboards after I haggled with the company and got passed around to a few different departments. I had to wait a few days for some sub-contractor to come out and repair it. He was very nice. He said this motherboard problem was widespread that year and he repairs these all the time because the parts (I forget what he called them but they look like AA batteries cut in half) were not adequate to handle the…” I said “why didn’t they have a recall?” He said that it’s cheaper for them to send out repair people to each location per incident and have the technician repair them onsite.
Keep in mind, this computer is now a few years old (and out of warranty). I thought surely they wouldn’t make this mistake again – but about a month ago I was talking with someone in the course of business who told me they had just bought a brand new Dell this year and to my surprise – he said he has already had the motherboard of all things – replaced.
Prior to my Dell experience, I had always bought Gateway, since 1996. Their customer service was wonderful. My laptop is a Gateway. I had nothing but good experiences with GTW. I am going to be purchasing a new notebook computer this Christmas. I would automatically buy a Gateway but I’m going to do some homework just to make certain they’re still as good as they were before the acquisition by Acer.
One good portent regarding Gateway is that I recently called their technical support department to help me with a possible virus and I was very pleased to talk with a kind young AMERICAN from the mid-west! That was actually an improvement that resulted after the acquisition. The tech support was good before but it was re-routed through Bombay and depending on who picked up the phone, it was at times hard trying to understand their English.
If my research on Gateway under new ownership returns favorable results, I will probably buy the new notebook from them. If not, I’ll look at HP. One thing I can say for certain is that I will never buy one from Dell. I should have been skeptical from the beginning when they were running those commercials with that kid who acted like a stoner and whom later was arrested for Marajuna. Instead of the slogan being “dude – you’re getting a Dell” it should have been “dude – you’re getting a crap box”.
Contact: mrarbitrage@tableofwisdom.com
Thanks pallis.
We are looking at that option or having a local person build one for us.
Thank you for your service. I see you served around the same time as my husband.
I had no idea he was doing anything with Soros. A good reason not to buy from Dell anyway I guess. Thanks.
Your experience may be nothing more than just another example. My company is taking a beating from our customers taking their business to China and elsewhere overseas. But there is ALWAYS a downside. And the downsides become worse than any benefits in time. It will just take time.
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