Dell technical support uncovered...

[Zim Hosein]

Dell technical support uncovered.

 

[isekii]

I have no problems with dell.

They had no problems getting me replacement parts for free even 3 months out of warranty.

 

[Kaervak]

That's just scary. I'm damn glad the few times I've had to talk to them they've been competent. Hell one guy went out of his way to get me what I was looking for, took me by surprise considering how tech support is.

 

[ElFenix]

the president of dell home systems gave us a talk one day saying that dell might be the toast of the PC industry, but their customer service was no where near the level of, say, lexus, USAA, nordstom, etc, and that was where they wanted to go. unfortunately the only moves toward that goal, as i saw it, were some crappy posters. no one there is actually empowered to do anything and very few know anything about the product they're talking about. its a recipe for bad customer relations.

 

[neutralizer]

knew it

 

[Ferocious]

I bought my first Dell in December.

It will be my last.

 

[randal]

Wow, that story sounds *exactly* like my experience at Gateway technical support before they closed their doors here in Colorado Springs. I was level 3, even, which gave me a lot more power to help the customer ... but the minute-late-to-clock-in punishment, the 6-12 month advance scheduling, the unending performance reviews, the oppressive management and the very high employee turn over rate ... wow, sounds familiar. Even $24/hr only kept me there for 3 1/2 months -- I am glad this support center closed down within 6 weeks of me leaving ... some sort of poetic justice, I guess.

randal

 

[IamElectro]

I personally would not buy one but they treated my dad right. He ordered a laptop w/ win2k and printer 2 years ago. They shipped it with ME. He called and shipped it back recieved 2nd laptop with win 2k but not the laptop he ordered. He called shipped 2nd laptop back. Recieved 3rd laptop right laptop with win2k but had green frame around lcd and gray frame around keys. He calls and talks to somebody there finds out his account has been charged for 3 laptops like a 6k balance explains to supervisor what happened with prior 2 laptops sup reads notes on account and charges back 2 laptops and credits his account additonal 600 bucks for his troubles dad gets balance on account sends check. I would call that pretty good service.

 

[IamElectro]

Originally posted by: randal
Wow, that story sounds *exactly* like my experience at Gateway technical support before they closed their doors here in Colorado Springs. I was level 3, even, which gave me a lot more power to help the customer ... but the minute-late-to-clock-in punishment, the 6-12 month advance scheduling, the unending performance reviews, the oppressive management and the very high employee turn over rate ... wow, sounds familiar. Even $24/hr only kept me there for 3 1/2 months -- I am glad this support center closed down within 6 weeks of me leaving ... some sort of poetic justice, I guess.

randal

I worked for gateway at a call center in WV had same problems as a senior tech. They never wanted us to help the customer they always wanted us to get them to OPsales for something. The 20$/per hour was nice I worked ther for about a year.

 

[her209]

I hate their telephone menu.

 

[randal]

I worked for gateway at a call center in WV had same problems as a senior tech. They never wanted us to help the customer they always wanted us to get them to OPsales for something. The 20$/per hour was nice I worked ther for about a year.

that's so true, and so sad -- a customer asks for support and invariably ends up spending more money and doesn't really have a lot of choice. Most normal users will not seek help past Technical Support and will totally believe everything they have to say ... often times making them needlessly spend money.

sad, but true.

randal

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Originally posted by: her209
I hate their telephone menu.

It's quite annoying, but I rather press 7 buttons and wait for 2 minutes than pressing 2 buttons and waiting for 30 minutes (With a 180db waiting tone), after which you get disconnected (Dutch Tech Data).

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Ferocious
I bought my first Dell in December.

It will be my last.

Why?

 

[Viper GTS]

I work for a technical support outsourcer, that article unfairly blames Dell for the policies of the outsourced company.

Viper GTS

 

[mchammer187]

never had a problem with dell and would definitely recommend

 

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
I work for a technical support outsourcer, that article unfairly blames Dell for the policies of the outsourced company.

