tomyrush

Fixing Dell

Service and Support submitted by tweetannette 02/18/07

After being forced to deal with Dell's customer service due to several of our clients purchasing Dell desktops -- against our recommendations, is it any wonder Dell's market share has shrunk?

Dell's customer service is a nightmare. Every service call made on behalf of our clients has resulted in excess of at least 8 transfers. We were forced to try to understand people with thick accents, who haven't a clue how to turn a computer on, let alone fix one.

We encourage our clients to purchase HP and will continue to do so, until Dell brings their customer service department back to U.S. soil. When a consumer purchases a computer in the U.S. of A., they should be able to get service here in the U.S. of A. and not have to call India and be passed around to 15 other people.

Dell's sales will continue to fall and it has nothing to do with their product. It's the service stupid. It's the service. 2 Comments »

Service tech problems

Service and Support submitted by njbrw549 02/20/07

The last product I bought from Dell was defective, no problem, sometimes a component fails. I contacted support and explained what was going on and asked to have the product exchanged. I was told tey would take care of it and send the return shipping label. Another technicion looked at the order and cancelled it. I was never informed of the change and found out when I cpntacted Dell to learn the status of the return order.
At the time I had explained thatI needed this done asap as I was going out of town andneeded the computer. due to this delay, I bought another computer from a competitor. I like Dell products and also liked the one I had bought at the time. I recommend your products to friends, but now when I do I tell them that if they have to deal with support they will have problems. Because of my experience with support I have not bought anything else from Dell and would be concerned about having to deal with their support if I did.
I am experienced with computers and have built and rebuilt several computers myself.
Bill Comment »

allow/force representatives to deviate from prepared scripts

Service and Support submitted by f4ll0u7 02/21/07

i have spoken and chatted with MANY dell support representatives. i've had lots of bad ones, and occasionally a few good ones. one complaint about the bad ones is that they stick to the script like glue. they refuse to listen/understand the problem i'm having, and will only repeat word for word what appears on their script.

the good representatives speak to me as a human being. i feel like i'm speaking with a person who actually understands me and cares about what i have to say. i don't feel like i'm talking to a robot. i always make sure to commend representatives like that to their superiors. Comment »

Ed

Service and Support submitted by emarchant 02/17/07

I have been a Dell customer for a good number of years. Bring back that original customer serviice I have told many of my students why they should buy Dell products. STOP THE OFFSHORING OF YOUR SERVICE IN INDIA AND BRING IT BACK TO USA.

Thanks for letting me voice my comments.

Ed Marchant
CIS Professor
Washburn University
Topeka, Kansas Comment »

customer service phone menus

Service and Support submitted by pp113 02/19/07

As you guys have stated publicly, customer service the first thing you should fix. So please get rid of the long phone menus. And I believe you can't even use the keypad to select them. (only voice recognition). You can get so frustrated calling Dell customer service even before speaking to anyone. And yes, you should minimize overseas call centers... Comment »

Fix Customer Support

Service and Support submitted by stefanrusek 02/20/07

The link below tells exactly the steps needed to fix the most aweful problem with Dell. The customer support drives me nuts. I have purchases 3 machines from dell and the hardware has been great, but the support has all but convinced me to give up on

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/customerservice.html Comment »

Outsourcing Services

Service and Support submitted by bigal0228 02/20/07

Dell is missing an opportunity to really provide top-notch services for their products by not utilizing a resource that is in every small town across this country, the local Computer Specialty Store. I own one, and we do a lot of hardware and software work on Dell systems simply because the customer has either gotten fed up with the service they received from Dell, or was unwilling or unable to have the unit shipped off. They bring them in to us for simple repairs and services all day, every day. Power supplies, hard drives, reinstalling O/S's, virus removal, and the like. Simple, fast, easy repairs and services. In and out the same day. Happy customers stating "It was worth paying YOU to fix the problem, we'll be back any time we need help." Now, imagine that same customer, getting that same service, and walking out thanking DELL for making it such an easy experience. And my little company saying "This Dell Support Contract sure has benefitted us both!" Happy customers, happy local businesses, and happy Dell. Comment »

