Dell Spends $150 Million On Customer Service Improvements... And Its Customer Service Ranking Falls

from the ouch dept

Wed, Aug 15th 2007 11:29am — Mike Masnick

Dell clearly had a pretty major reputation problem when it came to customer service for much of this budding century. Despite problems going back for many years, it took way too long for Dell to admit it had a problem that needed fixing. Unfortunately, whatever it's doing isn't exactly working. John Paczkowski notes that, despite spending $150 million to improve customer service, the latest customer satisfaction rankings from the American Customer Satisfaction Index show Dell dropping 5%. Ouch. While some are reasonably calling the methodology of these rankings into question, that still can't be what Dell hoped to see. Of course, much of the customer satisfaction ratings may be a hangover effect from earlier bad experiences, or the massive publicity around some high profile bad customer service experiences at Dell. If that's the case, though, Dell will probably need to go beyond just fixing its current customer service problems to getting the word out that it really has changed. That means admitting the mistakes of the past while making the changes quite transparent.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: customer service
Companies: dell

103 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2007 @ 12:04pm

What did they improve?
I wonder how many customer service reps they were able to move back to the United States from India for $150M?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- dragonheart2022, 15 Aug 2007 @ 12:09pm
  
  Re: What did they improve?
  Come on that would be the logical thing to do. No they improved phonelines to india, added more indian people who can't speak english. I'm sure thats where the 150mil went.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2007 @ 12:10pm
    
    Re: Re: What did they improve?
    India was a british colony for a long time. They speak english, it just isn't american english.
    
    The language barrier isn't even my problem with their tech support. It's the fact that their support is 100% scripted. None of them know a usb port from their butthole.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Casper, 15 Aug 2007 @ 3:22pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: What did they improve?
      The language barrier isn't even my problem with their tech support. It's the fact that their support is 100% scripted. None of them know a usb port from their butthole.
      
      That's easy for you to say. I have had tech people so bad that I just gave up trying to translate them. Heck, I have had some that are in the US that were just as bad. The quality control of who is hired for customer service over the telephone needs to be increased. If you can't speak clear English in person, why would they think it would work over a telephone?
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2007 @ 12:09pm
  
  Re: What did they improve?
  I don't quite think that's where they spent the money...
  
  Product recalls and replacements... like the battery issue and the XPS 700 motherboards that are all getting replaced would cost a very pretty penny in labor and shipping as well as parts.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Leo, 3 Dec 2009 @ 8:18am
  
  Re: What did they improve?
  I hope none..........
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Matt Bennett, 15 Aug 2007 @ 12:10pm

I remember the India hell days of Dell, the service has gotten much better than back then.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Joe Blow, 10 Dec 2008 @ 9:12am
  
  Re: Matt Bennett's comment
  That's what you think, Matt!
  
  Dell customer service is just as bad as its ever been!
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Matt Bennett, 15 Aug 2007 @ 12:28pm

Maybe it's not a problem for YOU, but I can never understand a damn thing they're saying
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
pri, 15 Aug 2007 @ 12:33pm

Dell CS still sucks.
Don't blame India or its people for the bad customer service. Its all about saving money by denying customers the service they paid for. The representatives do talk everything by the scripts and do not listen to the customer. I think they are just trained that way.
Here is what happened to me just last week.
My PC kept rebooting automatically and it would not even reach the windows logon screen. Being computer engineers, my and my husband knew it was a memory going bad issue. We confirmed this on the internet. Dell has a quite nice Boot Menu (F12) which has a Dell utility to diagnose hardware issues. We ran the tests under this utility and saw that the System Memory MATS test failed. So it was what we suspected - BAD RAM. We called up Dell and the rep tell us to reinstall windows. Ofcourse I told him all about running the utility and also the error code and he still insisted on reinstalling windows saying it was an OS issue. After 20 minutes of telling him the symptoms and asking him why he suspects OS issue, he still kept saying the same thing and explaining that the OS is bad if the machine doesn't reboot if we are in BIOS. Finally my husband took over and insisted that its a RAM issue. Finally after removing one of the RAMs, the machine worked fine and the rep admitted a RAM issue and told us Dell would send new RAMs. Then he switched over to his manager, who we companined to about asking us unecessarily to reinstall OS knowing how hard it is to take backups and resintalling all software. He started making excuses as if we were lame ducks. I don't think we will be buying another Dell anytime.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Charles, 30 Sep 2009 @ 8:24am
  
  Re: Dell CS still sucks.
  You guys are a 100% right. With the charges that you paid for your system and maybe accessories they should respect the customers more highly than they do. I own a Dell Computer and a Dell Printer and you can believe me their accessories, parts charges are out of the window. Once one of these hardware items breaks I will never buy another Dell product.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- gb, 2 Jul 2010 @ 10:19pm
  
  Re: Dell CS still sucks.
  Wish I would have read all these comments a few days ago, before buying a new Dell system. NOTHING BUT TROUBLE!!!!
  It came with only two discs, Works 9, and 'Drivers and Documentation'. I admit, Win 7 is all new to me, but I can't even get the thing registered...meaning I can,t get support, and find the system didn't come with drivers installed and the drivers disc they sent is for a 32 bit and I bought a 64 bit system. It looks good on paper and may be a powerful system, big deal if it won't work and I can't get support. Guess I'll just pack it back up and return it. Not my favorite thing to do.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Matt Bennett, 15 Aug 2007 @ 12:57pm

Somewhat unrealted but that story reminded me. I actually had great customer service with Microsoft for my "Red Ring of Death" Xbox360. I told her, yes, I had red the internet self-help page, yes I had tested the power supply separately, and yes, I had removed the hard drive and that all told, I was pretty sure the DVD motor had burned out as it had been making funny noises a few days prior. The weird part, that left me absolutely flabergasted, was that she actually believed me! It took them a couple weeks to get me a replacement, which is still slightly too long, but all told, I was very happy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:08pm
  
  Re:
  When I got the "red ring" I returned it to WalMart and got my money back.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Cyrus, 29 Dec 2008 @ 8:33pm
    
    Re: Re:
    WTH!?
    
    that has nothing to do with Dell!!
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Wisconsingod, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:01pm

Depends on Type of Dell Customer Service
Dell has two "Types" of customer service. Basic Support & Business Support.
The 150m spent was probably on the Business Support end. That support is for customers who purchased under any area except home & home office (HHO). Small Business (SB), Large & Medium Business (LMB) & G.E.H.L. all get the business support option, which provides U.S. Based phone support 24x7. Home & Home Office still get transferred overseas for the level 1 & 2 support centers.
Dell has always been notorious for the variations between the HHO purchase options and the SB options. When designing a system, always try both options, as one is usually quite cheaper than the other. It is this variation that many consumers complain about as they fount out of it after they bought from HHO.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Charles, 30 Sep 2009 @ 8:29am
  
  Re: Depends on Type of Dell Customer Service
  You're probably about Dell spending 150 Million on Business
  Customer Service. The Home Customer Service isn't worth a
  damn.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Brutus Beefcake, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:03pm

Their hardware is their real problem
I work for a company that has 20,000 desktops. 99.9% are Dells, more specifically the "stable business model" Optiplex line.

