@Xagest: She had a question about batterys not buy a new battery... if you read it she said
"no, I just want to know if I can swap out my 6 cell battery for a 3 cell battery."
@Mr_Biggles: Windows 7 was my idea:
I thought she was calling so that she could get Dell to replace her 6 cell battery for a 3 cell one. I think she was calling for service, not for information. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@Xagest: Even so its easier to just take matters into your own hands and do it yourself. Buy the battery off ebay pick up info online install it yourself. I guarantee it will be cheaper and faster. #dellcustomerservicesucks
I was living down in Lauderdale at the time and my Mom didn’t want to bother me with a computer problem she was having so she took the initiative to call customer service at Dell.
She couldn’t get on the internet, that was it, and while my Mom couldn’t convey exactly what had happened I found out when I came back up for a friends wedding. I went down to my Mom’s office at the house and on the desk I saw a Dell XP CD… I almost shit and asked her where it came from and she said that Dell said she needed it and charged her $40 for it. $40 for a cd that came with her computer… Ok well whatever, so I said "you didn’t put this in the computer did you?" and she went on to tell me that Dell had her put it in while the computer was off, turn it on, and go through some stuff. I freaking flipped out because I knew they just wiped out my Mom’s computer when the router was just flaked out.
I immediately called, was transferred to a manager and I let them have it. They credited her for the CD and offered to give her 2 more years of support for free. I’m sure you know what I told them to do with their support…
I had shown my Mom how to backup her stuff, she worked as a secretary (exec assistant I guess they call them now days) so she wasn’t a fool and for a long time she was great about backing up her stuff, but long story short she hadn’t in a very long time (and I wasn’t around to check up on it).
She told me she had a word doc with over 500 recipes in it that she had created herself (her own work not from cook books), I literally thought I was going to throw up. Luckily I was able to get piece a copy back together for her, but almost all of the other stuff was gone, no biggie that file was the only real important thing.
I couldn’t believe some MORON had my Mom (r.i.p.) format and reinstall her computer because it wouldn’t get on the forking internet… They got theirs we didn’t renew our lease with them at work because that was the last straw. I enjoyed that conversation with our sales rep.
After that my Mom wasn’t even upset. She was like "Oh it’s ok, I have it all on papers scattered around I’ll just re-enter it all", but her tone changed while I was trying to restore her stuff because she couldn’t find half of the papers. Oh and the best part? The idiots at Dell still didn’t get her internet working nor did they give her the drivers to load so her printer didn’t work, it was at 256 colors, and I forget what else. After doing all this with Dell she called me and didn’t tell me about all of this, I just talked her through getting the internet working (2 minute conversation) and I saw the aftermath when I came up shortly after.
Dell support is full of straight up morons, but that is what you get when you pay people minimum wage, even if they do know what they are doing, they don’t give a crap.
@UnderLoK: "Not being able to get on the internet" is a problem for every freakin' tech support person one might have to call.
Especially the low level drones who answer the phone at your ISP.
Me to Charter: Our internet connection is out.
Charter to me: How many little icons are in that bar at the bottom of your screen? They might be using too much memory.
My sister dropped her laptop, and the damage was so bad to the screen, that you could not see anything. She called customer service to see what they could do, but she was transfered many times just like this guy's girlfriend. One robot to another, they all washed their hands, and only hoped that someone else would have to do something truly humane. Anyways, it was under the warranty still, but Dell did not cover this damage, she was on the phone with them for over 3 hours, cried to a representative begging to fix this, just because it was hard for her to earn that money to pay for the laptop. No help at all, a few months later the laptop got the permanent blue screen of death. So she switched to mac a few years later and problem solved.
