On Thursday evening I received a call from Dell asking if my PC had arrived. "No," I replied leaving the girl on the phone a bit lost for words. I'll call back in a few minutes she said.
Lo and behold a few minutes after she called, the PC arrived. I knew she was calling back so thought I'd better take it straight out the box and get it setup. A few minutes later, I was ready to go.
I pressed the "ON" button.
... mmm ...
... da, da, dee ...
... nope ...
... nothing ...
... except for ...
THAT BLOODY FLASHING AMBER POWER BUTTON!!
AAAARRGRRGHHH!!!
The PC isn't even passed the problem it had. In fact, giving my own personal opinion, this machine probably hasn't even been looked at. Talk about a Webmaster Worry! I could cry!!! Well, almost, but maybe not because by this time I'm absolutely raging!!
The girl phoned back. "Did you get the PC," yes I replied. "Fantastic" she says, I'll just tell my boss who I'm chatting with about it right now. "Whoa!, wait a minute" I says. "It's got the same problem as before!"
(Whisper) Stunned silence... (Whisper)
"Oh." says the girl. Yes, "oh."
At this point although I was boiling inside, I felt genuinely sorry for the poor girl who could only appologise profusely. It wasn't her fault so I didn't give her a hard time I just asked what can they do about it. She says that they'll get a new machine build and set up! WASN'T THIS WHAT I ASKED FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE 3 WEEKS AGO SINCE IT WAS A NEW MACHINE THAT ONLY WORKED FOR AN HOUR!!!!! Get a grip DELL.
Anyway, now I'm supposed to get a new "working" machine soon and to be honest, I've completly given up with Dell altogether. It was bad enough waiting for 3 weeks for a repair on a brand new machine but to get it back without it being fixed is horrendous to say the least!
The new machine is getting a couple of upgrades fitted to compensate but it's not the point, this service is shocking and I'll certainly not be recommending them again. I'll give an update when the new machine arrives and see if it's not working ...
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The PC Saga Continues
After my last post on Tuesday night, I thought I would email the nice girl I had spoken to previously expressing my disgust in a polite way and see if that got me anywhere. It didn't.
I swear my hair is greyer and I've less of it since the past few weeks!
Back onto the Customer Service line where, after being cut off by the first operator (a classic trick on Service Desks to improve their call times, ) I spoke to a friendly and appologetic (spelling) guy who didn't want to tell me anything about the machine except that it would be delivered tomorrow.
After pushing for some time, I was 40 minutes on the telephone, he admitted that the machine was still in the Dell depot. Not, given to the Courier last Thursday or Friday as I had previously been told.
I asked to speak with someone who could give me a refund as I am really regretting ever buying this machine. Eventually after instructing him about 10 times, he let me speak to a Supervisor who admitted she can't give replacements but would look into it tomorrow. I told them that I was going to get Trading Standards involved if a satisfactory outcome was not going to be possible.
Ten minutes after that call, the nice lady I had emailled called to say that Dell don't give refunds to business customers but instead offer immediate replacement. What!! This is what I had asked for originally but was told that the repair would be quicker and it wasn't normal to issue a replacement!
However, she said that the machine had been picked up earlier and was indeed with the courier service that would deliver tomorrow. She will call this morning with an update. We'll see.
I'm pulling my hair out by now and complaining bitterly but they really don't want to hear. It's a case of speak nice and agree to delivery tomorrow, every time I call.
We'll see what happens today. They did send me a USB storage thing as compensation. Little value without a PC to plug it into.
I swear my hair is greyer and I've less of it since the past few weeks!
Back onto the Customer Service line where, after being cut off by the first operator (a classic trick on Service Desks to improve their call times, ) I spoke to a friendly and appologetic (spelling) guy who didn't want to tell me anything about the machine except that it would be delivered tomorrow.
After pushing for some time, I was 40 minutes on the telephone, he admitted that the machine was still in the Dell depot. Not, given to the Courier last Thursday or Friday as I had previously been told.
I asked to speak with someone who could give me a refund as I am really regretting ever buying this machine. Eventually after instructing him about 10 times, he let me speak to a Supervisor who admitted she can't give replacements but would look into it tomorrow. I told them that I was going to get Trading Standards involved if a satisfactory outcome was not going to be possible.