Motherboards and power supplies die at a ridiculous rate. Recent models like the gx620 and gx745 small form factors are laid out like a drunken monkey designed them. (for ex. the hot air blown off of the processor gets blasted over the hard drive).

The old beige Dells were pretty solid but the new Chinese made Dells suck big time.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
name, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:07pm

ALLOFMP3.COM
when are u going to put up an article about them? they just won the case, tho, of corse, its being apealed. read about it hours ago.

ssssssllllllloooooooooooowwwwwwwwwww
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Not Buying It, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:08pm

Upselling
I had purchased a Dell workstation 18 months back and recently the DVD drive went bad (started making funny noises). I called their customer support only to be told that it wa out of warranty and that it would cost $35 bucks to diagnose the problem. Then they tried selling me a new DVD drive for $75, when I know I can run down the street and pick one up for half that price. I think the $150M might of been spent on training customer support how to upsell!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Diogenes, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:23pm

CS for which Dell?
Dell is much better these days than they were at customer service. All companies with millions upon millions of installed units in the field have similar problems with customer service. Personally I think the problem is that they aren't trained to pass customers on to a knowledgeable technician soon enough. If 70% of problems can be solved by going through the first 5 steps in the script, that's great, but as soon as that's determined to NOT be effective, they need to move the customer onto someone who can solve problems.

Second, if the CS scores for Dell Financial Services are getting co-mingled with scores for the rest of the company, it's no wonder they went down. I have never, ever, in all my life, not even when dealing with phone companies, had a more horrid experience in trying to straighten out problems with an account or billing information than when having to work with DFS. It's a freakin' joke what those guys call customer service. You couldn't write a parody as bad as that!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- amcomwrks, 15 Aug 2007 @ 2:01pm
  
  Re: CS for which Dell?
  Amen Brother
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
EW, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:35pm

Business CS
Interesting comment regarding business vs. home support. I hadn't realized there was a difference, but it makes sense now that you mention it. I had a minor issue with some Dell equipment I installed at a business in late 2006 and found the tech support to be surprisingly helpful. I think they sounded American, but I can't be 100% sure.

My mother, on the other hand, has called Dell support quite a few times recently for her home computer, and she's found it generally less than enjoyable.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
gone, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:48pm

Dell Sucks...
I wonder what part of their CS they improved. How is one supposed to pacify irate consumers who call up to complain about the PC not working and get to hear that the warranty is expired or the issue can't be fixed. I have had bad experience with Dell. I lost all my data, thanks to some CSR in Nashville and ended up paying 100 bucks and still a faulty laptop. I ultimately had to shift to SONY VAIO. I would never ever recommend Dell to anyone.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
John (profile), 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:54pm

Delays?
The message posted by pri, above, got me thinking:
How many tech are trained to simply delay the customer instead of helping them? Yes, re-installing Windows may solve your Windows-related issues, but isn't this like having major surgery because you have a tooth ache?

Then, after you re-install Windows, you have to re-install your software, then you have to set everything up the way you like it (folder views, menu options, etc), then you have to restore back all your documents and files.
Depending on your system, this could take 4 to 8 hours. And while you're off on your wild-goose-chase, the tech doesn't have to help you. And, of course, after you've re-installed everything, you've probably forgotten about your problem.

Sorry... I know this doesn't relate specifically to the Dell story. ;)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
amcomwrks, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:57pm

Payback
About three months ago a customer brought me a dell lap top the the display had gone bad on. I called Dell and inquired into a new display, got the price and called the customer back and got approval to purchase. Upon calling back I was informed that I had two options A. Pay somebody an outrageous amount of money to come out and replace it. or B. send it back to them for an equally outrageous price. Neither was an option that the customer cared for. Since then I have sold 47 laptops to customers AND None of them have been Dells. Since all they seem to understand is $$ I am making my complaint in the only way I can, by making damn sure I never ever sell nor recommend another Dell product.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Overcast, 15 Aug 2007 @ 2:14pm

You get what you pay for.
If I buy dirt cheap wood and build a house with it, it's my fault when it costs me thousands to fix it.

Interesting comment regarding business vs. home support

And yeah, it's not right... We have corporate support from HP, and I must admit it's top notch. But I have gotten into the other queue sometimes and they aren't even on top of it enough to realize where they should direct me

Used to be - when people asked me for advice on purchasing a PC, I wouldn't hesitate to say Dell, HP, etc - because of the warranty.

But now, I'd solidly recommend a local shop, because you really do get top notch service from most smaller places.

They can take a lax attitude towards personal support all they want, but when the 'computer guy' many people knows starts getting all kinds of calls from family on the Dell or HP they bought because the customer service sucks bad, don't think I will recommend something different.

I wonder if these big companies have any clue at how many people ask IT people they know for recommendations on what computers to buy. I almost feel bad about recommending some of these companies anymore.

It's like recommending your drunk uncle for a job - some mistakes you won't repeat twice, regardless of 'promises' of improvement.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
jinishans, 15 Aug 2007 @ 2:27pm

What did they improve?
See it's all boils down to margin.

If we all expect the parts/entire Dell Laptop NOT tobe manufactured in China, support be given from US, then, we should be ready to purchase all the laptops selling today at double the price OR buy with a 50% of the configuration options they provide.

We expect all DEALS, COUPONS, MAIL-IN-REBATE, FREE 2GB RAM, FREE 160GB HDD, BUY 1GB RAM upgrade to 2GB RAM FREE, Free WebCam, etc. etc. etc, still with an excellent support from US and still manufactured in US, then, it would be like this only going forward and China is comming up in a big way in BPO. Atleast Indian's know UK english, think of China speaking Chinglish. Guys, be ready for anything. Afterall, we Western countries only insisted and implemented the so called GLOBALIZATION. We've to live with it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- BS, 15 Jul 2009 @ 3:05pm
  
  Re: What did they improve?
  It's called APPLE. A little more expensive, but well worth it.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- charpa1951 (profile), 30 Sep 2009 @ 8:55am
  
  Re: What did they improve?
  Tell me what parts on a Dell computer is not made in China.
  This is sic! I always thought Dell was the most high quality
  computer maker in the USA. I was wrong. Like most of us still know that DCS is inefficient to American customers.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
bub, 15 Aug 2007 @ 2:34pm

dell dell dell
i wouldnt even use a dell to rake my lawn by dragging it behind a rider mower while drinking a six of molsens. such crap.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2007 @ 2:40pm

Dell has a 1000 employee customer service center here in Edmonton, Canada. The only info about it is that it "supports North American customers". Don't know what level or area
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ray Mochinski, 15 Aug 2007 @ 2:41pm

