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I have now lost two whole business days because my computer will not work. The screen intermittently turns black and flashes and I can do no work.
I have sent three e-mails to Manish at Dell and left at least two voicemails. Alas and alack, I have received no reply. I am stuck with a brand new computer that right now is a very expensive doorstop. Yes Dell really shows great customer care eh?
I hope everyone who reads these posts learns a lesson and never purchases a computer from Dell!
This post is actually one I should have written the other day, but I was so beaten down by such a stressful day that I couldn’t bring myself to sit in front of a computer long enough to write this article.
On Tuesday, after the technician had installed a video card in my brand new Dell computer and the problem still persisted, he assured me that he would contact Dell and tell them that I now needed a new mother board and that he would be back the very next day to install it. He went on to tell me that he was sure it wouldn’t be a problem, but that if there was a problem he would call me and let me know that he wasn’t coming the next day.
Well of course, I never heard from him and no, he did not show up. So in an effort to be proactive, when he left on Tuesday I sent an e-mail to my good friend Manish letting him know that a video card had been installed and the problem had not been resolved and I needed a mother board.
Being the conscientious folks they are in Dell Hell, several hours passed without a reply to my e-mail or a phone call. So, again, I wrote another e-mail to Manish. An hour or so later I got a phone call. Manish tells me first that he never heard from the technician and then later tells me that he got a message from the technician but that he wasn’t at his job then and he didn’t see it until he just got to work right before he called me. Right…… I don’t know about you, but when someone tells me several different stories about the same thing, I tend not to be too trusting of them.
I have had to save this post four times now because my screen keeps going black while I am working on it. Do you have any idea how very frustrating that is not to mention how little work is getting done? Yes, I think you get the idea.
Anyway, I tell Manish the tech says I need a new mother board. Oh yes, yes he says but hold on please while I place a work order. So I hold and then Manish comes back on the line and tells me “Well before I place the work order I need to do one more thing.” So now he tells me that he must yet again connect remotely to my computer. So after I go through the rigamarole of downloading the software necessary, etc. so that Manish can use my computer remotely (for the third time now) he tells me he is going to flash the bios. I said Manish that has already been done, do you not have it in your notes? Oh…. he hedges, yes, but we must do it again. Now after he has already downloaded the wrong video driver I am a tad worried that he might just do the wrong thing again and I haven’t been able to do a full back up of my system. He assures me that he has it right and he he proceeds to update the bios on my “brand new” computer. Call me crazy, but wouldn’t you think that when you purchase a computer from Dell that costs just about two thousand dollars that it would arrive in perfect shape, with all the up-to-date drivers and bios???? I mean…why else would they charge all that money right? It sure as heck ain’t for the customer service!
So surprise, surprise, after we have flashed the bios twice this week, my computer is still having the very same issue! Wow….are these guys on tier three in Dell Hell computer gurus or what???
So, I now say to Manish “Nobody at Dell has even suggested it or thought of it, but I looked at the Event Log this morning and there are many, many errors.” “Ohhhh” says Manish. He then clicks on Start | Programs and then stops. Then he clicks on Start | Control Panel and stops. Yes, I, the lowly consumer, had to tell a tier three tech in Dell Hell how to view the Event Log. Man I always knew that A+, MCP and MOUS certification was going to come in handy someday! It finally has paid off for me!!
So after I told Manish how to access the Event Log he looked at all the errors and he now tells me that he is finally ready to place a work order. I have now been on the phone for the better part of an hour. He tells me that he is going to have a mother board and a power supply shipped to the technician which will arrive in two to three business days. I, understandably, am a bit outraged seeing as how I have not had use of my brand new computer since last week, and the fact that I will have to wait another two or three days to actually have the use of something that I paid Dell for in full! Manish patiently tells me that it may arrive tomorrow but that he has to tell me two to three business days. Hmmmm…..I’m thinking that perhaps Mr. Dell needs to ramp up the customer service classes over there in India because they sure do NOT know how to appease a wronged customer.
I ask Manish if these are going to be refubished parts like the video card was. He tells me yes and I tell him, quite reasonably I feel, that after all these problems, I want a new computer. This computer has not worked since I received it and I do not want a computer rebuilt with refurbished parts – I want what I paid for – a brand new computer. Manish tells me that he cannot do that. I ask him why and tell tells me that is not the policy. I tell him again, that I paid for a NEW computer, not a new box full of refurbished parts. He tells me then, that refurbished does not necessarily mean that the part has been used before. Well I am not positive what refurbished means in the dictionary in India, but here in the good old USA, my American Heritage dictionary defines “refurbished” as: To make clean, bright or fresh again or to restore. Manish tells me yet again that he cannot give me a new computer and that is all he will say on the subject.
So now, feeling like I have been in Dell Hell for days when actually it has been almost an hour, I tell Manish that I would like to speak to his supervisor or manager. Manish tells me that he cannot do that. I ask him why and he tells me that I have gone as far as I can. I ask him if he does not have a supervisor or manager and he replies yes. Again, I tell him that I would like to speak to his superior and again he refuses.
