Thanks Beth! It's so comforting to know I AM NOT ALONE in dealing with Dell's stupidity
i started doing some reading on their customer service reputation through Consumers Guide and another website (can't remember which one right now...will go through my history if anyone's interested)....
BUT Dell is getting a sh!tty reputation in the industry for their customer service... it SUCKS BIG EGGS
Like you, I spent all my time on the phone being transferred overseas...uh, the PCs are BUILT and SOLD and FINANCED and BILLED for here in the States. No offense, but hey...this offshore bs about spreading the economic joy to other countries and "saving" operations costs are clearly affecting us CONSUMERS...we're paying for or EATING their operating costs if this is their latest MO!!!
I have always had a Dell for work. And I LOVE their products...I used to tote a Latitude and swore by them.
But they treat their home customers like crap! And I certainly hope they aren't treating their business accounts this way!!
Sorry...I had to get on that soapbox...I am sooooooooooooooooooo steamed at Dell right now..........and I will be riding someone's a$$ for a while I think
Actually I've had great experience with DELL..... EXCEPT...the one and only time I had to call customer service. Same stuff...customer service was in India...and they couldnt speak English.
Went like this:
" I cant understand you" "^&$$##$#%%&&%&(*&(" ( indian trying out english) "Would you repeat that ?" "UYHHGGFVCH&^$#^(*&^ BBNKLGYTRE"
" Ok...I want to talk to someone that speaks ENGLISH!" " Yes....I do speak-u-da-english" " No you dont. If you dont put someone on the phone that speaks english, I am going to call my attorney and sue you."
"Uh OK....(click click click click)"
( Texas drawl) " How may I help you "
Problem solved. New Vid card shipped overnight. ---------------
It isnt that they cant enunciate the words properly. They actually dont know what they mean. They are reading a prepared response.
I built my last system for about $900. P4 3gig CPU with 1 mb L2 cache and 800 mhz FSB, 1 gig Corsair dual channel DDR 400Mhz RAM, Intel motherboard with 875 chipset, ATI 9800 pro 128 meg video card, WD SATA 80 gig HD, CD, CD burner, floppy, Antec 450 watt power supply, Sound blaster live ( from the old dell) and 3Com DSL modem. Antec server case with 6 fans. Kept the Dell 19 inch trinitron, keyboard, mouse and spkrs.
But I have no one to call if it screws up. Awwwwww..
Good luck. ( tell em you're gonna eat BEEF tonight if they dont send your computer ... )
My advice.....take your computer to the second floor of your home, open the window, throw it onto the pavement and then go get a new one. I had nothing but trouble with mine and couldn't find anyone to help me with it. I'll never buy another Dell product. Try Hewlett Packard.
Long time no post. My boss bought me a Dell for the office and I have had problems with it since I got it - hate it really and I could not resolve it with their tech people. So when I needed a new one for home (I work here more than at the office) I refused to get a Dell. I went to Best Buy and got an HP - is wonderful. Maybe they gave you an out by not sending it.
I am sitting here, nearly ready to p!ss my pants with THAT picture. Did you happen to pull out your pistol?
Aw heck, I told 'em I was one po'd customer and I have been on their arses since. I'm ready to pull the order. They told me to wait 48 hours. They have EXACTLY 48 hours. Then, I will call, ream Dell Financing AND Dell Customer Service new buttholes and yank my business.
The reason my system was a lot more was because of the monitor. I really really really really really want one of those orgasmically COOL flat screens. I have one at work, and I will NOT work without one if I can help it due to what I do for a living and the eyesight issue. (I'm verrrrrrrrrrrry nearsighted and need bifocals--but hey! I'm too damn proud to cave into being "old" hee hee.) The flat screens are just too good of a habit to give up.
Hmmm...wonder what I can do to those buttheads with a midwestern lakefront accent? Maybe they take that Cleveland-like accent as a liberal New Yawker and thinking I'm willing to do the "victimology" attitude?
I never had a problem with their products. I've always had a Dell for work, have always used a Dell professionally. Well, except for the short time I had an IBM StinkPad. That thing roytally sucked. I had to replace the HD on it four times within a year. Then when my employer realized this was a problem, they started giving the roadies Dells. And I never had a technical problem with them, but then again, I can deal with the technical stuff as it crops up. In a previous life, I did tech support. It's how I got into the world I'm in. I'm more into customer service and sales support than tech support.
I have no desire to build my own system. I think of computers these days the same way I think of my microwave. It's there. I want to turn it on and cook something
I wish I HAD a second floor to toss this Mac I still have from.
Long and short of it is, Dell is gonna be dealing with one little whirling dervish if they don't deal with this. I won't pay for a system they won't ship, and I won't deal with the whacko mentality any longer...."don't know...don't want to know...don't care to figure it out...don't care to help...your bill is DUE."
heh....can I send them a bill for the cell phone time they've eaten up and the amount my employer bills a client for my time in dealing with this? I think we may come out even if they do send the system.................
Yeah, the buggers got to me. Yanno.......I darned near thought I was dealing with my ex at times during all of this!!! Not much gets me really rolling, but crappy service and communication DOES. One more transferred call to some off shore "customer DIS-service" center and I think someone will need to scrape me off the darned celing!
Heck, if I treated clients this way, there'd be NO way I'd make a living
Well, well, well...what does BK have in her little world now?
