I don't know why people hate Dell

[zoiks]

I hate Dell for their support. I recently had to update the mailing address for a computer shipment that I was sending out to my gf who's stationed in Germany. I called Dell support who transferred me to this supervisor in another country who promised me that he'd get back to me within 2 days. I made it clear to him that I didn't want the shipment to be sent to a different address. He said that he understood this. Well 2 days came and went and my shipment was shipped out to the incomplete address.
While it was my fault for not putting the correct address in (though the APO addresses suck), Dell support personnel should really not drop the ball on their customers. If they can't update it then they could find a way to cancel the order or at the very least let me know whats going on.
I'll still buy stuff from them if its a ridiculous price but they won't have my business if I need to get a computer for myself or someone else.

 

[Mermaidman]

Here are two huge examples of Dell pissing off many people:
01
02

 

[umbrella39]

Dell talks to me very nicely when I call them, it is a shame I don't understand a word they are saying.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Here are two huge examples of Dell pissing off many people:
01
02

That is no different than most hot deals threads and it happens with newegg, ZipZoomFly, ClubIT, and Amazon too.

 

[RelaxTheMind]

uhh... they moved my job to india. not like they paid well though it turned out better.

 

[Muadib]

I miss that stoner Dell guy.

 

[senseamp]

The product is boring and generic. I bought a Dell Inspiron laptop and returned it, because it was just too bland and not really designed well. didn't feel good to the touch. I got an HP instead.
I think Dell is well suited for desktop and maybe business computers where design isn't all that important and generic design is OK, but they are way too far behind in consumer laptop design, and that is the biggest chunk of the PC business. In consumer laptops, you aren't designing an appliance but an accessory. It has to be comfortable, well designed and thought out, and look good. Bland just doesn't cut it.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: evident

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: TruePaige
Okay, just got off a chat session with a Dell Rep. My e1505 keyboard doesn't work in the bottom left or middle any longer.

Sure I had to listen to his crap like "boot into safe mode" and "run a diagnostic on it" things that only people who are very unsure about computers need to do, but afterwards he said "If you are comfortable replacing the keyboard I can have a replace arrive in 2 business days."

Which to me, is better than most companies.

I get to keep using my laptop, with no interruptions in service, get the replacement part, and don't have to wipe my drive and put vista on it to appease support drones / protect my data.

Meh. I think they are okay. Talk to their support rep for 30 minutes, get my part, good to go.

They are only hated by this (negatively minded) community* for the following reasons:

1. Their Machines are:
2. Not overclockable (with one $10,000 exception)
3. Come with PCI or AGP slots excluded on the motherboard, yet solder points are present for their existence.
4. Come with the occasional wild card proprietary part. Usually a PSU, but can be a host bus adapter, hard drive, or motherboard / motherboard mounting scheme.
5. Their Printers Suck
6. People Hate Dell for the same reasons they Hate Microsoft, Standard Oil, Wal-Mart, AT&T, etc. It's because they are not the "little guy" that gets all the sympathy.
7. Their Laptops Catch Fire.

However, people love Dell because they sell great monitors for good prices. I suppose you could assume their computers are of a similar quality. I rarely ever see Dell (desktop) hardware go bad, except the occasional flaming notebook.


*Community = Anandtech Forums

uhhh i think people need to accept dell for what they are, a cheapo basic computer for your mom and dad type company. remember you get what you pay for, and for what you pay, you get a great deal when buying a dell, but if you have plans for modding it in the future, you shouldnt be purchasing it in the first place i'll always build a custom system for myself, but for people who want cheap, go dell

Exactly. You recommend DELL to the less technically inclined for the service and support, not the hardware.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: ZeroIQ

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: ZeroIQ

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: TruePaige
Okay, just got off a chat session with a Dell Rep. My e1505 keyboard doesn't work in the bottom left or middle any longer.

Sure I had to listen to his crap like "boot into safe mode" and "run a diagnostic on it" things that only people who are very unsure about computers need to do, but afterwards he said "If you are comfortable replacing the keyboard I can have a replace arrive in 2 business days."

Which to me, is better than most companies.

I get to keep using my laptop, with no interruptions in service, get the replacement part, and don't have to wipe my drive and put vista on it to appease support drones / protect my data.

Meh. I think they are okay. Talk to their support rep for 30 minutes, get my part, good to go.

They are only hated by this (negatively minded) community* for the following reasons:

1. Their Machines are:
2. Not overclockable (with one $10,000 exception)
3. Come with PCI or AGP slots excluded on the motherboard, yet solder points are present for their existence.
4. Come with the occasional wild card proprietary part. Usually a PSU, but can be a host bus adapter, hard drive, or motherboard / motherboard mounting scheme.
5. Their Printers Suck
6. People Hate Dell for the same reasons they Hate Microsoft, Standard Oil, Wal-Mart, AT&T, etc. It's because they are not the "little guy" that gets all the sympathy.
7. Their Laptops Catch Fire.

