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Bring Back the Super Geeks

380 points posted to Service and Support by smilindog2000 05/01/07

In the 90's I helped convince two companies I worked at to switch to 100% Dell. My most convincing argument was simple: "If you have a question about a Microsoft product, just call Dell." Everyone knows that calling Microsoft is a total waste of time, but the Dell support guys would typically first remind me that they don't officially support non-Dell products, but since they knew the answer off the top of their head, they'd tell me anyway. Knowing Dell products isn't enough. Bring back the Super Geeks!

When Dell fired their US based Super Geeks, and replaced them with Indian noobs, I stopped calling. When these guys started arguing with me about whether I needed a replacement motherboard or hard drive on a defective computer, I stopped ordering any warranties on any Dell products.

If Dell brings back the Super Geeks, I'll not only start ordering 3-year on-site service again, I'll start telling my friends to switch back to Dell. I doubt I'm alone here.

"I'm here to help" (thanks for the link, jervis961)

benjesuit
05/02/07		 Super Geeks... lol Is that what they were called?
phubert
05/02/07		 Whatever they're called, if Dell supports Linux that well... or do they NEED to?

We RARELY call Microsoft for support and NEVER call Dell for software support.

I think Dell needs to start a serious consulting services arm... something that could compete with the likes of IBM...
t3
05/02/07		 If they aren't called Super Geeks, that would be a great marketing tool!!!
captainsensible
05/02/07		 I miss the Dell of the 90's.. yes, super-geek is a good word.
jervis961
05/02/07		 Great idea.
lindahewitt
05/05/07		 I also miss the Dell of the 90s. Everything about Dell was top quality, which is why it grew so fast. Because Dell's customers were recommending Dell to all their friends, associates and clients. More corporations converted to an all Dell environment during the 90s. One of the major telecom companies first tried Gateway computers and discovered that the engineering was deficient. When they tested Dell, they were impressed and started ordering tens of thousands of desktops.

The first Windows computer that I bought was a Gateway and I discovered the same thing that my telecom client discovered. My next computer purchases were Dell computers, which were solid computers.

Dell's customer - tech support during the 90s was A+++.

In 2002, I bought two more computers ($8,000) and when I would call for tech support, Dell couldn't even manage to get my customer number entered into their customer database, even after I gave all of the information to the rep and ask that she see that this information was entered.

This was symptomatic of the dismantling of Dell by the bean counters, whose only focus was to be able to report that their net profit had increased 25-28% this quarter, when compared to the same quarter in the previous year. Many of my friends and associates came to see this as Dell willingness to do anything to make their numbers, no matter what the impact was on their customers. This is also when Dell switched to their support centers in India.

It is also when I stopped recommending Dell to my friends, associates and clients.

However, if Michael Dell can bring Dell back to its high quality, leading-edge roots and American super-geeks support, I would love to be able to start recommending Dell products again.

Just as Dell places a high value on the productivity of its employees, it should also place an equally high value on their customers time. Everytime they devise processess and procedures, which are time wasters for their customers, they are likely to not see those customers again.

One of my biggest frustrations with the Indian support personnel was that they had to start at the beginning of their scripts, no matter how knowledgeable the customer was or what had been done in previous trouble-shooting phone calls.

IMO, Apple succeeds most of all because they treat their customers with respect and their processes and procedures are focused on solving the customer's problem on an expedited basis. IMO, there is much that can be learned from the Apple business model but Dell still needs to develop its own unique business model.
shiningarcanine
05/05/07		 The tech support back in the 1990s was the best the industry had. It was the reason Dell did so well and Dell was able to continue to grow on its reputation years after it laid off the technicians that made it so prestigious within the industry. Its growth started to stagnate when reality caught up to its reputation. Rehiring all of the techicians that Dell laid off around 2000/2001 would really go a long way to making it #1 again. It would take time for it to regain its reputation, but it will be worth it, if Dell does it.
jorge
05/18/07		 Supporting a few hundred users and only a few models is cake! Up the users by 1000's and models by 100's and you have a full on mess. Not to mention international sales and international languages, double if not quadruple the mess.
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