With HP:
I called HP once about this wireless mouse I bought. I really forgot what the issue was, but it wasn't very bad. So I called them, and I gotta say, so far, it has been the worst customer experience in my life. First of all, they were Indian's for a fact. I am not racist at all, because I trully believe there is just one race, but these people could not speak. I would say "what did you say again?" and they repeated it and still I could not understand them. I finally gave up after being on the phone with about 10 customer reps cause everyone washed their hands, and problem was not solved. HP really needs to put more money into customer service to better improve it. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@rockstar7600: Back when I was selling computers HP had some of the best phone tech support around. This is a prime example of what happens when companies try to save money by outsourcing.
Not to say I haven't gotten superior tech support from people in India. I have. But if these cheapass
American companies want Indians answering their phones, they should put call centers on American reservations. Not all Native Americans are rolling around in piles of casino dough. #dellcustomerservicesucks
Bonuses by commission has a huge set of problems associated with it. It does give motivation to sell products and rewards the employee for it. Unfortunately it comes with the caveat that all the employee wants to do is get the customer to buy anything rather than give them the service they need. It's especially bad when you combine commission bonuses in with support staff. Rather than telling you what you actually need to do they're more likely to force you into buying something you don't actually need just so they can get a bit more money.
On the other hand if you don't get commissions you're more likely to be honest and up front with the customer. Often at the detriment of your employer though. #dellcustomerservicesucks
back when Win Me (Mistake edition) was out I signed up for Qwest DSL. The 'modem' came and I tried to hook up. Then I called tech support. The woman had me do the same thing I did with the instructions, then the man had me do the same exact thing, then the supervisor had me do the same exact thing. Then the tech came. He did the same exact thing. Then he called tech support...
Turns out quest didn't support Me #dellcustomerservicesucks
@notlikeacat: Had the same experience trying to get DSL from Earthlink. Even though they'd assured us it would work, it did not, and neither we nor their tech people could get it to connect.
Yes, we were too far from the switch. I told them to forget about it. And then they tried to charge me $99 for early termination of a service we never got. #dellcustomerservicesucks
My tech support calls with Dell have always been good. I could understand the tech and they sent me the part overnight or scheduled a tech to visit the next day. They didn't interrogate me or put me on hold or make it difficult in any way.
I tried buying an HP computer a few months ago-- that was hell. I couldn't understand the tech on the phone. They kept disconnecting the call and the phone tree was non-sensical. They sent the wrong parts (with five day shipping ) and then couldn't understand that I needed the correct part for my computer to function correctly. I sent the computer back for a refund, but only after another 45 minutes on the phone, several disconnections and a bunch of sales pitches.
I think HP hardware looks nice, but I can't imagine putting myself through that support nightmare again. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@GenericWhiteGuy: Are you joking? HP support is soooo good! They replaced my battery quickly and easily in only one phone call, and it worked perfect. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@cruzer555: HP sent me two bum tablets from their outlet in August. I RMAed the first one and they sent it back unfixed after not finding the issue. So I bought the second one, and it also had to be RMAed as soon as it arrived. This time they actually fixed the problem, but it took longer than their return policy period to fix, so they wouldn't let me return it when I finally did get it back.
