Dell computer customer support

[deuces wild]

My son received his new Dell computer today. We were excited. It sat for 2 hours warming up before he got home.......I also wanted to make this a father son project (putting it together).

Right out of the box.......a problem.......his 20 inch wide screen LCD monitor had a swirly scratch on it. OK, no problem, I will call for a replacement after we are done putting it together and get a replacement. So we continued and finished putting it together at at 4:30 pm.......started it up and everything was running fine. I then called Dell to report the scratch on the monitor and get a replacement. On hold, wrong extension, let me transfer you, disconnected, redial, go through the million options (press 1 for blah blah blah), wrong department, let me transfer you.........................this went on for a full hour and 15 friggin' minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :censored: I talked to folks in Korea, England, India and the US. Finally I got the right person on the phone......someone (regardless of Country of origin) that could help me. In 10 minutes the problem was corrected.........or so I think so. :rolleyes:

I ate dinner with my wife while my son fine tuned the computer to his likings and installed an OEM copy of a new game. Oops...........the game played but displayed in fragment on his new fancy smancy 20 inch wide screen LCD monitor............what the :blink: .......#@*)%@!)%...........friggin'...fraggin'.......... :censored:

So after dinner we are back on the phone with the same nightmare (wrong department, please hold, oops disconnected........) with trying to get help from Dell. (I thought that this must actually be what Hell is like) After an hour and a half, and after reaching someone from technical support but the wrong department (sorry sir, this is the business division of tech support, you need the XPS consumer division)......... I lost it..................STOP RIGHT THERE........I have been transferred and disconnected over the past 1 1/2 hours and I don't give a damn what department you are in........YOU ARE GOING TO HELP US FIX THIS FRIGGIN' PROBLEM, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.... NO MORE TRANSFERS. I scared the poor guy to death. But he was a friendly chap and actually put up with my temper tantrum........and understood my frustration. He then proceeded to help us correct the problem (we had a blue analog cable connected from the monitor to the computer when we needed the white digital cable.) I can't believe it.........I heard angels singing and saw blue skies........ :flowers: Thank you sir. I apologize for my behavior. You have been been more than helpful and understanding.

So here I am, thankful that all is right with the world, including my son's computer. I also have had 3 stiff drinks. B)

OK, I was warned about Dell customer support.....don't you dare say anything andsome. :rolleyes: I am here to apologize for not listening to you. What an absolutely horrific evening. :unsure:

Thank goodness my son was with me throughout this entire experience as future problems are his to resolve. At least he now knows that you sometimes have to be forceful to get problems resolved and that Dell customer support SUCKS. :D

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

I had a very similar experience with Dell customer support here in Japan. The main problem was communication - they couldn't speak properly Japanese nor English. And they refused to communicate via email, which could be 200% easier. And despite having 24 hours support (at extra cost), after normal office hours there is nobody who has any technical knowledge.

[andsome]

You have my full sympathies. This is just the reason that I would NOT use any large computer builder. I hope that it runs OK in future, but I know exactly where my next computer will come from.

[-pops-]

Similar to andsome, I would never buy a commercial pre-constructed computer.

I'm not building the next one though - my elder granddaughter has expressed an interest so it will be a joint effort - which is good as my fingers aren't as nimble as they used to be and the eyesight not so acute.

[scuzzman]

Wow... sorry to hear it DW... Hope it works out for you in the end :flowers:

[Tankus]

urph ....big companies can be hit and miss ...Andsome .... consistent poor customer service ...and it will not take long for p45's to be handed out

Ive only every bought pre built ........ Im on my 4th .... not a problemo

[Thos]

urph ....big companies can be hit and miss ...Andsome .... consistent poor customer service ...and it will not take long for p45's to be handed out

Ive only every bought pre built ........ Im on my 4th .... not a problemo

I have had two, one a Gateway and now an Evesham. I know andsome experienced troubles with Evesham but I have had no problems. Their service has been excellent over the phone and "at home".

On the other hand, one of my sons has experienced endless troubles with a hand-built specified machine from a local man.

Thos.

[r4may]

I've always Built my Own, and both my sons and we never had a problem. That is until my eldest son went to work abroad and bought an "all singing & dancing 'Top of the Range' System" and he had no end of problems and the customer service was lousy to say the least. It still is not completely operational after six months.

I could never recomment any of the systems supplied by most of the PC retailers although if Novtech's systems are as good as their tested Bundles and parts then it is possible to recomend them as i have found their Cusomer Services to be very good and helpfull.

But then All companies have their problems it's just some do not seem to care or do anything about them.

[deuces wild]

If Dell service and support keeps going the way it is then Dell will soon be headed down the same road Gateway is in with declining sales.