However, people love Dell because they sell great monitors for good prices. I suppose you could assume their computers are of a similar quality. I rarely ever see Dell (desktop) hardware go bad, except the occasional flaming notebook.


*Community = Anandtech Forums

I used to think that about Dell before I started working with them, a lot. And it's not true anymore. The only proprietary part I have found is the riser board for Dell servers. As far as their desktops, they no longer chop pieces. At least not in the Vostros, Dimensions, and Optiplex lines, and I doubt they do in the Inspiron lines.

Also, the Vostro 400 is very overclockable at last check. They use Foxconn Mobos, just figure out which one is in your machine and find out what it can do.

Foxconn maybe used on their AMD machines, but I do know at one time DELL exclusively used Intel motherboards. Gateway was the same way at one time. Though Intel does use Foxconn components in the manufacturing process. Foxconn is a major component supplier to all electronic manufacturers of any brand same as AMP Ampherol, Molex, TYCO, etc.

I know for a fact that Foxconn motherboards are used in the Vostro machines (for Intel CPUs for sure) and some in the Dell PowerEdge line (also for Intel CPUs). I'm sure they use Foxconn parts in many other lines as well both Intel and AMD.

I don't know about every single line or model so I'm not going to pretend to, but I've been running into many Foxconn parts in Dell machines.

I have used two Intel motherboards* and an on Intel Print Server in the past few years for my personal machine and both have Foxconn brand components in them. Even their retail boxed heatsinks are Foxconn. Other machines I have assembled have also used Intel Motherboards (for stability) and have exclusively featured Foxconn components.


*D815EEA2U AND D845GEBV2

 

[DrPizza]

I don't "hate" dell, I just understand what they really are: a great source for cheap computers. Period. (well, and maybe LCD's or some other cheap extra.)

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
The key to getting good treatment from Dell is to spring for Gold Support. When you call Gold Support, you're calling one of two call centers - either Texas or Colorado. They're Americans, and they're friendly (lazy). When you call the regular support, you'll usually get India. The folks in India are nice, but they will MAKE you troubleshoot everything. The folks at gold support will basically just set up a dispatch once you say "this is broke".

This is why I love Dell. Not only can I order them tax-free with a military discount (AAFES pwns), but my service tag always takes me right to Gold support!

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I don't "hate" dell, I just understand what they really are: a great source for cheap computers. Period. (well, and maybe LCD's or some other cheap extra.)

$40 Logitech MX Revolution!

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

On the same note, I've generally had good experiences with Best Buy. Except when UPS delivered my 8800GT the guy just threw it on the porch right in front of me - then picked it up and handed it to me. But that's UPS. I've never bought anything like a TV from them, though.

 

[Jschmuck2]

I just recently had a good nay, great CS experience with Dell. My Girlfriend's e1505 LCD bezel came loose and needed to be replaced. I spent maybe 15 minutes from start to finish on the phone with a guy named "Robert" who wished me well with my "Preparations for the Christmas" :-D He was fantastically nice. DHL came the next day to pick up the notebook and I had it back TWO days later.

Awesome.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: TruePaige
Okay, just got off a chat session with a Dell Rep. My e1505 keyboard doesn't work in the bottom left or middle any longer.

Sure I had to listen to his crap like "boot into safe mode" and "run a diagnostic on it" things that only people who are very unsure about computers need to do, but afterwards he said "If you are comfortable replacing the keyboard I can have a replace arrive in 2 business days."

Which to me, is better than most companies.

I get to keep using my laptop, with no interruptions in service, get the replacement part, and don't have to wipe my drive and put vista on it to appease support drones / protect my data.

Meh. I think they are okay. Talk to their support rep for 30 minutes, get my part, good to go.

They are only hated by this (negatively minded) community* for the following reasons:

1. Their Machines are:
2. Not overclockable (with one $10,000 exception)
3. Come with PCI or AGP slots excluded on the motherboard, yet solder points are present for their existence.
4. Come with the occasional wild card proprietary part. Usually a PSU, but can be a host bus adapter, hard drive, or motherboard / motherboard mounting scheme.
5. Their Printers Suck
6. People Hate Dell for the same reasons they Hate Microsoft, Standard Oil, Wal-Mart, AT&T, etc. It's because they are not the "little guy" that gets all the sympathy.
7. Their Laptops Catch Fire.

However, people love Dell because they sell great monitors for good prices. I suppose you could assume their computers are of a similar quality. I rarely ever see Dell (desktop) hardware go bad, except the occasional flaming notebook.


*Community = Anandtech Forums

1. So? Dell doesn't want to take the chance of idiot customers overclocking their machines and then having to deal with the support that would ensue.
2. These were only on the very basic machines (think of the $300 Dell desktops). This was to prevent people from taking advantage of those and then just adding their own video card to make a killer deal. Upgrades are Dell's bread and butter.
3. Proprietary parts: PSUs used to be, but mainly because you would need to find one with no switch on the back (because of a solid back panel on the chassis or cut a whole in the case). At one point, they did use proprietary mainboard connector, but that ended around the time of the Dimension 4600 and on. The front panel still tends to be proprietary, which is annoying, but not a big deal.
6. The catching fire issue was due to faulty batch of batteries made by Sony.