They did have relatively quick service though. If not for the major shortcomings of failing to fix one and running down the non defective product return period while fixing the other, I would actually consider doing business with HP again... #dellcustomerservicesucks
Sorry, only good luck for me... My left mouse button stopped working, so they sent someone to my house the next day that replaced it in 20 minutes. In and out. Synaptic's track pads still work terribly (e.g., wandering cursor syndrome, mostly when running flash). I agree with most that my next computer will not be a Dell, and I built my desktop, but for a laptop, they did just fine and I still like it a lot. Alternatively, my warranty is up, so I won't be dealing with Dell ever again. #dellcustomerservicesucks
I’ve been telling my friends for years that Dell is for beginners. No one that knows better would ever buy one. If you start off with one, your second computer will be ANYTHING but a Dell. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@Shamoononon: I wax my xxx.: Oh Sham, I feel so sorry for you. At least you are not the one that has to fix them when they get sick. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@Software_Goddess: I have a few pieces of Dell hardware. Had a Dell laptop for years and never had a problem. My clients very often have Dell hardware. I'd say that, in my experience, their failure rate is impressive. Why are you hating on Dell so much? Want to follow the In crowd? #dellcustomerservicesucks
@DH405: I’m not a follower, I’m a leader. I’m also a Technician and I’ve seen the little buggers inside and out. I don’t recommend them to any of my clients, though like you, I have many clients who do own them. They are inferior and their customer service is a joke. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@Software_Goddess: Once again another Dell-bash post... with NO facts or data. I've seen them inside and out as well, and I've had no problems with them. #dellcustomerservicesucks
If it makes you feel any better, I've been on the phone with Comcast for upwards of an hour trying to get my username and password, so that I can pay my bill online. Apparently, having all of the information, (account number, billing address, services, etc.) and they still cannot find my account to give me the information. Sure, they can bill me all day long, and accept my payments just fine, but once I want to do any sort of change or get information, it turns in to a 3 fiasco where I'm left wondering if I just had it thrown in my ass. This has happened on 3 different occasions, now. Great times. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@TehSnarf: Good luck! Comcast is absolutely terrible, its too bad the have a de facto monopoly in so many markets where they operate. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@Don Nguyen: Ah. Finally got off of the phone. After getting my info from the level 1 support, I asked to talk to a supervisor. I explained my situation to the supervisor, and she asked me what I wanted her to do about it. First of all, Comcast Supervisor, I want better training of your technicians so it doesn't take me 30 minutes to get a username. They don't have access to passwords, so they reset it. Second of all, I want you to convince me why I need to continue to pay $100 per month to keep your service with customer service that is so ridiculously screwed up, that it takes multiple phone calls to get basic information when I've provided all of the necessary information to access my account. That's all. :D #dellcustomerservicesucks
@TehSnarf: there should be a campaign against comcast, it is hands-down the worst customer service experience of my life - and I lived 27 years in India, so imagine my tolerance, and yet this is the worst. I've spent numerous (more than 4) attempts via phone email etc. trying to resolve a billing issue to no awail. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@TehSnarf: I have to pay my bill in person. I do not receive a bill in the mail. I've had no luck creating an account online. The account number they give me has never worked. Last time I was advised to call customer service. I'll likely just keep paying in person. I have no desire to get them on the phone. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@nathan.hornby008: He corrected his own comment, not someone else's. And people frequently correct the spelling and grammar of the articles. But since those corrections are not actually comments on the content of said articles (which would seem to be the point of a "comments" section), they get deleted as soon as they're read and taken into account. #dellcustomerservicesucks
I work at Dell. Regardless of language barriers, If your girlfriend's portable was ordered with a 6 cell battery, there's no way customer care or tech support will replace it. They can replace faulty parts or wrong shipped parts. For example, if she ordered a 3 cell battery but a 6 one arrived, she can have it replaced for the correct item displayed in your Order Details.
But if she received the right part ordered, and wants to replace it for cosmetic reasons, that's not a valid reason. That is explained in her system's warranty.
People complain about long call times, and most of the time it's because the customer does not want to accept the facts, your girlfriend should have been more aware of the product she purchased. #dellcustomerservicesucks
if Brian Lam's GF can't get good service then what hope do the rest of us have?
ps
you didn't just have an extra battery lyin' about? #dellcustomerservicesucks
I've always had great phone support with Dell's server division. My personal experience with them is on par with Apple's server support. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@thePrototype: while i have never called for any sort of commercial support -- i would imagine it's several tiers higher than someone calling for a netbook. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@Nick: For sure, my intent was to show how their consumer support lacks compared to their professional. My experience with Apple on the other hand has been on par with each level of support.