Complete Overhaul of Message Boards

Service and Support submitted by diehard 02/26/07

I would like to see a complete overhaul of the message boards. There is a lack of moderator support and users are sometimes left to depend on each other. I would like to see more support coming from Dell. There once was a problem with D600's overheating it took forever for Dell to acknowledge this issue. Tech support denied the issue ever existed. Comment »

ENGLISH

Service and Support submitted by bbaker7958 02/20/07

It would be sooooo nice to be able to talk to a tech who spoke MY kind of English and not one with an accent so thick I cannot understand a word they are saying. Bring JOBS back to the United States or start loosing business is my new motto for dealing with businesses.

BBaker7958 5 Comments »

No Offshoring

Service and Support submitted by khess 02/22/07

Michael Dell, do you want to breathe new life into your company? Stop Offshoring the support. There are plenty of small towns in Texas that would love the chance to provide that support for Dell.
Want some good PR? Do this and see what happens. Make Dell the leader in ONSHORING and Rural Sourcing.

It is funny that big companies are saying that they have to go to India to compete..HA! That is really not the case at all...nor is the excuse that there aren't enough technical grads...there is an easy solution to that too: Provide scholarships, endowments, and trusts to provide that education and jobs for Americans.

I won't buy a Dell product until your products are:
1. Made in the US
2. Supported in the US

Once our economy is destroyed with all this offshoring, who the hell is going to buy your products? Indians? Chinese? Russians?
If you want to conduct business over there...then relocate your company there as well. American companies should hire Americans or lose their tax advantages. 10 Comments »

Call center follow-up

Service and Support submitted by hourog 02/17/07

On Saturday, Feb 10, 2007 I had to call for service.

After being placed on hold for over an hour, even with a XPS expedited phone number, the prospect of providing feedback through the automated call survey center seemed a reasonable way to convey my displeasure to Dell, not only about the hold time but, also, the unreasonable script process used during the call.

Alas, the techs in India have figured out a way to thwart the survey. They refused to hang up and, when queried why I was not hanging up, they asked if I was holding for the survey. When I answered in the affirmative, they disconnected me.

Dell should, as standard operating procedure, use an email address as part of the service sign-in. This way, an automated survey could be emailed outside the control of the subject under review.

Until Dell is able to improve the terrible communications with the India call centers, you will see a further erosion of your customer base. 4 Comments »

Dell Internet

Software submitted by arclight 02/28/07

Offer Internet service on new systems for certain period, such as one month, to make it easier to do software activations and get setup for new Internet.

The lag time between when a new Internet service can be installed, and when a computer arrives can make it hard.

Also, more Internet time could be a pre-paid upgrade when buying a system. This way high-speed internet could be included when a computer is given as a gift.

For example, with one month of free dial-up when people get a new system, they can connect to the Internet right away before they have another service ready and can do activations on software. Some people might buy high-speed service in advance so they do not have to worry paying each month. At 40 dollars a month, a year of high-speed would cost around 500 dollars, which is less then some of the warranty options.

This would also very useful when giving a computer as a gift, as high-speed can become a significant part of the cost of computer use. To be able to buy a computer, that will include say 2 years of high-speed. This would also offer a way to offer bigger service and more complete support packages.

Rather then having to pay a separate bill each month, people just click a upgrade when they buy their new computer from Dell. The future present worth value of the money could allow more savings then paying per month too.

2 Comments »

Standardize and regionalize tech and customer support

Service and Support submitted by digigato 02/21/07

It would be great, for us Dell clients, and for Dell itself, to regionalize and standardize their protocols for customer and tech support to avoid: frustration, time spent on calls, rage and all that feeling mix that usually builds up after a person made a support call.

I have read that people in the US/Canada are quite angry with their current QoS on this topic since they seem to be attended by people in India and all the problems and lack of initiative that Dell personnel (tech. support) usually incur.