How about a GUARANTEE from Dell that they are shipping me an UPGRADED system, $300 less than the original one, with a PERSONAL contact in case anything goes wrong?
Of course, no system has arrived yet. But, I have had my account CLEARED while on line with the old charges for the non-existent "pretend" system. But I got good vibes here.
I persisted and called every Dell number I could find, telling them of my perplexity in dealing with their organization today. The fourth call was the charm. I had a sweet talking little Texas gal who understood what a nightmare their sales and customer support organization was. She did NOT transfer me overseas, she kept me on the line while she verified all of my credit history, she kept me on the phone while we could IN REAL TIME verify that my order had been placed and I could see it on the website--MARKED "in production." And she did not blink an eye when she told me she could give me a deal on a Celeron processor and I told her, "hey... I don't like Celerons...how 'bout a real Intel processor, no extra charge?" )
And when she reviewed the history I had with their sales and customer support functions, I got me a scanner thrown in at no extra charge.
I think BK is going to have orgasms Ah yes...the good old fashioned idea of customer service and support does make me happy. The system is to be here on the 23rd.
If anyone is disappointed with Dell's customer service and sales support, I got the inside phone number...this gal is pretty good. It's a shame that a company like Dell that does actually produce good product can't "get" the idea that if they want to keep their customers, they need honey to attract their customers instead of sh!t....
Glad to see your nightmare with Dell might end up being a dream. I have a four-and-a-half year old Dell that has gone through one hd - and one monitor - with instant replacements on both. But I do know what you mean about dealing with the overseas customer service people. What's the point of even trying?
I'm about ready for a new one - mainly because I want a flat screen too - and just assumed I would get a Dell. But I dread the switchover from one drive to the other.
My son just got a whole new Dell system - ran him about $1700 for a desktop with a DVD drive etc. Think I would want all that he got. Now I should find a way to make money with it.
Funny, isn't it, how every new fight in our lives brings us back to the marital battles?? That trauma has us primed to fight.
Hope you don't get flooded - but you said you aren't in the flood zones now. Here we are in the snow belt of the country and have had almost no snow. Weird season.
Lib, if you really want Dell products, just be patient with them. Honestly, you should be able to get what you want for a lot less than $1700. Mine, including the flat screen, originally was $1400. With negotiating with Dell I got the system price down to under $1200, including flat screen, Intel processor, printer, scanner, additional RAM and VRAM, and shipping.
I don't think that the experiences I had with my ex "primed" me to fight here. Actually, I vented here, but I was calm, cool, and collected with them on the phone. I knew that the problem was theirs, and all I wanted to do was straighten out the snafu that was going on. There had to have been an error somewhere down the line when Dell Financing communicated to Sales or vice versa. I verified the line of credit and it was perfectly fine. The sale should have gone through without a hitch. I just got tired of them passing the buck and switching me from one person to another, with no resolution to the situation--which simply was they canceled an order without communicating with me, were still biling me for a system that THEY canceled and they would NOT either replace the order and guarantee that it would be shipped or clear my account of the charges.
There IS a resistance I've noticed in some high-tech companies/industries where there is an over-reliance on technology. Instead of using the technology to make problem solving or sales or processes easier, a lot of people will hide behind the technology in order to make it "appear" that something is being done. I call that the "Dilbert" mentality.
And this out of geek gal who makes a living in that world. The technology industry in some ways still hasn't gotten the idea that this is a service-based world now and a lot of dollars are to be made by providing good service.
Now, THAT IS what motivated me in this situation. I get a kick out of my profession, despite how much jargon and technojunk they can throw at me....................it's just so much fun to translate stuff like "implementing methodologies to utilize data warehousing and e-commerce functionalities and applications to enhance and revitalize our organization's strategic effectiveness" into something more like: "we sell products and services through a website in a way that lets customers receive goods and services inexpensively and quickly!"
The thing that really goads me I think is jargon and adding "services" like offshore support systems that really add no understanding or value to customers! I am so for making things simple
Hi girlfriend.... did you DB the Dell organization?? Or did you just let em have it so bad arse that they decided to give you ANYTHING to just get rid of you! I am so proud of you for persisting and having it turn out so well!!!!
I had to laugh when I read a post about getting my butt to Chicago ....your comments that it was flat, not the Rockies and a happening place I am SURE referred to Chicago BUTT if you substitute BUTT as the subject.....well, lets just let it be said that I had a colonscopy on Monday and it WAS a happening place!!!!!
I really do love Chicago...and just don't get to visit often enough. It has better restaurants than New York or New Orleans IMHO, I finally got to visit the NorthWestern campus and it is gorgeous, and the river and all the fun stuff built up alongside it is just great.
But I am going to Vegas just the week before...and I really am living hand to mouth while waiting for a divorce settlement, so I just have to make sure that I'm budgeting properly. That being said...you guys will have so much fun AND REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENS IN CHICAGO STAYS IN CHICAGO!!!!!
Enjoy your new computer! I bought a little laptop off of EBAY recently and I'm trying to figure it out but am hopeless. I bought this computer with flat screen at Costco...a Medion. I don't know nuttin about birthin no babies but this computer seems to work just fine...the fan was making noise so I just banged on it a bit and all seems to be well now
After your success with Dell maybe you could help me a little with the IRS!!!!!!
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I'll never buy another Dell product. Try Hewlett Packard. 
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