It was a boring story when I saw it on BB this morning, and it's a boring story again here. It's too bad that poor Lisa didn't get the white glove treatment and that the customer support rep she talked to first, who was trying to be helpful, didn't have the right answer, but I hardly think it's worth making a fuss over. This is yet another example of a blog (two in this case) making a big issue out of a personal issue, which does not constitute news, does not shed light on a pattern or practice, and does not even bother to entertain. And it's an example of how sites like boingboing and gizmodo can go from being good blogs to becoming bad personal diaries. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@weatherman: Are you kidding? Two hours on Customer "Service", with no resolution and I'd be screaming from the rooftops. Why is this any less important than the guy with Red Ring of Death issues on his Xbox360? His issues were reported here.
@weatherman: Amen. This will now show up in all kinds of search responses, and nobody will read all the good responses, like how I got both sticks of RAM overnighted for a BSOD issue. Whatever. #dellcustomerservicesucks
@wheatieboy: Not exactly sure what exact "resolution" was expected. A product was PURCHASED with a particular configuration. So the purchaser wants to CHANGE the configuration and people try to help but they couldn't. Purchaser keeps COMPLAINING for two hours about something I doubt many if ANY companies would do.
So they were supposed to open up the package...take out the 6 cell and then put in a 3 cell? What would they do with the 6 cell now? Put it in the 3 cell box and sell it to someone else??? Open box it?
Sorry non-issue...someone purchased a product at a NON CUSTOM price and apparently wanted to "customize" it.
Sorry companies just don't open up boxes and switch parts out...nor should they expect to.
It doesn't often pay to be an extremely pushy demanding asshole to get what you want, but in the case of Dell, I've decided to make an exception. #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/13/09
11/13/09
How do you Google a new battery? #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/13/09
"no, I just want to know if I can swap out my 6 cell battery for a 3 cell battery."
hence the just should have googled it #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/13/09
I thought she was calling so that she could get Dell to replace her 6 cell battery for a 3 cell one. I think she was calling for service, not for information. #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/13/09
11/13/09
She couldn’t get on the internet, that was it, and while my Mom couldn’t convey exactly what had happened I found out when I came back up for a friends wedding. I went down to my Mom’s office at the house and on the desk I saw a Dell XP CD… I almost shit and asked her where it came from and she said that Dell said she needed it and charged her $40 for it. $40 for a cd that came with her computer… Ok well whatever, so I said "you didn’t put this in the computer did you?" and she went on to tell me that Dell had her put it in while the computer was off, turn it on, and go through some stuff. I freaking flipped out because I knew they just wiped out my Mom’s computer when the router was just flaked out.
I immediately called, was transferred to a manager and I let them have it. They credited her for the CD and offered to give her 2 more years of support for free. I’m sure you know what I told them to do with their support…
I had shown my Mom how to backup her stuff, she worked as a secretary (exec assistant I guess they call them now days) so she wasn’t a fool and for a long time she was great about backing up her stuff, but long story short she hadn’t in a very long time (and I wasn’t around to check up on it).
She told me she had a word doc with over 500 recipes in it that she had created herself (her own work not from cook books), I literally thought I was going to throw up. Luckily I was able to get piece a copy back together for her, but almost all of the other stuff was gone, no biggie that file was the only real important thing.
I couldn’t believe some MORON had my Mom (r.i.p.) format and reinstall her computer because it wouldn’t get on the forking internet… They got theirs we didn’t renew our lease with them at work because that was the last straw. I enjoyed that conversation with our sales rep.
After that my Mom wasn’t even upset. She was like "Oh it’s ok, I have it all on papers scattered around I’ll just re-enter it all", but her tone changed while I was trying to restore her stuff because she couldn’t find half of the papers. Oh and the best part? The idiots at Dell still didn’t get her internet working nor did they give her the drivers to load so her printer didn’t work, it was at 256 colors, and I forget what else. After doing all this with Dell she called me and didn’t tell me about all of this, I just talked her through getting the internet working (2 minute conversation) and I saw the aftermath when I came up shortly after.
