Dell

I am writing to share my shock and disbelief with the current state of Dell customer support. I purchased a 42? plasma television from Dell in April, and almost two months later I still trying to straighten out an incredible mess. When I decided to purchase a television from Dell, my family asked why I would purchase from a company that has no track record for home electronics. I have been buying Dell computers for personal and business use for many years. I have always been so impressed with your support that I would not think of purchasing from another company. As an IT professional, I am frequently asked by friends and family for advice on purchasing home computers and my answer is always the same ? Dell. When I saw the ad for the plasma television, it was an easy decision. If I had a problem, I knew Dell support would be there. I tried to purchase the television online and found that the available balance in my preferred account was $4 short to make the purchase. As ridiculous as this seemed at the time, I can understand that these are system set limits, so I picked up the phone to complete what appeared to be a simple transaction. I soon found myself tangled in a web of IVR prompts to nowhere. There is a menu option for televisions, but each time I was connected with a desktop support representative that had no idea what I was talking about. I was able to finally purchase the television and was thrilled when it was delivered ahead of schedule. Two days after the television was delivered the picture colors began to morph. I turned it off thinking it was an issue with the satellite feed but this behavior continued throughout the night. I decided to contact support and got the feeling that I had called the wrong company. After hours (no exaggeration) of dialing support numbers and selecting menu options for television support, I was unable to get through to an actual person that could understand my issue, speak English and get me to the right support area. I was disconnected twice after long hold times until finally getting to a television support technician at 11:00 PM Eastern time. The one bright spot in this entire fiasco is one single technician that was able to walk me through resetting the television and even called me back an hour later to ensure the issue had not returned. Without sounding jingoistic, this technician was clearly based in the US and had excellent customer support skills. He listened to my complaint about the support path and ensured me he would solve my problem. For these 20 minutes I was talking to the Dell support that I had come to expect. Unfortunately the issue reappeared the next day and again I was forced to fight through a maze of support options. This time I tried the chat and emails options as well. I received an email the next day telling me my television would be replaced and was issued an order number. When I did not receive the television a week later I called customer service to find that the order had been cancelled ? the representative told me it was for a ?technical reason?. I got my second television a few days later and immediately started to have other issues. The remote stopped working and the television started turning itself on and off when connected via the DVI cable. As you can imagine, at this point I just wanted to return the unit for a refund. I returned to email support where I was told I would receive a third television. This one came last week and at this point seems to be working. Although it has been incredibly frustrating to be on my third television after hours of waiting on hold and untangling phone, email and chat support options, the most unbelievable part has to do with your ?preferred account? team. When I purchased the television online, I did so after selecting an option for ?no interest until 2006?. I erred in thinking this was also ?no payments until 2006? so I was surprised when I received a bill for the account. I immediately picked up the phone and waited on hold for 45 minutes before I was told by the CSR that they couldn?t help me but would transfer me to the right area - after which they disconnected me. I have been contacting Dell via phone, email and chat for three weeks and each time I am met with someone who tells me they don?t have the information on their screen to help, and advises me to call another number. I suddenly started receiving harassing telephone calls from a group that I can only assume is a low-rent collections bureau hired by Dell. Not only can these people barely speak English, but they are incredibly rude and combative. I am receiving an average of 8-10 calls a day from this group. On Sunday May 29th, the calls started at 8:00 AM and continued all day long. After finally getting a supervisor on the phone and asking him to stop the harassment, I was told to expect another call in 45 minutes and was hung up on. As the Sales and Marketing IT Director for the 7th largest pharmaceutical company in the world, I understand technology and I know a little something about customer support. In my opinion, the only training that Dell has provided to these representatives is to navigate through a call script. I have never in my life been treated so poorly by a company and am stunned by the lack of respect for the customer that these people have. In my organization the people that I have spoken with would be fired on the spot. I invite you to use my service tag 3RBM761 and contact your own support organizations to see what is happening to your customers. I invite you to pull the voice prints and chat text to see the incompetence and confusion that permeate your support teams. I invite you to listen to me tell person after person the story of this account and be told I would be transferred to someone that could help. I invite you to listen to me pleading for the phone calls to stop before being hung up on. Dell is a huge success story because of your commitment to the customer. As a purchaser of many computers over the years that commitment to the customer is what has kept me loyal to Dell. For all of the money that you spend on Customer Relationship Management software, your team has no idea that I am a purchaser of many personal and small business computers, and a key influencer for the selection of servers, desktops, laptops, handhelds and peripherals supporting a field force of 4,000 users. Instead I am being harassed on weekends on my work mobile phone by someone with no concept of customer satisfaction. Mr. Dell, I can no longer recommend your company to friends, family or business associates. Your company has clearly grown to a size where it is not possible to have the respect for me as a customer that you had for me in the late 1980s. I find it hard to put in words my complete and utter disappointment in your company. Not only do I plan on selling my holdings in Dell, I will think long and hard before ever purchasing another Dell product again.

Is my third computer I bought with Dell. Excellent choices, looked first on internet (very convenient, user friendly, time to think about questions, ask in chat room), called to get additional clarifications (very friendly and patient) and ordered. Clear tracking available for progress of order.

Dell's sales website is really good. They can afford to have a great one though. They are a big company with high volume sales occurring on a daily basis. I was pleased with my purchase though. I got what I wanted for a good price, the shipping and handling was fine and I would surely order from Dell directly again in the future.

I like my Dell. It has held up really nicely and it is a good computer for me. The sales department at this company is quite good. They are rather helpful and very friendly. I am completely satisfied with this company.

Dell really satisfied my every need. Not only did they give me a great price on both of the computers I bought from them, but they were very helpful along the way. I wish to reveal that the computers I purchased were both of good quality. They were great about the shipping services and I would really recommend that people look into ordering computers directly from Dell.

Dell treated me like a valued customer. I am extremely satisfied with the laptop I purchased from them. They make products of quality and this pleases me as a customer. The sales center is very helpful and they know answers to your questions. This pleases me.

THEY WERE VERY EASY TO WORK WITH. THEY SHOWED UP ON TIME AND GOT THE JOB DONE RATHER QUICKLY. I HAVE A YEARLY CONTRACT WITH THEM SO IT'S CHEAP IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG.