Total Suckage = Dell Customer Care

CISOBE · 12-12-2002, 10:52 PM

Ok Guys... Want to here a total Suckage sad story... If you remember about a week or so ago... There was a deal for a Dell Inspirion 8200 Laptop, where you could get a 2.2ghz processor and Ultra Sharp UXGA screen for like $80 more than a 1.7ghz one? Well I got in on that one on 12/5/2002...

Everything initially went well, I checked out with all the specs I chose, Including the 2.2ghz Processor and Ultra Sharp UXGA screen upgrade. The next day, I checked Dell's order status website, and checked the details of my order to find out that my processor had been changed from a 2.2ghz to a 1.7ghz. After spending nearly an hour on hold on Dell Customer Care... I finally got a hold of a Dell rep who repeatedly told me that there was nothing he could do, and that their website had some kind of error, which caused everyones order to be placed as a 1.7ghz if the chose the cheapest option. He also said, "I'm sorry sir, I see that your laptop has entered producation, once an order has entered producation, we can't change anything. We can cancel your order, but you will need to re-order it. He offered to reconfigure a new laptop for me with a 2.2ghz process and the Ultra Sharp UXGA screen I initially ordered. He said that I would need to pay $450 more for it though. He said that basically I had only three choices... Keep my first order with the 1.7ghz, Pay $450 more, and reorder my laptop with the 2.2ghz processor & Ultra UXGA screen, or just cancel. I decided to keep it for now, so I could keep my order/deal alive.

I then went online, and emailed Dell Customer Care, and got onto Dell's customer Care forums. Cathy in the forums responded, saying that my order details said that my order was for a 1.7ghz processor, but I made her check my order confirmation, which said 2.2ghz. she gave me a number & extention to call to have it changed, but the number & extention she gave me was out of service. I got an email back from Customer care saying that they couldn't change my online order, and that I would need to call them. I called them, and spent almost an hour waiting for a rep who basically said the same thing as the first rep i spoke with, sorry sir you basically have three options.... I got pissed and told her I wanted to talk to her manager. This guy got on the line.. and tried to convince me that you won't feel the difference between a 1.7ghz processor and a 2.2ghz (how ridiculous). I got pissed at him, and threatened to file complaints with the Better Business Bureau. This seems to have hit the spot. He forwarded me to Kevin in Customer Priority Services. Kevin told me that I could reorder my computer online, and that the computer should turn out the nearly the same price with the current "special offers". I told him to configure a laptop with the exact same specs, and tell me how much it was... It came out to be about $450 more. He then finally agreed to redo my order, and give me the same price I initially had minus shipping ($1748), he issued my a refusal/return number for the first laptop, but said to process my order, he would need to double charge my credit card, but I would be refunded the money once the first order was returned.

I thought great, I finally got my order through... An hour later I checked my order, and saw that everything was in order, except for the Ultra Sharp UXGA screen, instead of the Ultra Sharp,I was getting the standard UXGA screen. I then spent one more hour on hold waiting for a Dell rep. This Dell rep said that the change couldn't be made cause the order already went into production. I told her that Kevin, the rep that helped me put the order through said that once he entered my credit card number in, my order went straight to production (which was less than 2 hour before, not to mention it was about 5:30pm Hawaii time). The rep then said that he couldn't help me, and that I would need to contact Kevin, the orginal rep who placed my order. I then attempted to call Kevin, and got his machine. I left messages for him to call me back, but got no call backs. I then hit the forums again, and got Chandler and Cathy to help me. Chandler had my order canceled and replaced with the same price. I finally called and confirmed my order detail today 12/12/02. To add insult to injury... I recieved my new ship date from Dell December 31. I though Dell touted their Customer Care as being the best in the industry. If they're the best, I'm scared to find out how the worst treats you. Sorry all.. I just need to vent. Keep in mind this is the abridged version of this story... I didn't mention the hours of being shuffled back and forth between customer care and esales departments, and the annoyingly bad music they play when waiting on hold. Hopefully no one else who got in on this deal has gone through the same thing as me.

Gabriel, if you're reading through here, that's my story... I emailed you early regarding the Dell mix up in processors.

Well that's my story, other People pissed at Dell Chime on in... Venting is good for you.

TofuNinja · 12-14-2002, 05:01 PM

Wow some story. Bummer

but if you look on the bright side, you spoke to live people, you got your order fixed at the price you wanted and you used about three different methods. So even though their customer care pissed you off, things were getting done. At a bank I use to work at they didn't do crap when a customer called to check on their mortgage. The customer service was bad. Numbers over customer care....

BTW what was your time frame did this all happen over a week?

CISOBE · 12-14-2002, 06:03 PM

I ordered my laptop on 12/5/02. I it is now 12/13/02 and my laptop order is still on hold, Dell said that they are still trying to transfer the funds from my previous order. True, I got the laptop I wanted, at the price I wanted, but I did have to work very very hard for it. Dell was very reluctant to help me until I started threatening to file complaints with the Better Business Bureau. It seems like Dell's strategy is to get there customers who are unhappy to just give in, and give up. Several times through this ordeal, I was ready to just throw in the towel and accept what they were saying (i.e. just accept the order with the wrong parts, at the same price). I would think Dell would have been more willing to accept blame for their mistakes, and do anything to help their customers. They instead kept playing like I was mistaken, and that there was nothing they could do. As for my time frame.. it seems like about 2 weeks plus shipping time (which was projected to be the end or december). I still need to check over the system when It arrives to make sure it has everything they said it does.
Thanks for the reply.

TofuNinja · 12-14-2002, 06:10 PM

Yeah most business put up this front. Normally anytime you threaten to file suit they do your bidding. So much for customer is king huh. Maybe Dell is not use to having complaints (hahahaha) anyway. They need to train their people better most likely. All the good customer service people are either higher on the food chain or left for better jobs. Most likely they got bone head fresh out of college or high school kids answering phones and trying to look up things in the hand book. In which case it is easier to say, we can not help you sir it's too late. blah blah blah. My bank was worst....tons of customer complaints... tons....

12-12-2002, 10:52 PM	#1
CISOBE Plebe Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3	Total Suckage = Dell Customer Care Ok Guys... Want to here a total Suckage sad story... If you remember about a week or so ago... There was a deal for a Dell Inspirion 8200 Laptop, where you could get a 2.2ghz processor and Ultra Sharp UXGA screen for like $80 more than a 1.7ghz one? Well I got in on that one on 12/5/2002... Everything initially went well, I checked out with all the specs I chose, Including the 2.2ghz Processor and Ultra Sharp UXGA screen upgrade. The next day, I checked Dell's order status website, and checked the details of my order to find out that my processor had been changed from a 2.2ghz to a 1.7ghz. After spending nearly an hour on hold on Dell Customer Care... I finally got a hold of a Dell rep who repeatedly told me that there was nothing he could do, and that their website had some kind of error, which caused everyones order to be placed as a 1.7ghz if the chose the cheapest option. He also said, "I'm sorry sir, I see that your laptop has entered producation, once an order has entered producation, we can't change anything. We can cancel your order, but you will need to re-order it. He offered to reconfigure a new laptop for me with a 2.2ghz process and the Ultra Sharp UXGA screen I initially ordered. He said that I would need to pay $450 more for it though. He said that basically I had only three choices... Keep my first order with the 1.7ghz, Pay $450 more, and reorder my laptop with the 2.2ghz processor & Ultra UXGA screen, or just cancel. I decided to keep it for now, so I could keep my order/deal alive. I then went online, and emailed Dell Customer Care, and got onto Dell's customer Care forums. Cathy in the forums responded, saying that my order details said that my order was for a 1.7ghz processor, but I made her check my order confirmation, which said 2.2ghz. she gave me a number & extention to call to have it changed, but the number & extention she gave me was out of service. I got an email back from Customer care saying that they couldn't change my online order, and that I would need to call them. I called them, and spent almost an hour waiting for a rep who basically said the same thing as the first rep i spoke with, sorry sir you basically have three options.... I got pissed and told her I wanted to talk to her manager. This guy got on the line.. and tried to convince me that you won't feel the difference between a 1.7ghz processor and a 2.2ghz (how ridiculous). I got pissed at him, and threatened to file complaints with the Better Business Bureau. This seems to have hit the spot. He forwarded me to Kevin in Customer Priority Services. Kevin told me that I could reorder my computer online, and that the computer should turn out the nearly the same price with the current "special offers". I told him to configure a laptop with the exact same specs, and tell me how much it was... It came out to be about $450 more. He then finally agreed to redo my order, and give me the same price I initially had minus shipping ($1748), he issued my a refusal/return number for the first laptop, but said to process my order, he would need to double charge my credit card, but I would be refunded the money once the first order was returned. I thought great, I finally got my order through... An hour later I checked my order, and saw that everything was in order, except for the Ultra Sharp UXGA screen, instead of the Ultra Sharp,I was getting the standard UXGA screen. I then spent one more hour on hold waiting for a Dell rep. This Dell rep said that the change couldn't be made cause the order already went into production. I told her that Kevin, the rep that helped me put the order through said that once he entered my credit card number in, my order went straight to production (which was less than 2 hour before, not to mention it was about 5:30pm Hawaii time). The rep then said that he couldn't help me, and that I would need to contact Kevin, the orginal rep who placed my order. I then attempted to call Kevin, and got his machine. I left messages for him to call me back, but got no call backs. I then hit the forums again, and got Chandler and Cathy to help me. Chandler had my order canceled and replaced with the same price. I finally called and confirmed my order detail today 12/12/02. To add insult to injury... I recieved my new ship date from Dell December 31. I though Dell touted their Customer Care as being the best in the industry. If they're the best, I'm scared to find out how the worst treats you. Sorry all.. I just need to vent. Keep in mind this is the abridged version of this story... I didn't mention the hours of being shuffled back and forth between customer care and esales departments, and the annoyingly bad music they play when waiting on hold. Hopefully no one else who got in on this deal has gone through the same thing as me. Gabriel, if you're reading through here, that's my story... I emailed you early regarding the Dell mix up in processors. Well that's my story, other People pissed at Dell Chime on in... Venting is good for you.