Dell support is full of straight up morons, but that is what you get when you pay people minimum wage, even if they do know what they are doing, they don’t give a crap.
11/13/09
Especially the low level drones who answer the phone at your ISP.
Me to Charter: Our internet connection is out.
Charter to me: How many little icons are in that bar at the bottom of your screen? They might be using too much memory.
I would not have believed that response if I hadn't heard it myself. #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/13/09
My sister dropped her laptop, and the damage was so bad to the screen, that you could not see anything. She called customer service to see what they could do, but she was transfered many times just like this guy's girlfriend. One robot to another, they all washed their hands, and only hoped that someone else would have to do something truly humane. Anyways, it was under the warranty still, but Dell did not cover this damage, she was on the phone with them for over 3 hours, cried to a representative begging to fix this, just because it was hard for her to earn that money to pay for the laptop. No help at all, a few months later the laptop got the permanent blue screen of death. So she switched to mac a few years later and problem solved.
With HP:
I called HP once about this wireless mouse I bought. I really forgot what the issue was, but it wasn't very bad. So I called them, and I gotta say, so far, it has been the worst customer experience in my life. First of all, they were Indian's for a fact. I am not racist at all, because I trully believe there is just one race, but these people could not speak. I would say "what did you say again?" and they repeated it and still I could not understand them. I finally gave up after being on the phone with about 10 customer reps cause everyone washed their hands, and problem was not solved. HP really needs to put more money into customer service to better improve it. #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/13/09
Not to say I haven't gotten superior tech support from people in India. I have. But if these cheapass
American companies want Indians answering their phones, they should put call centers on American reservations. Not all Native Americans are rolling around in piles of casino dough. #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/13/09
11/13/09
On the other hand if you don't get commissions you're more likely to be honest and up front with the customer. Often at the detriment of your employer though. #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/13/09
Turns out quest didn't support Me #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/13/09
Yes, we were too far from the switch. I told them to forget about it. And then they tried to charge me $99 for early termination of a service we never got. #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/12/09
I tried buying an HP computer a few months ago-- that was hell. I couldn't understand the tech on the phone. They kept disconnecting the call and the phone tree was non-sensical. They sent the wrong parts (with five day shipping ) and then couldn't understand that I needed the correct part for my computer to function correctly. I sent the computer back for a refund, but only after another 45 minutes on the phone, several disconnections and a bunch of sales pitches.
I think HP hardware looks nice, but I can't imagine putting myself through that support nightmare again. #dellcustomerservicesucks
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11/12/09
They did have relatively quick service though. If not for the major shortcomings of failing to fix one and running down the non defective product return period while fixing the other, I would actually consider doing business with HP again... #dellcustomerservicesucks
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If one thing is for sure, they sure have made their way into overcrowded server rooms and cubicles around the world. #dellcustomerservicesucks
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11/12/09
But heck, I don't own them. #dellcustomerservicesucks
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But if she received the right part ordered, and wants to replace it for cosmetic reasons, that's not a valid reason. That is explained in her system's warranty.
People complain about long call times, and most of the time it's because the customer does not want to accept the facts, your girlfriend should have been more aware of the product she purchased. #dellcustomerservicesucks
11/12/09
ps
you didn't just have an extra battery lyin' about? #dellcustomerservicesucks
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11/12/09
Sorry I had that typed out but I guess I removed it #dellcustomerservicesucks
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Quit yer whingeing. #dellcustomerservicesucks
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So they were supposed to open up the package...take out the 6 cell and then put in a 3 cell? What would they do with the 6 cell now? Put it in the 3 cell box and sell it to someone else??? Open box it?
Sorry non-issue...someone purchased a product at a NON CUSTOM price and apparently wanted to "customize" it.
Sorry companies just don't open up boxes and switch parts out...nor should they expect to.
Oh and I hate DELL....but this is not even 1% their problem. #dellcustomerservicesucks
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