What's most amazing is that, in my case, I live, work and use Dell computers in Mexico (my homeland) and when I require support for desktop/laptops or servers, evn thou my initial path is redirected to Panama (or some place in central america) I end up talking with, yeah you won't believe, people in the US!! so, my mind starts to go freak and thinks:
a) Why in all heavens the people that took care of my case in the US cannot be available for the US/Canada clients
b) Why Dell cannot have technical personnel in my country (I mean the guys at Texas and Colorado are just great and I am really in debt with them for helping me out of my server problems) that understand a little bit more about how things are done in Mexico (and I bet every country/geographic area has its own culture and "way of doing things") or, for example, Is Japan also been taken care by people from India??

So, Dell, if you are going to give tech support and want to be part of a globalized world, be it, but do respect your customers and their needs and culture, please, please pretty please.

Btw: I am sorry for any mistakes that my english may have lead to all native english speakers! :D cheers! 3 Comments »

Bring Tech Support Back to North America

Service and Support submitted by psulions2007 02/25/07

I've never touched the 24/7 phone line tech support, and have always used the online chat support and never had a problem. However, I just used the email tech support for the first time and it feels like I'm talking to one of those bank scammers in Nigeria. This is utterly ridiculous...I can't believe I have to try to go through the email word for word trying to understand what this support technician is saying.....add to that the fact that the person comes off as rude in the entire email, and you have a technical support level that rates almost, but not quite, one star.

I think people as a whole would even pay slightly more money for their computers if tech support was brought back to the U.S./Canada. Comment »

Call Centres

Service and Support submitted by mami3874 02/20/07

STOP IT. STOP IT. STOP IT.

If there is anything that makes me think about buying hardware elsewhere its the offshored call centre. They may be cheap for Dell, they will show metrics of service in high ninety percentage points. Your customers HATE them. They are painful. They dont work. They cause huge amounts of frustration and dissatisfaction. Move them back, train the staff properly - not 1 week induction programmes - put them through the DCDE courses. Then remove the infernal scripts that really annoy everyone. Comment »

Add the os installation steps in system box before shipped out to customer

Service and Support submitted by ken_li 02/26/07

In china, so many consumer customers are not familiar with the OS and driver installation steps.
when customer want to reinstall os, that charge much more time for TS to resolve it.
If we can put a os and driver installation steps hardcopy in system box, which can avoid many call and provide key service support for our real customer.

under the circumstance when os crash or can't find the driver, consumer don't want to find a solution on Dell website, they more prefer to give a call, and if we can't pick up it quickly, complain come soon. that is a bad loop.. Comment »

Support Engineers that speak English

Service and Support submitted by scottgreer 04/19/07

Why is it so hard for Dell to hire call center employees that speak fluent, clear English? It, on average, doubles the length of a call (and my frustration) getting assistance on any issue. I can't imagine that it would cost so much to move those call centers back for all customers. Comment »

Bring IT Back To US Shores

Service and Support submitted by 19rocketman67 03/02/07

It's quite obvious that even though Dell outsourced most of it's Service and Support it did no good to the bottom line as far as profits are concerned.
So let's bring Service and Support back to the US and make Dell the great company it use to be. 3 Comments »

Customer Service

Service and Support submitted by smh 03/04/07

All support personnel must be required to talk perfect English so people can understand them. 2 Comments »

Stop the call-center-merry-go-round

Service and Support submitted by brmorris 04/02/07

I am a computer technician and I primarily recommend Dell to my customers. I am growing increasingly dissatisfied with the customer service that I receive, however. On many occasions now, I have called to extend a warranty and the customer service agent will transfer me to the Service Sales department, which in turn tells me that it is the wrong department, then they transfer me somewhere else, etc., etc. Today they put me into the "Lost Caller" department, which transfered me, and then "click," dial tone.

Here are my recommendations:
1. Do not segregate departments so much that no one can help the customer. For example, give someone in the mid-sized business department the ability to help a small-biz customer, EPP, or home. Obviously if there is a major difference in the way they do their job, that can't happen, but extending a warranty is no different for all the types of customers.

2. Have top-level managers and/or executives periodically call with a pre-determined customer service need and have them see for themselves what it is like for a regular customer -- they will be shocked!

3. Have a "Troubleshooter Team" that will do whatever it takes to help the customer if they ride the call-center-merry-go-round for more than 3 trips. 1 Comment »