[Belatucadrus]

I had a delivery problem with my Dell laptop, got it touch with Dell who reamed out the carriers, followed up after delivery to make sure all was well and gave me a 12 month warranty extension to compensate for lost time waiting for the delivery. Now I'd rather the carriers hadn't forgotten to put it on the van ( So would the driver who was mildly ticked off when he realised it wasn't there ). But found the Dell people in Ireland & India courteous and helpful.

Desktops I make myself and I'd have loved to try a laptop, but the price on barebones laptops and bits at the moment would have made it a really expensive exercise and I'm not made of cash.

[pa1916]

It is not always the case the biggest conpany is best.I bought my second computer from Novatech i can not

fault the computer logs on in 45seconds also good CS and delivered the following day and i have always bought from Evesham.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Similar to andsome, I would never buy a commercial pre-constructed computer.

Actually Dell computers are not pre-constructed, they are built exactly to my specifications.

But anyway, I don't know if Dell intentionally gives that bad customer support, or if they are just clueless.

Before my Dell laptop I had a Toshiba. I only once had a problem with that Toshiba, and unlike Dell, Toshiba has a repair center where you can bring your computer. They opened it up in front of my eyes, and fixed the problem within 5 minutes! For free, I might add.

[-pops-]

:) I meant constructed by someone other than me.

I want to know (and approve) everything that goes into my machines and the only way I can do that is to buy and install each bit myself.

I appreciate that not everyone has the time/knowledge/inclination to do this but, it is the way I prefer and even when I am unable to build myself, I seem to have a granddaughter who will help me :)

[Thos]

Before my Dell laptop I had a Toshiba. I only once had a problem with that Toshiba, and unlike Dell, Toshiba has a repair center where you can bring your computer. They opened it up in front of my eyes, and fixed the problem within 5 minutes! For free, I might add.

Sounds good to me. I am almost tempted to buy a Toshiba lap top so I can come over to the repair center for a service. Will they pay for my transport?

Thos. :)

[Chris]

So what you're telling us is, that if you read the manual that came with the monitor, system and connected the right cable in the first place you wouldn't have had to phone DELL.

Moral of this, is, even if you think you know what you're doing read the manual. :lol:

[andsome]

Before my Dell laptop I had a Toshiba. I only once had a problem with that Toshiba, and unlike Dell, Toshiba has a repair center where you can bring your computer. They opened it up in front of my eyes, and fixed the problem within 5 minutes! For free, I might add.

Sounds good to me. I am almost tempted to buy a Toshiba lap top so I can come over to the repair center for a service. Will they pay for my transport?

Thos. :)

I bought one for my daughter, she has been very pleased with it.

[deuces wild]

So what you're telling us is, that if you read the manual that came with the monitor, system and connected the right cable in the first place you wouldn't have had to phone DELL.

Moral of this, is, even if you think you know what you're doing read the manual. :lol:

Actually if they would have provided more detailed instructions we would not have had to go through the experience I described. We read the manual and instructions and both said that you could connect *either* the white or blue cables from the monitor to the video card. Nowhere did it say that the white cable was a digital connection, nor do I know what a digital connector vs analog connector looked like. I do now. :)

[scuzzman]

Well, you could've asked :D

Sorry, had to get that one in there :) :flowers:

Glad you got it sorted though :) Have you gotten the new monitor yet?

[deuces wild]

Not yet.

[andsome]

Not yet.

Bit slow over there. :D :D :D . P.C.Direct over here guarantee one working day. I ordered just before lunch on Friday, and it came Monday morning at 8-30 a.m.

[AlanHo]

Bit slow over there. :D :D :D . P.C.Direct over here guarantee one working day. I ordered just before lunch on Friday, and it came Monday morning at 8-30 a.m.

I think America is a bit bigger than the UK andsome. Hence national deliveries take a bit longer.

[andsome]

Bit slow over there. :D :D :D . P.C.Direct over here guarantee one working day. I ordered just before lunch on Friday, and it came Monday morning at 8-30 a.m.

I think America is a bit bigger than the UK andsome. Hence national deliveries take a bit longer.

A lot longer if you ask me. You can travel across America in less than a day surely.

[deuces wild]

Bit slow over there. :D :D :D . P.C.Direct over here guarantee one working day. I ordered just before lunch on Friday, and it came Monday morning at 8-30 a.m.

I think America is a bit bigger than the UK andsome. Hence national deliveries take a bit longer.

A lot longer if you ask me. You can travel across America in less than a day surely.

Yep...if you take a plane. :D

It is 3,000 miles from New York City to San Francisco.

[andsome]

My new monitor was delivered by plane. It landed in the road outside the house. :D :D :D

[scuzzman]

It takes roughly 4 days to travel from Ohio (where I'm at) to San Diego, California. That's not non-stop drive time, mind you, but you cannot do it in a day :)