DELL support
I've had similar problems. My father had a simple problem with his DELL that I'm sure if I was in town I could have fixed in moments, maybe would have required re-installing an application. But after 2 hours of a Dell tech remoting in an poking around, the best solution the tech could come up with was to reload the OS. Next I had a problem trying to get Vista's Email working. So I called DELL and it took 2 attemps to get remoted in and I watched him move around and check every thing I did. While the tech scratched his head, I made one more attempt at the settings and found my error. Is it DELL or is it the challange they have with MS products?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mike Mixer, 15 Aug 2007 @ 3:43pm

Useless as teats on a boar hog!!!
Speaking as a citizen of the city of Roseburg OR who was just reamed up the poopshoot by Dell I would say that the chances of one of their products entering my home is only slightly better than SCO not going bankrupt. As far as customer service is concerned, I look to the way their employees are treated to gauge how effective their customer skills are. Micheal Dell should sell out to a company that really knows how to treat people right and go stand in a corner and think about what a naughty boy he has been. Either that, or, he should be forced to contact every single person his company has screwed in the last ten years(undoubtedly any time further back there would be premature deaths caused by the stress of not being able to personally strangle the worthless git) and offer his sincere, heartfelt apology for the mess he's made of so many lives.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Teh Bum, 15 Aug 2007 @ 4:21pm

Improved? Hahaha, what a joke. I haven't even gotten my computer yet, and I've had my fair share of Dell screwing up already. I'm going into college and all, and specifically asked whether or not there would be anything with my configuration that would delay it massively thus preventing me from having it by the time I start. Idiots there of course, said no. So, I thought everything was well and good and I'd have it in 2 weeks. One month later, I'm still stuck on my crappy PC, haven't gotten my laptop, and starting college in less than 2 weeks. Even been calling them off and on trying to expedite matters, and from what I could understand (which, wasn't much) I'm still screwed. Next time, maybe Dell should just take the $150mil and shove it up their asses, seems it would do a lot more good then trying to improve a CS that you can't even understand anyways.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
bradley stewart, 15 Aug 2007 @ 5:17pm

DELL IS NOT A SPECIAL CASE
HAVING SPENT NEARLY FOUR DECADES IN SALES AND CUSTOMER SRVICE ALMOST EVERY COMPANY I PURCHASE SOMETHING FROM OR COMPANY I REQUEST A SERVICE FROM HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FOUNDATION OF THE PROBLEM IS THE PEOPLE WE RELATE TO AND I DONT PUT ALL OF THEM IN THE SAME BOX IS THEY JUST DONT CARE. MARSHALL FIELD THE FIRST SAID, GIVE THE LADY WHAT SHE WANTS. I AGREE, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THATS WHAT SHE WANTS. HEY FOLKS AT DELL JUST BECAUSE YOU CALL YOUR EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATES DOES NOT MAKE THEM FEEL MORE IMPORTANT OR LOYAL TO YOUR COMPANY,NOT ONLY LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY BUT MAYBE JUST MAYBE THEY HAVE SOME GOOD IDEAS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER. BEST REGARDS BRADLEY STEWART
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2007 @ 5:40pm

I've been buying from Dell since 1987, when it was still called PCs Limited. I've seen the quality of their support deteriorate for all the reasons mentioned above.

However, since Michael Dell returned things have noticeably improved, although I'm sure there is still much to do.

#4 mentioned the India hell days
Yes how true. And, yes things are getting better.
Nevertheless, whenever a tech answers my call with, "Hello. This is Lance." or "Hello. This is Buffy" and I hear an East Asian accent, I know I'm in for a bad time.

#5 mentioned scripting
The East Asian support is 100% scripted, and with the language and cultural difficulties they know they need it. It's difficult to bypass and it's awful.
In Canada, Panamana and the Phillipines, their command of American English was as good as my own, and scripting was not as rigidly adhered to. Who you get depends on the time of day you place your call.

#14 mentioned - Dell Financial Services
Today I purchased 2 Dell Model 960 engineering workstations and a 2407 monitor, on the web site - small business division. Typical, reasonably good experience until the payment page. I tried to use our Dell Financial Services account, as in the past, and things went to hell fast. To make a long story short, I called Customer Care, and got a nice fellow in Austin who fixed me up quickly and efficiently. In the past, the hell would have lasted for days. This time it was fixed in 20 minutes of civilized conversation with a US english speaker who knew how to treat a customer. By the way, I did not have to wait - I was talking to him the minute they figured out where to route me. Excellent.

#9 mentioned - two "Types" of customer service. Basic Support & Business Support.
Although we are a business customer we often had East Asian support. I haven't need any recently (OH NO - JINX!) but it always sucked. However, Canadian, Panamanian and Phillipine support has been uniformly excellent.

Regardless how bad Dell might be now or was in the past, from what I hear and read, the others are equally bad or worse. (Of course, you can't believe what the Mac cult members say. - JUST KIDDING)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Jesse McNelis, 16 Aug 2007 @ 4:26am

Amazingly bad customer service.
I called Dell Australia recently to order backup tapes, which are the probably the only things not available through the website. I was on hold for 40 minutes and was then transfered around between a few different people until I was finally transfered to a random answering machine.

I called back the next day and something similar happened. So I ended up going out to a computer store to buy them.

Amazingly bad customer service.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Si, 16 Aug 2007 @ 6:55am

Dell and Alienware
It was interesting to see that Dell purchased Alienware last year. Has anyone experienced Alienware's customer service as I'd be interested to see how that compared?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Jasen, 16 Aug 2007 @ 8:51am

Dell tech support
First problem is a lot of companies are moving their call centers to India. This wouldn't be bad if they could speak clearly or even understand me. Having to repeat yourself or them repeat themselves gets frustrating, I'm sure on both ends. Of course, this can happen with a call center in America as well. So this issue is about training or hiring people that can speak well. Good listening skills are needed too.

Second problem is that tier 1 support needs to escalate the call in a more timely fashion. I spent 45 min with tier 1, which consisted of the tech asking me the same questions at least 3 times. Once I got frustrated with the repeated questions, he then sent me to tier 2 support which resolved the issue in a matter of minutes. I'm sure this is procedural and that Dell would prefer that most calls are resolved at tier 1 level.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
jinishans, 16 Aug 2007 @ 1:45pm

HP Support
I got a support from HP (India) call center, but the support was excellent. I don't know what's the diff. here with HP India support & Dell India support. It all depends on how much they pay the call center for their support. Offcourse, HP is bit costlier, but nowadays its onpar with Dell laptops.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Tech Snob, 17 Aug 2007 @ 9:43am

Tech support still sucks
I am on the phone right now with a "tech" who can't think with the problem and wants to run through possible solutions. On my side it is simple: IT IS A BAD HARD DRIVE. All I want is a new hard drive and this guy won't send it to me. He does not seem to understand BAD SECTORS. And he won't transfer me to tier 2 where I know they will just send me the hard drive that I requested.
Bottom line: Their tech support still sucks. As far as I am concerned...it is worse now than it has been. Insert a few choice curse words here_____________________.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
nirmal mathew, 17 Aug 2007 @ 10:47am

clearing a doubt
my dell laptop puchased a few days before.Today its monitor
suddenly become dim,how can i correct this problem.please send me a solution to this email id.I am from country india
and my state is kerala.also when it is connected to current using adaptor it become more brighter.please send me a reply soon.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- patrick, 19 Dec 2007 @ 7:58pm
  
  Re: clearing a doubt
  I believe you are saying that when on battery power your screen is somewhat dim but when plugged in (on AC power) your screen is bright.
  
