OT: Dell Small Business Support

AlanC wrote on 8/20/2010, 5:51 AM
Ordered some memory on-line on 12th August using Dell's Service Tag system which according to Dell "Entering the service tag of your Dell computer or peripheral helps Dell deliver solutions tailored to the products you own. Your Service Tag is a unique five- to seven- digit alphanumeric (letter and number) code, which is found on a white bar-coded label affixed to your Dell computer or peripheral."

The memory was eventually delivered (that's another story) on 18th but was obviously the wrong memory for my PC. So I completed Dell's on-line 'Problems after Delivery' form and waited for a response. No response so on the 19th I went through the same process and got the same result. NOTHING!

So at 09:14 this morning I telephoned Dell. After selecting the most appropriate department (problem with your order after delivery) from the options menu my call was answered quite quickly by a lady in the 'Home and Office' department.

She asked for my Dell Order number, Service Tag number, my name, address and what my problem was. After I gave her the information and explained my problem she told me she would have to transfer me to their 'Small Business' department.

They asked for my Dell Order number, Service Tag number, my name, address and what my problem was. After I gave them the information and explained my problem they told me they would have to transfer me to their 'Technical Support' department.

They asked for my Dell Order number, Service Tag number, my name, address and what my problem was. After I gave them the information and explained my problem they told me they would have to transfer me to their 'Customer Care' department.

They asked for my Dell Order number, Service Tag number, my name, address and what my problem was. After I gave them the information and explained my problem they told me they would have to transfer me to their 'Technical Reception'. I explained that I was by now getting a little frustrated of being passed from pillar top post, being asked the same questions over and over, only to be told that I had been put through to the wrong department and that they would have to transfer me. So this time the gentleman said that before putting me through he would pass all the relevant information to whoever he was putting me through to so that I wouldn't need to give it all again.

So the guy in Technical Reception eventually answers and asks me what my problem is. So after telling him he tells me that he needs to put me through to 'Customer Services'

They asked for my Dell Order number, Service Tag number, my name, address and what my problem was. After I gave them the information and explained my problem they told me they would have to transfer me to their 'Small Business' department.

By now I was having fits of uncontrollable laughter each time I was asked for the Dell Order Number and Service Tag number and was getting bruised from bouncing off each of Dell's Customer Department walls.

To top it off (and cut a very long story short) after spending 67 minutes on the telephone I was told that Dell don't have a returns process for Small Businesses and that I must have ordered the wrong memory. They can't guarantee that the Service Tag number will identify the PC correctly and it's up to the customer to check that.

Rant Over



Comments

Grazie wrote on 8/20/2010, 7:13 AM
Hi Al!

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/topics/topic.aspx/emea/shared/support/dellcare/en/outstanding_issues?c=uk&l=en&s=genWill this help?[/link]

Grazie
AlanC wrote on 8/21/2010, 2:22 AM
Thanks Grazie, I already submitted an almost identical form on Wednesday and again on Thursday because despite the claim that they would contact me by email within 24 hours, they didn't, hence the telephone call to Dell on Friday. I told the last gentleman that I spoke to that he would make a better bricklayer than a customer services representative, hint, hint.
I gave up in the end and found another PC that the supplied memory would fit and re-ordered another memory stick from a different supplier. Hopefully that will a) be delivered to the correct address first time and b) fit my bloody computer.
The call to Dell was recorded so I may edit out all the minutes spent while I was on hold and post the rest of the conversations to Youtube. It'll make great entertainment.
drmathprog wrote on 8/21/2010, 5:00 AM
Dell seems to have been in a business decline for some time. Our small business has been buying PC from them for 20 years, and while they've had their ups and downs, they're definitely "down" right now.
BrianAK wrote on 8/21/2010, 5:20 AM
I always love it when they say "please install a new hard drive and reinstall Windows on that drive".

On my Inspiron 9400 laptop I have had a PCMCIA port internal connector keep coming unplugged. It takes about 45 minutes to get through the phone support, but once they agree to send a tech the service has been pretty good. Both times the tech came to my work within 24 hours and fixed it. The second time I had him sandwich a piece of foam over the connector so that it wouldn't come unplugged again.

Brian
warriorking wrote on 8/21/2010, 6:28 AM
I never buy RAM from Dell, way overpriced compared to online retailers such as Newegg, I purchased a 4Gig Stick for my Dell Studio Laptop at a 1/4th of the price Dell was asking...any additional Hds or RAM for my lappy always come from elsewhere.....Dells prices are a joke...
AlanC wrote on 8/21/2010, 6:41 AM
I never buy RAM from Dell, way overpriced
That's the ironic thing. I only ordered it from Dell because I wanted to be sure of being supplied the correct memory for my Dell PC! We, as a company have been buying Dell desktops and laptops for the past few years and never had a problem with service, delivery or the machines themselves. My most recent experience has overshadowed all that good work.