 

[Jschmuck2]

^^^ Read his post noobcakes. He was describing this board. You lose at reading.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2
^^^ Read his post noobcakes. He was describing this board. You lose at reading.

And my comments are still valid rebuttles to his points for why people hate Dell on this board.

 

[PowerEngineer]

There were a large number of Dell customers whose orders were ridiculously delayed this summer on their new "colored" laptops (e.g. the Inspiron 1520 in my case).

Ordered in July, initially promised in early August delivery, delayed a week every week until finally delivered in October. Many sons and daughters, including my own, left for their first year of college without their laptops.

Terrible customer service. Customer service reps given no information to help callers; no one able or willing to discuss the specifics of your order. No one even allowed to change their orders in ways to speed delivery (change=new order and back of the line). New "estimated" shipping dates just generic, not tied to your specific order. No Dell-initiated attempts to communicate with customers (other than delay notices).

I'd had better experiences with Dell before (particularly on service after delivery), but it will now be a long time before I order something from them again.

:frown:

 

[xboxist]

Everytime I have to call them (3-4 times in the past year for something work-related), I speak with people who are obviously in an Indian call center.

I'm sorry, but it's piss-poor customer service by default when you are forced to communicate with someone that you simply can not understand half of the time.

 

[compman25]

Originally posted by: xboxist
Everytime I have to call them (3-4 times in the past year for something work-related), I speak with people who are obviously in an Indian call center.

I'm sorry, but it's piss-poor customer service by default when you are forced to communicate with someone that you simply can not understand half of the time.

Next time pay the extra $$$ for Gold Service, it's not their fault people cheap out on that part of their order.

 

[amdhunter]

Originally posted by: xboxist
Everytime I have to call them (3-4 times in the past year for something work-related), I speak with people who are obviously in an Indian call center.

I'm sorry, but it's piss-poor customer service by default when you are forced to communicate with someone that you simply can not understand half of the time.

I haven't spoken to anyone in India for the best part of this year, and I call Dell constantly. I've never had a problem with getting RMA parts for my job. (Mostly because of GX620 PSU's dying back and forth.)

I once called for a dead Wi-Fi card once though, and had to speak to 4 different techs who kept blaming my router, lol.

Finally I told them I replaced it on my own with a working one, and they RMA'd the card. I didn't really replace it, but lied to them so they'd ship me my damned part.

 

[Brovane]

I have had varied experience's with Dell.

The company I work for is fairly large at 20k+ employees and we buy exclusively Dell.

There hardware overall is fairly solid for both desktops and laptops and there complete coverage warranties on laptops is great.

We have had a few negative experiences with enterprise services when we paid them to come out and perform works for us. It seems they are sometimes engaging
contractors that have no idea what they are doing sometimes.

Our latest experience with Dell with setting up a PowerVault ML6020 CM tape library.

As part of the order a engineer is supposed to come on-site and calibrate and setup the tape library. We also paid for the Dell rep to implement Snap View from our Dell SAN. So we could
have direct SAN backup to the tape library using the fiber channel backbone without going over the network.

The Engineer arrives onsite and the first tape library doesn't work. The Engineer also doesn't know how to implement Snap View.

The next day we receive a new tape library and a new Engineer. It had to of cost Dell a pretty penny to next-day us a new tape library which weighs over +100lbs. The second tape library doesn't work either the box was damaged in shipping.

The next day we receive another tape library and this tape library doesn't work either. So at this point we have 3 ML6020 CM tape libraries on the floor of our data center. At this point the Engineer sent by Dell manages by using parts from each of the 3 tape libraries to get us one working tape library.


Once we engage our Dell Platinum account rep. when we have a issue we quickly get resolution to that issue. Overall I have found Dell much more responsive to issues than Cisco. Overall the company that I work does about $40-$50 Million a year in business with Cisco and sometimes Cisco could care less when have a issue while Dell will fall over themselves correcting the issue.

I have both a Dell laptop and Desktop at home and I have received great service on both. Several years ago 3-days before we were leaving on vacation my MB on my Dell Laptop went out. The next day a technician was at my house with a motherboard in hand. Earlier this year my laptop fell of the arm of the chair and into our coffee table screen first. It was great spider web effect on the screen. Called Dell since I have complete care on my laptop and they shipped me a box and with 5-days I had the laptop back with a new screen no hazzle from Dell.

 

[imported_Lothar]

HPQ > DELL.

 

[Zee]

Originally posted by: Siddhartha
Can you think of one large or small company everyone loves?

American Red Cross

 

[fleshconsumed]

I had to exchange 2405 twice, first because of the buzzing/whining problem second because vga input had red tint to it.

Then you could also ask all those people ordered MSI 8800GT through dell at the beginning of the month...