  This is normal and is done to help preserve battery life. On my Dell Latitude D830 (and the others I've used over the years - my company purchases mostly Dell laptops) you can make it brighter on battery by using the Fn and up arrow keys together. Fn and down arrow makes the display dimmer again.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
V2, 20 Aug 2007 @ 4:44pm

Dell support
Customer support and Tech support are two different things at Dell. And yes home vs SB there is a big difference. Some of the biggest issues are with Customer support for Dell Financial. Imagine thinking you bought the system and find out the sales rep set you up for a lease... just one example.
I know, I was tier 3 SB support for this Round Rock company.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
BBusyB, 29 Aug 2007 @ 4:42am

Support on Higher End Machins
Dont know about other people, but have noticed different levels of service depending on what Warrent options.

So with basic warrenty's you get basic hit or miss CS.
but with Business machines or machines with a next business day or onsite service have had excellent service.

So basicly you get what you pay for.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Tony Branch, 14 Sep 2007 @ 8:44pm

Dell Customer Services is defunct
My experience with Dell Customer Services for the last 14 days has been terrible. Dell sent me software that was damaged during shipping, which requires 3 layers of communication to get replaced. After 4 attempts, I still do not have the software and there is no USA manager to speak with. I keep getting the "Floor Supervisors" when requesting a manager. They tell me they are in India. Example: "May I speak with a manager?" "Sure, I gladly help you with that, please, let me help you with that sir. So you are calling looking for a manager? Is that correct?"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 22 Sep 2007 @ 2:54pm

You Get What You Pay For
I worked for a company that had one of the top business warranty plans with Dell. I called at about 5:30 PM on Friday with a problem and it was determined that it was probably the RAM or motherboard. I got both by 7:00 AM Saturday morning. I don't know about you but there isn't anything I can find to complain about with that.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Awo Archampong-Gray, 2 Nov 2007 @ 11:45am

DELL Customer Service Problems
I have spent several hours just making sure that Dell Financial Services does not send my address to the wrong state. Dell Financial Services has also decided not to use my name as I presented it to them at the time of purchase on my account.

The challenges of purchasing the computer were endless. Unfortunately, by the time I decided to cancel the order, the mislabled computer had arrived. I will not buy another computer from DELL
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Stacy-Ann Bennett, 7 Dec 2007 @ 11:53pm

Switched to Apple
I owned a dell in the past. Needless to say, the service was nothing to brag about neither was their product. I've since switched to Apple and am in techno heaven.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Jonny Rocket, 18 Dec 2007 @ 8:47pm

Not so bad
I bought my Dell in 2000. One hard drive failed, the second
I thought failed but came back to life after I purchased the third hard drive. The customer service is not the greatest, but if you are patient, you can get through it. When you leave your phone number they actually do call you back. Don't be so spoiled by instant McService. Just because you paid with American dollars doesn't mean that you have to be catered to. Relax people. Computers are physical objects that are going to break down, just like cards, radios, and everything else. If you don't like the product, don't buy it again, and pass the word. My last purchase was a Compaq and so probably will be my next purchase.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
HP-Lover, 19 Dec 2007 @ 6:23am

Dell Server from HELL
I have a friend that owns a 1 Year old Dell Server (high end RAID 5 HOT PLUG drives), one morning when he went to work he heard an alarm going off. He realized it was his server. He called me and I went over to his office. One of his hard drives had failed (no biggy,, sooner or later all drives will fail) we called Dell and explained that he had a 3 year 4 hour onsite warranty and we wanted a new drive. We explained the beeping alarm and the red light right on the front of the drive that said "failed" and these idiots kept us on the phone for 2 hours, they wanted to know if we had flashed the BIOS first, we had to do that to appease the Dell gods first or something, we had to download the new SCSI drivers, after we were given the wrong download site twice, the third time was the correct driver. The tech at Dell was actually amazed that the SCSI driver (A PIECE OF SOFTWARE) didn't fix a drive that was not even spinning(A PIECE OF HARDWARE). What a moron. Finally they opened a service ticket. (My friend had paid almost $900 for a 4 hour onsite contract) We now have spent 2 hours on the phone, 3 hours later some guy in cutoff jeans and a marijuana leaf T-shirt shows up with a box in his hand. My friend told him where the server was and the guy stated that he was the parts guy from the local service provider not the tech, but reminded my friend that since he was there within 4 hours that Dell had met their contact of the 4 hour response. Now some of you may know that most RAID 5 drives are "HOT PLUG" which means that can be swapped out while powered on and rebuilt without downing the system. This one was. The Dell tech didn't know that he downed my friends server (without asking - they were still up and running) and kept it down for almost 6 hours while he rebuilt it using the RAID controller disgnostics.

Do you think my friend has even thought about buying another Dell???
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Rich, 19 Dec 2007 @ 8:58am

What tech support?
Just 5 months ago I called Dell and informed them what the problem was on my Dad's PC (bad DVD drive). I let the gentleman from India know I had 25 years experience with PCs, and that I do repair for a living. I still had to go thru the Dell script, page after page, for 3 hours. I lost it when the "technician" said I had to put a Dell branded CD in the drive to troubleshot. I let him know that I was never going to buy another Dell, I would let work know that they should never buy a Dell and I needed to speak to his supervisor. He then relented and said we needed to do only one more test. To put the Dell Branded recovery disk (bootable) ain the drive and reboot to see if the disk was seen during boot-up. Needless to say the CD wasn't seen, he confirmed my original diagnosis, and a need DVD drive was sent.