12-14-2002, 05:01 PM	#2
TofuNinja Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: May 2000 Location: On Serenity Posts: 3,503	Wow some story. Bummer but if you look on the bright side, you spoke to live people, you got your order fixed at the price you wanted and you used about three different methods. So even though their customer care pissed you off, things were getting done. At a bank I use to work at they didn't do crap when a customer called to check on their mortgage. The customer service was bad. Numbers over customer care.... BTW what was your time frame did this all happen over a week? __________________ "To search for the old is to understand the new." -Gichin Funakoshi- ===>>>LABELED CANTACUZENE'S DUMBEST PERSON ALIVE!!!<<<===

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12-14-2002, 06:03 PM	#3
CISOBE Plebe Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3	I ordered my laptop on 12/5/02. I it is now 12/13/02 and my laptop order is still on hold, Dell said that they are still trying to transfer the funds from my previous order. True, I got the laptop I wanted, at the price I wanted, but I did have to work very very hard for it. Dell was very reluctant to help me until I started threatening to file complaints with the Better Business Bureau. It seems like Dell's strategy is to get there customers who are unhappy to just give in, and give up. Several times through this ordeal, I was ready to just throw in the towel and accept what they were saying (i.e. just accept the order with the wrong parts, at the same price). I would think Dell would have been more willing to accept blame for their mistakes, and do anything to help their customers. They instead kept playing like I was mistaken, and that there was nothing they could do. As for my time frame.. it seems like about 2 weeks plus shipping time (which was projected to be the end or december). I still need to check over the system when It arrives to make sure it has everything they said it does. Thanks for the reply.

12-14-2002, 06:10 PM	#4
TofuNinja Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: May 2000 Location: On Serenity Posts: 3,503	Yeah most business put up this front. Normally anytime you threaten to file suit they do your bidding. So much for customer is king huh. Maybe Dell is not use to having complaints (hahahaha) anyway. They need to train their people better most likely. All the good customer service people are either higher on the food chain or left for better jobs. Most likely they got bone head fresh out of college or high school kids answering phones and trying to look up things in the hand book. In which case it is easier to say, we can not help you sir it's too late. blah blah blah. My bank was worst....tons of customer complaints... tons....

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