Rant alert: Are Dell possibly the most impossible

[zippitippitoes]

company to deal with when it comes to customer service??????????????

I bought a new computer three weeks ago, 20 August I rang to tell them that the card reader unit wasn't attached to the casing so slid inside the tower when i tried to put a card in it. Agent a) argued with me that there was no such card unit on their computer, eventually he put me through to technical department who agreed there was such a part but wanted me to fix it myself.

No, I'm not doing that so hung on the line for 45 minutes while he tried to identify the part, having agreed that he would send an engineer to fix next day. 5.00pm he rings back and says that they do not have a part number (although they originally expected me to use the part that's there, if they do it they need to use a new part)and he has emailed someone in Dell to notify the name and number of the part.

22nd August he promises a visit.

7 September I ring the technical department and have to go through the whole rigmarole again, on the phone for nearly an hour and they can't get it into their heads what the part is..again..

I am fed up with listening to tinny music..just come and fix the part.

It is their Dell Dimension computer what is so hard, why is it so impossible...then we have a conferencing call because it is customer care and not a technical area of expertise, so I am trying to talk to two people who don't know anything about this new computer..I am tearing my hair out..I was on hold so long I even managed to go and accept a delivery without them noticing I'd gone..

Now as A GOODWILL GESTURE!!!!! I am going to be telephoned by an engineer who may come in the next few days who may come a few days after that...and on Friday the man I've just been talking to will ring me to update himself..

I don't want a new computer as I have installed all my work and stuff on this one, so I just want it fixed but I can't see it happening...

In my lifetime

grrr poor you

I keep hearing stories like this about Dell. BIL got a new laptop from them in the spring and it's gone wrong three times since then.

Well I have had a call from Dell with an apologetic lady wishing to make my Dell experience a positive one and an engineer should come on Friday, hopefully when I am in the office and not when I am out at a meeting.

She is going to ring me again when he reports back and she will see what dell can offer to make him happy...I will update

spacedonkey, sorry to hear you have had problems too...I like the computer so I hope they sort this problem out and all will be well...I just hate the having to talk to someone different all the time and holding on for ages...

Well I've had three call sfrom two different people telling me I will get a call from an engineer.

I've had a call from soneone else asking me if i have received the spare part (I haven't)

And been given three different phone numbers for these three people.

I am to ring when the part arrives

And then they will arrange an engineer to come

Hmmmm.....I wonder when that will be?[sceptical emoticon]

My sympathies. I had a horrendous time with Dell too. Constant error messages on my new laptop - first they wanted me to run a fault test which took 2 hours. Then they made me completely reinstall the whole thing. No joy. It was then returned to them to change the motherboard even though they said it was a memory problem. Saem error messages. Then they wanted me to swap a part. The were going to courier it out and then phone me to talk me through it. But when the courier arrived he wanted the old part to take away. He refused to leave the new one without it so went away again. Next an engineer was sent out and that didn't work so they talked me through reseating the memory. Eventually I said I was going to have to add them all to my Christmas card list and broke down in tears. Finally after 6 weeks they agreed to send out a new one but it took 3 weeks for them to build it from scratch. It took over 2 months to get it sorted. Cost me £2000 in lost business and bank chanrges. I hate Dell.

Ouch, Katherine that is appalling I'm at least lucky that it is not internal just slot hardware.

I categorically refused to be talked through doing it myself on the phone, as I have next day onsite business care (but apparently because it was delivered with this and not a technical fault it doesn't count???)

I told them I didn't have a screwdriver.

Or any technical skill.

I've had a phone call this morning to see whether I had an engineer here on Friday and he fixed the computer.

So I told her NO and gave her the number of the other lady who called on Thursday last week to ask if i had the part.

So she found this odd and is going to ring the lady.

And call me back.

this sounds horrendous - i was going to order a dimension this week but definately having 2nd thoughts now. Th reason I was going to use Dell was because I thought they had good customer service !!!!

I hope you get it sorted soon.
Kizziex

I am glad I bought a Mac, I was looking at a Dell PC, but Hub2dee enticed me over to the other side.

Kizzie the computer is brilliant and i got a good deal through the outlet section (saved 200 -300 pounds)

But (Igot interrupted)

the customer service does not seem to be

I think they are terrible.
Got my laptop from them a month ago,actually wanted to give up,cos they were messing me about,it took them 3 weeks to process the order,instead of a few days,all because the person dealing with my order went on holiday,forgot to send it off,but still charged £500 to my credit card,when i rang to see what's happening they said their software crashed,please order again,charged me another £500,without cancelling the first one,bla blah blah...ended up dealing with four different people there,and it cost me a fortune phoning and hanging around on a phone for days...
Not worth it,i'd say,thank god laptop arrived in a good working order,othervise i don't know just how long it would take to get another one or fix this one,my advice is go to any shop and get it there if you can,at least you can take it home with you and know what you're getting,Dell people you just can't reach when something goes wrong

I am typying this on my brand new Dell laptop and am sooo relieved i havent had any problems at all so far - feeling smug for now but worried about future possible hassles with Dell if there is a technical problem

I t has been fixed

Had a couple more calls Monday afternoon and the engineer came on Wednesday morning...he loved the computer and was really jealous, called it a beast but had never seen one before but didn't stop him fixing it although it took a bit of detective work from both of us (I performed a useful function!)

So i am now hoping it will never need Dell input again.

It is a Dimension 9100 and is in a rather unusual hybrid colourway of silver, black and white and i my new best friend (as long as I do not have to speak to anyone at Dell again..although engineer very nice chap and not directly employed by Dell)

Glad it has been fixed, reading your other posts I was about to suggest you to send it back!

Chandra, I would have been afraid of getting one that was worse!

I can't understand how their phone service is so dire..and

the engineer has to communicate with them through the same phone system!

Trouble is the Dell Outlet is fab. I even found myself looking on there the other day for a PC for the kids for Christmas. They are good computers and you do get a really good deal as long as nothing goes wrong.

They are very friendly and do seem to try to be helpful but the policies of trying to get you to fix it yourself etc are really bad. I learned my lesson and if it ever happened again I would just put my foot down from the word go about an engineer or swapping it. Bu then again mine did go back and an engineer did come and still didn't solve it. But I've never found anywhere that offers such good deals as the outlet site. And I have to say that the laptop I ended up with is totally fab. If they could just sort out their service I would rate them very highly. But service is so important......

Snap..Katherine, it is not even that they weren't nice or even trying to help..the customer service system is just poor in the extreme.

The engineer thought it was ridiculous that they had even suggested I do it myself with phone help as he struggled himself!

If you are thinking of a Dell anyone look in Outlet as bar these are customised already they are the same and the same service as you get otherwise, but very good prices.