I have a Dell Axim that the GPS doesn't work anymore, but I don't have the 3-6 hours that will be needed for Dell to agree with me that the GPS satellite receiver is faulty.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
a burk, 19 Dec 2007 @ 10:25am

Dell's Customer Service
Dell's customer service hasn't changed. I just spent a total of 8 hours on the phone before I started shouting at them to send a service rep as per my expensive 4 year warranty
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Grant, 19 Dec 2007 @ 10:32am

Terrible C/S
I tried out a Dell XPS computer and it was having problems.
The tech service and customer service could never resolve the problem and I was able to send it back before the trail period expired. Thank god because Dells cutomer service is run by a bunch of retards. If your going to outsource to India make sure your employees can communicate and understand what to do to fix problems. They were clueless and one tech guy even fell asleep on the phone while running a dianostic on the problem computer. Mike Dell needs to go have a cup of tea and pull his head out of his a**.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
ROB, 19 Dec 2007 @ 12:39pm

ACTUALLY THERE PHILIPPINES
I cannot officially say that but lets just say I know the company that works for them, and yes we have to go by scripts unfornately since all the companies we work for require us too and will fire us if we don't since we are monitored almost daily at least 4 times.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Cynthia Hudson, 19 Dec 2007 @ 1:10pm

Laptop for Christmas
Thanks for this information, I was planing to buy a laptop or computer this Christmas
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Joseph Canton, 19 Dec 2007 @ 1:20pm

Sending Bills
I'll have got several calls for not paying the december bill, when I respondt to there "collection Co " they tell my that even if do not recive a bill I'll should know and paid any way becouse they DO NOT HAVE A OBLIGATION TO SEND A BILL,JUST ACOURTESY1111 What??????????? so they charge me late payment fees, also the ooriginal interes rate suppots to be around 9%, they send the firts bill to a wrong addressso they change the interes rate to 29.9%!!!!!!!!!ha,ha,haha.so after more then two years paying $100.00 a month I still ow then more then $ 2.500.00 for a pice of equipment thatcost $3.000.00!!!!

I'm going to sued then in federal court soon.

Joseph Canton
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Joseph Canton, 19 Dec 2007 @ 1:21pm

Sending Bills
I'll have got several calls for not paying the december bill, when I respondt to there "collection Co " they tell my that even if do not recive a bill I'll should know and paid any way becouse they DO NOT HAVE A OBLIGATION TO SEND A BILL,JUST ACOURTESY!!!!! What??????????? so they charge me late payment fees, also the ooriginal interes rate suppots to be around 9%, they send the firts bill to a wrong addressso they change the interes rate to 29.9%!!!!!!!!!ha,ha,haha.so after more then two years paying $100.00 a month I still ow then more then $ 2.500.00 for a pice of equipment thatcost $3.000.00!!!!

I'm going to sued then in federal court soon.

Joseph Canton
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ray Conatser, 19 Dec 2007 @ 2:25pm

Poor Dell Software Technical Service
I purchased a new Dell Inspirion 531 3 mos. ago, and :
1.) I am very displeased with the Software Technical service purchased with the unit. Sales assistant mislead me on capability provided with extras, which have not yielded any benefit: e.g., Roxio CD/DVD creator; Belkin transfer cable; On-line music download capability; 1 yr. 24 hr. support; etc.
2.) I did however, find the hardware technical support to be timely & efficient.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Greg Jensen, 19 Dec 2007 @ 4:14pm

Dell service
I have purchased Dell computers for the past several years, but last month purchased an Apple. My son also owned Dells, but he also purchased an Apple three months ago. The reason - poor customer service and support from Dell. It is too late for Dell to win me or my son back.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Patrick Michaels, 19 Dec 2007 @ 4:38pm

How About doing some Self Help Desk Support?
After 30 plus years in computer biz, nothing surprises me anymore. So, with that, why not some Self Help Desk work? Try that link to see how it works for you.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Kelex, 19 Dec 2007 @ 8:30pm

dell CS
For some background I work at a call center in the US that contracts to dell to provide customer service for them.

I do not know anything about a difference of CS from Home to Business but I do know that my call center is XPS systems only. If your paying for a crappy $700 PC your going to get crappy CS in India most likely. If you buy a XPS you are going to be talking to an agent who has his CompTIA A+ certification and has gone through 6 weeks of dell training.

You get what you pay for.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chaplain Bob Walker, 20 Dec 2007 @ 3:47am

Dell
Dude,

You got a piece of junk...I hate Dell. I have a wedding business in South Florida and I can not afford to be without my internet and email as I have 2 websites for my wedding business. I have to be my own webmaster and marketing guru. I had a Dell and it had problems and the vista seemed to be a problem as well. I am not sure if it was vista or the Dell - but the tech support from India was useless. I returned the dell to the store for a refund less the 15 restocking fee and I purchaed a mac. Good bye dell go to PC *ell
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Bob, 24 Dec 2007 @ 9:05am

Service
When my Dell Computer "Crashed" big time (because of my error), the Dell service tech spent hours with me getting it back, drivrs and all even though I was past my warranty period. I have no problem with their service and will purchase a Dell again.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Richard Hering, 1 Apr 2008 @ 10:41am

Customer No service
Have spent 5 days attempting to place order for laptop. Placed order and next day got coupon for 250.00 discount if over 999. Since it as close to 999 contacted cust sve to see about adding services to bring up to 999. Rep said no problem would add warr service extensions to bring total up- requested no changes in hardware or programming. Rep said he would duplicate order add ext warr and cancell orig order. Said he would email copy of order. Re-do took him about 2 hours. Sent e mail but it was late so I shut down. In the morning I printed the email and on review found he had changed computer pkg to less costle and program to Vista BASIC- not what I had ordered. When I called back the rep said they would cancel the order. I was told to call back and place a new order. I attempted again and got as far as the coupon when rep advised I could only use the coupon on line. (Coupon had phone # on it to call with option of web site ref) Again they cancelled to order. WILL CONTINUE*****
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Richard Hering, 1 Apr 2008 @ 10:49am

Customer (Lack of) service
AFTER 3 ORDER ATTEMPTS and last one telling me I had to order on line to use coupon I waited 2 days and re-entered the order on line. After about an hour of searching features finally came up with the correct order. Got as far as application of the coupon when it came back with- coupon already used - appears first order that was canceled used the coupon and thereby made it useless. Re=entered order as originally placed before coupon fiasco. Called customer service next day to advise of difficulty experienced. Was told "sorry you had that problem-I will tell my manager" NO RECOVERY OFFERED. i THINL THIS IS THE LAST DEALING WITH DELL- THEY REALLY SUCK
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
James Griffin, 15 Apr 2008 @ 5:44pm

Dell Customer Service
The biggest bunch of douche bags I've ever encountered.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Steve, 29 May 2008 @ 11:31am

Dell service, quite simply, sux. Nothing else to say except speaking English must not be a requirement to get a job in their service department.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Reta Heard, 6 Aug 2008 @ 4:24pm