Viper GTS

That's a valid point. However, I'd gladly pay more for a computer or component from Dell if they agreed to hire competent techs for all 24 hours of the day. Hell, I'm trying to get a simple upgrade copy of Windows Mobile 2003 (it's supposed to be free for me, based on the date I bought my Axim), but when I called, I was transferred to India, and that guy transferred me to someone else, and when they picked up, all I heard was static. It's SO frustrating!

DELL: STOP THE 15% + 15% discounts and the $400 computers, and hire some decent people! I can't even reach a knowledgable sales rep!!

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: Ferocious
I bought my first Dell in December.

It will be my last.

Why?

Yeah. All this tells me is that if I bought a Dell computer I should do the tech work myself, which is what the case would be anyway. The only reason I'd call tech support would be if they had some oddball proprietary software/hardware I couldn't figure out, and only after I'd tried to AT my problems away.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
I work for a technical support outsourcer, that article unfairly blames Dell for the policies of the outsourced company.

Viper GTS

My thoughts exactly. Many outsourced support companies are just a **** hair short of legalized sweatshops. I'm not absolving Dell completely from blame, just saying that it's unfair to pin this on them when it's somebody elses policy.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

And that article is any different from any call center HOW? Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's life in a call center. Phone support is more cost effective if it is outsourced. Outsource centers like Stream, Sitel, Encompass, Solectron, Spherion and many others are pretty much all the same. It's not that pretty. Who cares if the agent has worked there less than six months? In a call center, 6 months is quite a while. At Stream and Sitel, the average turn over time is 6 months. At Stream, average burn-out time is 18 months. By that time, you're a seasoned veteran. Six months is more than enough time for someone to learn their job and be able to do it very well.

I'm sorry, but that article really isn't any surprise --and nothing new at all.

 

[damiano]

I manage 200 traders and brokers here in NYC, and I find that dell products are great, I now recomend to buy only dellto my customers
for workstations and servers !!!

they are very reliable, very easy to work with
and the business support is absolutly great

plus we are a company
so we rarely call the tech guy to ask him how to change a video card

and when a machine doesn't work, I don't lose time, just call my sales rep at dell and they ship me a new one !!!!

 

[jagr10]

That's how they're able to sell such cheap computers. They spend less money on support. You get what you pay for. They're the only computer maker that's actually making money though, so why would they change anything.

 

[MegaloManiaK]

I hate to break it to you guys, but i wouldn't be surprised if this story is true for all large companies.

If you want good support buy from a mom and pop company, you have a better chance of talking to someone who is at least in the same building as the person who built your computer or wrote your software.


I can tell you bellsouth ADSL tech support is 100% just like dell in this article.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
I work for a technical support outsourcer, that article unfairly blames Dell for the policies of the outsourced company.

Viper GTS

Dell allocates only so much money for the outsourcing. Spherion has to be ultra tight to even begin thinking about profitibility. Dell is aware of the situation and they should be ultimately responsible for the service they offer regardless of who is doing the tech support.

I think the real problem is that people pay $499 for a complete system and then expect a personal computer tech to be at thier beck and call. Dell advertises in such a way that people who buy theses systems and need hand holding will expect that personal computer tech.

 

[Renob]

Replacement parts were to be shipped only as a last resort. This saves money in most cases because sending out a technician to replace a part is expensive. If the technician is unsure of the problem, it's much cheaper for Dell to have the computer sent back to them and repaired than to repeatedly send an on-site technician with replacement parts.


That article is so full of crap, I work for Dell tech support and it is NOT like that!

 

[Splork]

Originally posted by: Renob
Replacement parts were to be shipped only as a last resort. This saves money in most cases because sending out a technician to replace a part is expensive. If the technician is unsure of the problem, it's much cheaper for Dell to have the computer sent back to them and repaired than to repeatedly send an on-site technician with replacement parts.


That article is so full of crap, I work for Dell tech support and it is NOT like that!

I'm sorry.

-sp