New Delli's Untouchable Tech Support

I recently purchased a new computer from Dell. They were running a special promotion at the time, offering a free digital camera with my computer. When I tried to set up the camera, however, I discovered it is not compatible with my new computer's operating system.

I e-mailed Dell asking why they were giving away cameras that weren't compatible with the computers they came with. They never responded. I wrote a second time. This time, they told me they were forwarding my message to another department, and that I could expect a response shortly. I never heard back. The third time, they again told me they were forwarding my request to a different department, which I believe is referred to at Dell's corporate headquarters as the "Black Hole Department." Again, I did not receive an explanation.

After this third attempt, however, I did receive a customer satisfaction survey wondering how my recent customer service was. I checked "extremely dissatisfied." A week later, I received an apologetic e-mail from Debbie. Debbie told me how sorry she was and told me to e-mail her if there was anything she could do for me. So I e-mailed Debbie and asked her why Dell was advertising free digital cameras that are not compatible with the operating systems they come with.

Debbie has not written back to me.

Dell has been under fire a lot ever since they "offshored" much of their telephone tech support to India. I called for help one night, and got a guy on the phone who I could not understand, and who could not understand me. I speak several languages, I've studied linguistics, and I've taught English in Turkey. My patience for speakers of heavily accented English and my ability to communicate with them far exceeds the average person in, say, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (With all due respect to the good people of Tuscaloosa.) If I can't understand their tech support staff, I'm willing to guess no one else can.

As I pondered the fact that I was talking live to a guy in India, I explained my problem to the man on the phone. He said before he could answer my question, he had to collect all sorts of personal info from me -- my name, address, phone number, e-mail address (which I had to repeat five times, very slowly, before he understood me). He also told me I had to give him a service tag number on my computer, which required me to crawl under my desk with a flash light and emergency flares, and move my computer to see the inconveniently placed number. After all of this, he told me he could not answer my question and would transfer me to another line, please hold, thank you very much.

Then, he disconnected me.

I miss the old days of Dell, when they ran goofy TV ads with a slacker guy whose tagline was, "Dude, you're getting a Dell!" Dell needs to hire back some of its slackers. They knew how to run a company.

Comments

[Ace]

Had a similar experience with HP - the install CD was defective. The replacement they sent for my Win2K sytem was for a MAC. Several calls and chat sessions later I finally got a CD I could use.

[Dylan]

Oooh, I got that same survey about 8 times one week. I had sent in my laptop minus the hard drive, as they instructed. They sent it back and told me this time to send them just the hard drive and they'd send me a new one. DHL pretended several times to have delivered the drive, before I ever got it. There's a lot more, but not enough space here to completely bore y'all to death.

[Sara]

I hate Dell. I want to contact corporate offices, but now with your story they really do not care.

I ordered a Dell computer. Then I decided I did not want it, I already have a computer and I want to go on a vacation. So I ordered the system online. I had not received the Dell yet, so I called and canceled. The lady who sounded like she was from India told me, you will NOT get charged because you called in time. So I bought my vacation. 2 days later Dell takes $780 out of my checking account. I call back to talk to their "customer care" and the lady tells me that I did get charged because I called the same day they sent it out. There was nothing that she could do. I would receive my refund in 7-10 days. 7 days later, I call back and get a guy from India, and he tells me that I would have to wait til the Dell system gets back to Dell before they can refund me which then after that it would take 7-10. They told me that the DELL would be there Friday (its Wednesday) So Saturday, a week later from the Friday that they told me, I still have not received a refund. I call them and I get a guy from India, and he puts me on hold to speak to the manager team that are all the same level. They have no numbers, no supervisors, its just them. And she goes on and tells me that yes the dell system is there, however, the receiving team has not said that it is there, and once they sign and say they have the system, it will take 7-10 from them signing the paper before I get my refund. NOW i am mad about this because I have talked to all of these people and they each have a story of this 7-10 waiting. Well let me tell you, it has been 20 days. And dont forget that this is my checking account and I wasnt expecting this money to come out if and my account is overdrown by $600, and I have no money since well 20 days ago. So I am living pennie to pennie every day.