Dell's Rip-offs
Dell has had my laptop for repairs since 20 June 08 and I have had to listen to repeated excuses as to why I have not recieved my laptop back from repairs. I was finally told they lost it in Jul'08 and only found this out through my persistence that they had the laptop. Not one call from them and nothing but put offs from email and chat lines with Dell customer service and then I find out on 4 Aug 08 that Dell re-registerd, refurbished and sold or sent my laptop to another customer. No apology from Dell yet and they want me to wait another 16 days while they try to find another laptop that they can refurbish and send to me. This is not customer service...this harassment from Dell and I can't believe they had the audacity to ask me to wait another 16 days. In Texas, we call what they did with my laptop theft and I am in the process of obtaining names of Very unhappy Dell customers that feel they were ripped off for a class action suite against Dell and Dell Finanical Services since even with all this crap, I have not defaulted on my payments to them. Dell is nothing but a Rip- off with no concept of what customer service is. Thank You, Reta Heard.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
NORMAN BATES, 12 Aug 2008 @ 1:10pm

DELL SUCKS SHIT
CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS. I WAS ON THE PHONE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF, I WAS LIED TO, AND HASSLED. WHY SHOULD ANYONE WASTED THEIR LIFE FOR COMPANIES SUCH AS THIS, WASTING THEIR TIME ON THE PHONE HOPING FOR A PROBLEM TO BE RESOLVED? LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND THESE COMPANIES CAN FUCK OFF!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
dells sheep, 4 Sep 2008 @ 10:31am

150 million
why dont they give their customers the money in rebate form and see if it helps their rating. prob not
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
billy bobba, 4 Sep 2008 @ 10:33am

dell spends millions on customer service
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
billy bobba, 4 Sep 2008 @ 10:36am

dell spends millions on customer service
but say sir do the needful and bow down adn say would u like a slurpy with that dell order or my favorite camel deodorant.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Stormbringer, 30 Nov 2008 @ 10:23am

DELL'S CUSTOMER SERVICE FAILS MISERABLY !!!!
Dell's customer service is decrepid and not effective at all. I have been on the phone going on 4 hrs now being hung up on 4 times in that timeframe. I am very disgusted they are atrocious. I cannot even get them to change my billing and shipping address they misspelled the street name ( the service rep even spelled it back to me correctly and wrote it down wrong ?)and now they say the only way to change that is to cancel the order and reorder? HELLO ? can I get them for Christmas? As it stands right now I ordered them on 11/28/08 and will not receive them until 12/15 or thereabouts if I cancel the order will I get them in a timely manner. Change the order and have it not even be the same and quoted in someone else's blog this company is a nightmare all the way around I should have known better than to order from these guys they are terrible... Cust serv reps cannot even transfer phonecalls properly or is it the PBX exchange or is it just them routing a call that looks as though it was disconnected. 4 times hung up on if I can get one person not to buy from Dell as a result of this blog I have done my part. To go thru this kind of BS for the last few hrs is madness. You will not get any more money from me Dell You are the last company I would buy from. Bring tech support back to the USA pay your people well and get people that can spell words not just read off of a sales pitch card give your people the ability to change mistake you've made in your business and not have the customer suffer from your mistakes. It was clearly a mistake on your reps part and I have to pay for that mistake? I think not, spend a $150 million and not even get your customer service issues corrected - it has gotten worse read blogs on Dell's very own web site and you will see many many more comments and concerns just like the one I am posting here. Let the Dell nightmare be over they are run worse than this country is right now.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Stormbringer, 30 Nov 2008 @ 10:23am

DELL'S CUSTOMER SERVICE FAILS MISERABLY !!!!
Dell's customer service is decrepid and not effective at all. I have been on the phone going on 4 hrs now being hung up on 4 times in that timeframe. I am very disgusted they are atrocious. I cannot even get them to change my billing and shipping address they misspelled the street name ( the service rep even spelled it back to me correctly and wrote it down wrong ?)and now they say the only way to change that is to cancel the order and reorder? HELLO ? can I get them for Christmas? As it stands right now I ordered them on 11/28/08 and will not receive them until 12/15 or thereabouts if I cancel the order will I get them in a timely manner. Change the order and have it not even be the same and quoted in someone else's blog this company is a nightmare all the way around I should have known better than to order from these guys they are terrible... Cust serv reps cannot even transfer phonecalls properly or is it the PBX exchange or is it just them routing a call that looks as though it was disconnected. 4 times hung up on if I can get one person not to buy from Dell as a result of this blog I have done my part. To go thru this kind of BS for the last few hrs is madness. You will not get any more money from me Dell You are the last company I would buy from. Bring tech support back to the USA pay your people well and get people that can spell words not just read off of a sales pitch card give your people the ability to change mistake you've made in your business and not have the customer suffer from your mistakes. It was clearly a mistake on your reps part and I have to pay for that mistake? I think not, spend a $150 million and not even get your customer service issues corrected - it has gotten worse read blogs on Dell's very own web site and you will see many many more comments and concerns just like the one I am posting here. Let the Dell nightmare be over they are run worse than this country is right now.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Stormbringer, 30 Nov 2008 @ 10:26am

DELL'S CUSTOMER SERVICE FAILS MISERABLY
sorry for the grammatical fauxpas Ii AM MAD AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE STRAIGHT HAS CAUSED A GRAMMATICAL NIGHTMARE IN READING MY LAST 2 POSTS.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
RJM, 10 Dec 2008 @ 9:19am

Dell's Technical Support and Customer Service Departments suck and swallow and come back for seconds!
Here are the contents of an email submitted to Dell's Unresolved Customer Issues webpage on Wednesday, December 10, 2008:

I received the Dell Inspiron 1525 Notebook which I ordered on 11/15/2008 on 11/25/2008, and after a week of use, I started experiencing problems starting up the computer. Finally, on 12/9/2008, two weeks to the day after I received the computer, it stopped working altogether.

I called Dell Technical Support, and after being shuffled back and forth for over two hours between technicians who were unable to diagnose the problem, I requested that I be issued a FULL REFUND upon the return of the computer, as it was defective, and I was within the 21 day return window.

I was put in contact with Jose Rojas in the Dell Returns Department who told me that I had to resolve the problems with my computer by speaking with yet another technician in Technical Support. I told him that I had already spoken with multiple technicians and that they were unable to resolve the problems with my computer. I insisted that I be given a return authorization number so that I could return my computer, and after telling me that I would have to pay a $61.00 "restocking fee" to do so, Mr. Rojas gave me a return authorization number.

Earlier today, I returned the computer to Dell via UPS, but I would like to request that the $61.00 "restocking fee" be waived, as I was sold a defective computer which was unable to be fixed by the technicians in Dell's Technical Support Department.