So I was left with Manish telling me that he would send a technician out in two to three business days, which I find totally unacceptable. I do not know of any other business in the world who gives such horrendous customer service. And to think that Dell built their business on next day service!
Two days later a technician called me but said he could not come and replace the parts in my computer until three in the afternoon – great – another day wasted without a computer!
The technician finally arrives and replaces the mother board and power supply in this “brand new” computer of mine with refurbished parts. I reset the time and date and then restarted the computer and it flashed a couple of times but stayed on after that.
Three days later – yes, THREE days later good old Manish gets around to calling me to because he has a message that the problem is persisting. The message he is referring to is an old one. Apparently he doesn’t keep his records up to date.
After this experience, I can promise Mr. Dell that I will NEVER, EVER purchase a computer or anything else from his company and I will do my level best to convince everyone I know to never purchase a computer from Dell.
A brand new computer that cost a little of $1,600.00, plus the extra $300.00 for an extended maintenance, next-day service plan should not need to have all the major parts replaced after less than three months use!
Goodby Mr. Dell – and good riddance!
I used to be very pro Dell. They manufactured good, solidly built computers, but then I had a problem with a brand new computer that I had purchased from them. Now I had an extended maintenance agreement, but of course, I had to deal with several of the good folks in India going through all manner of troubleshooting.
Call me crazy, but I am of the opinion that if a product is brand new, as in less than two months old, I shouldn’t have to take it apart and check it every which way from Sunday. Good customer service dictates that they send someone to take care of it and post haste! Eventually they did send someone on several occasions and when they had gotten to the point that they had replaced everything in the computer, they finally gave me another new one which thankfully, worked. I was somewhat dismayed though to find out that every part they replaced in my brand new computer was a “refurbished” part. So in essence I paid over two thousand dollars for a computer full of refurbished parts. Doesn’t seem right does it? Nah, I didn’t think so either.
So I decided to give good old Dell another shot and I just purchased another computer and large flat screen monitor from them. This computer is also less than two months old and again, I purchased the extended maintenance agreement with “next day service.”
Lo and behold when I fired up said computer yesterday the monitor went black and then before I could blink it came back on and then it was black again. This went on for quite a while and then finally the monitor went black and stayed that way.
So here I am with a state of the art computer that is now a very expensive doorstop because I cannot use it without a working monitor. So I place my first call to Dell. After being on hold for the better part of a half hour and with my legs crossed, I finally hung up in desperation so I could visit the bathroom.
I then persevered and placed my second call to Dell. Great – my call was answered by the good folks in India who are extremely difficult to understand and who seemingly have as much difficulty understanding me as I have understanding them. For the fourth time I gave this gentleman the express service tag and the other number he requested and he had me try this and that and we changed the bios settings, etc. Monitor is still intermittently going black.
I tell him I would like to speak to an American. Oh…he was only to glad to assist me….he asks me….”Would you like to have your own representative that you would use all the time?” This representative would be in your own country and would be the only person you ever talk to. Wow I say, yes, sure, I would LOVE that! Fine he says, that will be $13.00 a month. So let me get this straight, Dell has already jacked me up for over $1,700.00 for a computer and monitor, not to mention the extra $300.00 for the extended maintenance next day service agreement. Now they want to charge me every single month for the pleasure of dealing with someone whom I can understand and who can understand me! I do not call this great customer service. I call this outrageous!
So now this gentleman in India wants me to get down on the floor with a screwdriver and open up the computer and take the video card out and then put it back in. I said surely you jest. I just paid you all of this money and I am supposed to get next day service and you expect me to do this? He just kept repeating the same thing over and over wanting me to open the computer and remove the video card.
In desperation I asked to speak to his superior. Now I had another gentleman from India telling me the same thing over and over. I was told that they could not send a technician to fix my computer unless I did as I was told and finished the troubleshooting process. I said but this is a brand new computer – I shouldn’t have to do all of this. This is why I paid so much money – so I wouldn’t have to do this.
So I was told that this trouble ticket would now be escalated. Now normally in tech circles that means that it is moving up the ladder in importance. He then tells me that someone will call me in twenty four to forty eight hours to resolve the problem. Hellooooo…..I am trying to run a business here….I need this very expensive computer in order to do this. Sorry….we cannot do this any faster. Hmmm….I wonder how they would react if I stopped payment on the computer and told them I would see if I could get it to them in a couple of days. I am betting they would not like that very much.
So now, twenty four hours plus have passed and I have not heard a word from the good people at Dell. Interestingly enough, when I turned the computer on today it was fine and I had no problems with it all day. What this tells me though, is that I am going to have more problems down the road. The gentleman in India told me that this is a machine after all and I should expect problems. Great customer service eh?
I have no idea how long it will take them to resolve this problem but I can tell you this much Mr. Dell, I have purchased my last Dell product. When you can improve your customer service and give me an American to speak with I may reconsider. Just how cost effective is it Mr. Dell to use cheap labor in India to troubleshoot your poorly made computers when they have problems if you lose customers as a result?
It makes me wonder if the supposedly “new” computer I purchased was put together with “refurbished” parts to begin with. Just something to think about…