[raf]

my dell nightmare began when I placed an order for dimension 3000 begining of march with a promised delivery within 5 days.well its end of march , money has been deducted from my account and no pc.countless emails and phone calls have met with empty promises.they couldnt care less about customer care.I have tried to speak to dell in bracknell uk and despite my pleas not to redirect my call to india, they do just that and i am going in circles.can any one help!! i am so so frustrated with their lousy service that i urge any pc buyer to steer well clear of this cowboy outfit.

[Roland Heard]

Here is a letter that I just wrote to Dell.

Attached is a copy of your letter.

I am appalled at the backhanded letter you sent. Instead of thanking me for purchasing a Dell product and paying it off completely, you have insulted me and showed me that your Customer Service Department is a customer NO-SERVICE DEPARTMENT.

Here are some examples: "Please be advised that your account is CONSIDERED PAID IN FULL..." (Emphasis added). "Additional amounts may be due if a payment is returned by your financial institution."

After saying that, you eventually say that we appreciate your business. To say your account is considered paid in full implies that it might not be paid in full. Then you tell me that additional amounts might be due if payment is returned by your financial institution. You are telling me that you think I just might be paying with a check where there would be Insufficient Funds or maybe something worse. Are you telling me that your customer base does not practice financial integrity.

Your computer seems to work fine. It is a shame that you PR department has not good taste and I will think twice before I purchase a Dell Computer in the future.

Sincerely,

Roland S. Heard, CPA

[Jessica M. Davis]

Does anyone know why you cannot ask dell questions about internet explorer, or any other programs that they have previously been able to help with?

[Cheri]

I fell for the 2004 Dell internet ads "no interest if you pay by 2006". I saw interest accumulate on my statements but thought it was showing what you would have to pay if you didn't pay off the computer by 2006. In the beginning I was assured 3 different times by Dell customer service reps that I would pay no interest if I paid off my computer by 2006. They even gushed over me being considered a "Dell Preferred Customer." A few months ago when I went to pay off the balance, I was told I didn't qualify for the "no interest" deal due to something w/my credit. I asked what it was. I was told, you will have to ask the credit bureau companies.I thought, Well if you considered me to be such a Preferred Customer then what the f.. could be wrong with my credit? I talked to a supervisor, and his supervisor, and his supervisor. I even told them that changing the terms of my contract without notifying me and sending it through US mail constituted federal mail fraud. I did get a long silence but that was about it. I sent the complete balance that my original contract with them required, so they will receive it before 2006. After that I am sending no further payments and will join whatever class action lawsuit is out there to sue their asses off. I also told my neighbor what I had been through with Dell and she put the brakes on a payment purchase she had been planning to make with Dell. If anybody out there saved a Dell web page ad from that "2006" promotion I would be much obliged if you would send it to me. Thanks, Cheri

[Jim Parker]

Hi: Is there anyone out there that can e-mail me with a direct telephone number for anyone in the Dell Corporate Offices? Thanks, it's been a trip trying to talk to someone about a problem with a Dell Computer??????? Has India taken over this Company???????? Jim Parker, easyspell1@hotmail.com

[N Hicks]

I Dell. If anyone knows how to serve these guys process please let me know. I ordered ink from Dell. Of course the indian i spoke with barely understood English. I'll admit I became a little frustrated. Because of this she somehow screwed up my order so bad that my checking account was charged for the ink (about thirty dollars more than what she said it would cost, mind you) but I never received the ink, and Dell has no record of charging me. Every time that I talk with the Indian guys about this problem they either disconnect me or ask me for the same service tag number that the screwed up in the first place. I really Dell. anyone that wants to do anything about this let me know (and i mean anything).