Please be aware that under New York State Consumer Protection Law, Dell is obligated to issue me a FULL REFUND, as I complied with all of the terms of your return policy. If you refuse to waive the $61.00 "restocking fee", I shall contact the New York State Attorney General's Office and file a complaint against Dell for your blatant violation of New York State's Consumer Protection Law.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Maria Amodio, 18 Dec 2008 @ 2:50am

Dell product
It is not the customer service that is the problem. It is the product that is the real problem. This particular Dell laptop that i purchased 9 months ago for my daughter's school use is still a problem. Dell should step up to the plate do something about replacing this laptop. Now, I believe that Dell product is nothing but a worthless and very expensive piece of junk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Berniece, 3 Jan 2009 @ 3:11pm

STEAL MONEY FROM YOU!!!!
I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD PURCHASE OFFICE HOME AND STUDENT 2007 FOR $69.99. I AGREED TO THE PURCHASE AND GAVE THEM MY CREDIT CARD INFORMATION. LATER I WENT ONLINE TO CHECK IF THE PURCHASE WHEN THROUGH AND THEY HAD CHARGED ME $139.99. I'VE CALLED OVER A DOZEN TIMES AND THE STUPID CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH OR UNDERSTAND IT JUST TELL ME THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING. THE OFFERED TO SELL ME ANOTHER OFFICE HOME AND STUDENT 2007 FOR 74.99 AND SHIP IT OUT RIGHT AWAY. NOW TELL ME DO THEY THINK I'M STUPID TOO??? WHY WOULD I ALLOW THEM TO USE MY CHARGE CARD TWICE WHEN THE CHARGE ME TWICE AS MUCH AS THEY QUOTE?!?!? I WENT ONLINE AND SAW A BUNCH OF COMMENTS FROM OTHER CUSTOMERS. DELL HELL IS THE NAME OF THE SITE. DELL BETTER GET IT TOGETHER. I WORK FOR A LARGE COMPANY WHO IS WANTING TO PURCHASE OVER 100 NEW COMPUTERS. I AM GOING TO WARM THEM NOT TO BUY FROM DELL CAUSE THEY QUOTE ONE PRICE AND THEM CHARGE WHATEVER THEY WANT. DELL IS A BIG RIP-OFF. THEY NEED A CUSTOMER SERVIEC CENTER IN THE USA WHERE THE PEOPLE SPEAK ENGLISH AND CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS. I WILL ALSO BE CONTACTING THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU IF I DON'T GET MY $69.99 BACK. BIG RIP-OFF
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Richard, 6 Jan 2009 @ 2:41pm

Dell support is non-existent
I have just received a new Studio 1535 laptop. Twenty minutes after receiving it I was on the phone with Dell support to find out why web pages were coming up small (need glasses to read the text and there are wide white borders on either side of the page). After more than two hours on the phone, I got the message: Dell does not care what your problems are once you pay for the computer. I was told that I can adjust the display resolution to whatever I felt comfortable with. Unfortunately, that also means that I give up on clarity. For instance, if I enlarge the picture so that I can read text, I loose out on picture quality. If I want perfect text and picture quality, I have to get reading glasses that magnify what I am looking at. The options: Return the unit and pay a 15% restocking penalty or live with what I have. Dell has lost another customer...me.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
N, 8 Jan 2009 @ 10:50am

horrible cs
i just spoke with their customer service. they were so rude and argumentative. it was a horrible experience. i personally would never in my life use dell. they are crap. but this is for my employer so i had no choice. unreal how bad it was. and RUDE.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ben Skurka, 15 Jan 2009 @ 10:36am

Dell Support
I just purchased a new Dell Inspiron for over $3K. The second day I went to boot it up and got an error and the system would not boot. I called Dell Support and delt with a rude customer service rep out of New York. I just spent $3K for my two day old PC and I am being told I have to pay $3.50 per MINUTE or $199 for 90 days of support! He came just shy of calling me an idiot for not understandning why I am being charged so much for my 2 DAY OLD COMPUTER. This is the 5th Dell Computer I have purchased in my lifetime and unfortunatly for Dell the VERY LAST!!!!!! On the bright side I did not speak to someone from India...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
peter, 23 Jan 2009 @ 3:56pm

dell customer service
They don't suck the funkin suck, worse customer service ever. I have one simply question and no one was able to help and finally when i thought they were going to transfer me again to someone who can help me i get disconnect. Don't even try to email they just have you call 1 800 number. supid.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Michael, 13 Feb 2009 @ 1:25pm

India is OK, but their Policies Suck
I spoke to Dell a while ago about my aged dying Dell desktop. The guy from India was actually very nice and helped notwithstanding the long-since expiration of my warranty. The problem is terminal, so I was going to buy new Dell equipment (a desktop and server setup) except that my wife's Dell laptop battery needed replacing at the same time. We ordered it while I thought about the equipment I would order, and they sent the wrong one. When I tried to call them during normal business hours about returning it the answering computer repeatedly announced that they were closed, told me to call back in normal business hours, and hung up on me. My wife finally got through to them on another day (after 3 hang-ups), and they promptly refused the return. My wife (an attorney not to be messed with) chewed them a new one, and ultimately they relented, though we have to pay for the shipping back.

Meanwhile we bought a beautiful iMac and server combination, and I am placing a further order for a MacBook Pro - life's just too short to deal with the old world non-service providers.

That's my rant...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Dell Tired, 4 Mar 2009 @ 8:55am

Dell's Customer Service is STILL Terrible!
They first need to look into the quality of their products. I ordered a new computer for Christmas and it didn't work out of the box. The replacement for it didn't either. I can't explain the frustration of trying to get anything accomplished about this: Dell gives plenty of attention during the sales call but the honeymoon is over before they hit your bank account. I got bounced around to so many 3rd world countries, the representatives are hard to understand, rude, and you go from department to department without resolution. Amazingly 3 1/2 months later(thats how long it took for them to credit back my money and lots of finances charges later), I actually have decided to re-try with Dell again. I haven't yet received my new computer(different model) but already had a problem with the sales rep charging me more than what he quoted me when I gave him payment information. Now even though my order is still in production, he has no time for me, and I'm getting bounced to Dell's crap customer care in India who bounced me back to the sales department. Gateway, HP, Sony, Mac's...why put up w/Dell???
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Gonna cancel my order!, 5 Mar 2009 @ 9:34am

My order has been delayed over a month and they say they cannot do anything about it...can't even upgrade my shipping as compensation (I even offerd to PAY). Got the standard script "please just wait for it to arrive it's a very good deal" about 50 times so I looked it up under wishlist again....the price has dropped $200!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Linda, 5 Mar 2009 @ 6:32pm

Horrible Customer Service!!!!
I am here to testify to the horrible customer service they are still providing in 2009. Dell does not care about the customer, I just spent 4 hours getting disconnected and talked to rudely by their agents. It is obvious they are not using the money as an incentive to have their employees treat people with respect or professionalism. I bought a XPS 1530 only to have the hard drive crash a month and half later! Since then I have had problems with my computer off and on and no help from Dell. They refuse to replace my system and refuse to take ownership of the problem in any of their departments. I will never buy another Dell and hope anyone reading this won't either. Next time I will go with a Mac or some other unknown name.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chris, 18 Mar 2009 @ 6:47pm

Terrible Customer Service
I won't bother with my story, but I have to say that I never spoke to a SINGLE, not ONE American, or any person that could clearly speak english. I never recommend dell anymore, and I hope they company goes bankrupt and all the people in charge lose everything they own.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Outraged, 24 Mar 2009 @ 12:53pm

Dell does not care about the customer
Happy beginnings:
I ordered my Dell 3 weeks ago and couldn't wait to get it home.

Here comes Dell:
I never got their confirmation email. No shipment either. I called Dell and their rep told me that if I have not received email my order did not go through.
Disappointed, I bough a computer from a store.
Three weeks later I got the computer by mail (had to stay home all day to sign for it).

Dell Now:
They insist that I should pay a restocking fee 15% for an order that I was told was not processed and I should not be expecting!!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Karen Webb, 16 May 2009 @ 2:31pm

It's gone downhill just in the year I've owned my high-end laptop
I originally liked the way they had switched to online chat customer service because you can't type with an accent (although I came across a supervisor called Kanika yesterday who couldn't type either). We have an older Dell with ME that I've actually had little trouble with, but this high-end workshorse Inspiron has that three major problems in the year I've owned it, the most recent being a complete hard drive corruption. I can't say they are not polite, but they obviously have no idea what they're doing when it comes to either tech management (we had to send in a photo of a small ding in the case and they tried to reneg on the promise of a new hard drive because I had obviously beaten the case with a hammer and that was the problem. Was the ding anywhere near the hard drive compartment? Nope.) I have asked several people now for an email or a hard address that I could write to just to express my concerns (they agreed to replace the hard drive but I've now gotten two shipments of the little screws that hold it in, but no drive and no discs). I rarely feel this strongly about a company but I have to agree with the above comment that I hope they go under. You'd think problems with the company would make them want to have *better* CS, not people that make promises the company can't keep, blow you off, and try to tell you that something that should not logically void your warranty voids it. I'd be a millionaire if I had a dollar for every minute I've spent in a chat with them in the last week. I run a small business and we always make restitution to unhappy customers. At this point I feel they should be coughing up a new computer not stalling me with a song and dance about "warehouse issues." If Obama can intervene in the management of big motor companies, why can't he do something with Dell? Oh, maybe because their CS has been outsourced to another country so that it's taken away jobs from Americans who needed the work and could actually have performed it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Jay E, 31 Jul 2009 @ 10:49am

Dell CS Still Sucks!
I ordered two ac adaptors for my wife's and son's laptops at the same time. Only one of the AC adaptors came with a power cord. Dell insisted that was the way they were ordered and shipped and insisted I must pay $10.99 for the second power cord plus tax plus another $9 for s/h. I contacted customer service via phone four times and email once. They SUCK!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Hipolita Emmanuelli, 30 Sep 2009 @ 8:09am

Poor Customer Service
On September 29, 2009 I called Dell Support between the hours of 8:30 AM to approximately a little after 1:00. Three
times customer service hung on me. During 2 tranfers to the correct department I was disconnected. I don't know what seem to be Dell's problem in a sense. First they should have a USA facilities whereas English is the official language where we U.S. citizens can understand what customer service is saying. Their Customer Service is very disrespectful.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Dellsucks, 3 Nov 2009 @ 8:15pm

Dellsucks
Defenetly the recent customer satisfaction ratings are not a hangover effect from earlier bad experiences.. the customer service still sucksssss. I called today and when I asked to talk to a manager to complain about the bad attention I received from the Customer representative they hang-up on me.. CAN"T BELIEVE IT.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Leo, 3 Dec 2009 @ 8:17am

Bad equipment
Just bought a brand new laptop and arrived with a bad optical drive.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Regy, 3 Dec 2009 @ 2:48pm

Resolve your Dell issues ...
US based Dell computer / laptops owners may refer to
www.solutionstation.webs.com
in order to get any of their computer related issues resolved
in the best possible way.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 17 Mar 2010 @ 9:20am

What did they do with the money? 2 years later, Dell CS has actually gotten worse.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chuck, 23 Apr 2010 @ 7:40pm

Not only poor tech support but out and out liars too
I am trying to get the windows xp restore cd from dell for my computer. The technician I am in communication with via email messages stated that he could not pull up system information based on the service tag number I had supplied. I can pull it up fine from the internet. So I entered a chat session with a spare parts sales rep and found they could pull it up too. Of course this is when they thought the could up sale me some memory. When I told them about my request for the restore cd I was "transferred" to tech support and the session inexplicably dropped. Following is the link to Dell where the claim you can order the software restore.

https://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form

Just another lie. They truly stink and I will never get another Dell laptop.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
miagale, 21 Jul 2010 @ 3:12am

Dell Support by iYogi
dell should fix the problem before selling it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The Tech Support, 8 Jan 2012 @ 6:22am

Freinds don't let friends buy Dell or HP
As a tech with my own very busy shop... my graveyard is full of Dell, HP and Compact and ever since Dell bought it, AlienWare.

Why? ... these are the most crappy cheap... POS systems money can buy!

Bell, Microsoft, Dell use the same call centers in idea for home user customer support. These are outsourced services. So your not even dealing with the company.. your dealing with a call center. But the business customers are handled locally type thing. The 150 M was not put into a call centers company pocket. So the cash would have gone into business class CS. You home users... you don't deserve good CS... this is why MS, Bell, Dell use the same call centers. :)

Friends don't let friends buy Dells.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
fuckdellsupport, 8 Jul 2012 @ 6:32am

its not dell its hell. consumer rights mostly ignored when you ask for a fix or replacement. but it not happens everywhere. In February, I decided to invest in a dell laptop. Because of its colorful florescent finish, spec of the lap, it came with a price tag to match � nearly $7500. However, when I'm using it, I discovered it wasn�t good at all. battery backup decreases over time, adapter leaves big strike sound almost too hot to touch � while taking the issue to dell Indian support, it was really a death trap for me! the customer support wasn�t helpful. they exalt the case every time to somewhere in Bangalore. those craps won't listen to what customer says, rather they hang-up your time to have fun and give you hell finally. Bad dell customer service costs my money. hope they will die soon.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
hung low, 13 Feb 2015 @ 5:50pm

DELL WILL ALWAYS SUCK
these people suck. i remember in 2005 i bout the high end laptop and the screen shit the bed in a year, they told me to pound sand 3000 bucks down the toilet. I cancelled my financing with them and waited for the iMac. I have never bought a dell again and never will. But Apple is following the same path as Dell lately we will see.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mad Business Owner, 5 Aug 2016 @ 8:46am

I was sold a broken laptop
I purchased a $1,000 laptop from Dell and received it in the mail. I turned it on and the screen keeps flashing on and off. It does not matter what program I'm in or if I'm on the home screen. There is no way their employee's building this laptop could not have seen the problem.

Typical Dell.... We don't care!

I guess my business will continue to buy from HP.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]