Ten minutes after that call, the nice lady I had emailled called to say that Dell don't give refunds to business customers but instead offer immediate replacement. What!! This is what I had asked for originally but was told that the repair would be quicker and it wasn't normal to issue a replacement!
However, she said that the machine had been picked up earlier and was indeed with the courier service that would deliver tomorrow. She will call this morning with an update. We'll see.
I'm pulling my hair out by now and complaining bitterly but they really don't want to hear. It's a case of speak nice and agree to delivery tomorrow, every time I call.
We'll see what happens today. They did send me a USB storage thing as compensation. Little value without a PC to plug it into.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Still Nothing from Dell
Well it's 7pm on Tuesday and the couriers are all done for today and still nothing from Dell. They really are a waste of time.
I'm guessing that the Manager of their Customer Services department knows this as well. He hasn't called like he said he would to check that the system was delivered. I'm starting to presume again that the bloody new PC is still sitting in its box at Dell somewhere, if, of course, they have really managed to find it yet!
What am I to do? I'm behind with work, and with no joy from Dell I'm really unsure where to turn to next. I think I'll contact the Customer Services again and see what they say but it's obviously a waste of time and effort as they've done nothing so far to help me out!
I really wish I had bought the MESH machine now as I know that they give top quality products and a friend of mine has used their Customer Services and couldn't rate them highly enough. Geez, I could kick myself. I won't be caught by this trap again though and I presume neither will any of my friends as they think it's disgraceful that I didn't get a new machine straight away. I tend to agree, one hour isn't really like receiving one is it?
I'm guessing that the Manager of their Customer Services department knows this as well. He hasn't called like he said he would to check that the system was delivered. I'm starting to presume again that the bloody new PC is still sitting in its box at Dell somewhere, if, of course, they have really managed to find it yet!
What am I to do? I'm behind with work, and with no joy from Dell I'm really unsure where to turn to next. I think I'll contact the Customer Services again and see what they say but it's obviously a waste of time and effort as they've done nothing so far to help me out!
I really wish I had bought the MESH machine now as I know that they give top quality products and a friend of mine has used their Customer Services and couldn't rate them highly enough. Geez, I could kick myself. I won't be caught by this trap again though and I presume neither will any of my friends as they think it's disgraceful that I didn't get a new machine straight away. I tend to agree, one hour isn't really like receiving one is it?
Friday, April 13, 2007
Disgusted with Dell
In case any readers are browsing the site and wondering where I've gone, let me explain. I'm having to type this on a borrowed PC I'm using after buying a new machine from Dell.
My PC which was about 2 and a half years old was on it's last legs. It's been crumbling, crashing and limping along for ages now and finally went to that great chip breaker in the sky. The only thing to do? Buy a new one!
Great I thought and I managed to convince the other half this was a good idea, it took me a while but there you go. Anyway, Dell have a good reputation, or so I thought, and so I went on and ordered one from Dell.co.uk.
Had I known the problems I would have, I've opted for the MESH one that was the same price and specification.
Five days after I placed the order my new Dell machine arrived. I unpacked it, placed it neatly on the desk and started having a look at Windows Vista. My enjoyment was short lived though and after 1 hour I switched it off to go an errand. Upon coming back and hitting the on button, nothing happened. The power light was flashing an amber colour at me and that was it.
I called Customer Support who after 45 minutes told me that the machine would have to go back. I knew this was probably the case but they wanted me to check various things first.
I explained to them that I wanted a replacement machine and as I didn't have any data stored on it, I had nothing to lose. This was my first slip up - I agreed on a repair rather than a replacement. I should have demanded a new machine due to this one only working for one hour but they convinced me that a repair would be quicker than a replacement as they would have to build the entire replacement. This all happened on a Wednesday night (15 days prior to me writing this.)
They came and picked up the machine on the Friday (13 days ago) and they had told me that by the following Tuesday, my new PC would be back in fully working order. Bullshit!
I phoned them on the Thursday night to complain my machine was still not delivered. Not a problem they said, it would be there tomorrow. I called on the Friday night again and was told Monday. By now I was getting a bit jacked off to say the least.
Monday - still no PC. I complained again and this time got a Customer Services Manager who said that he would look into it and call me back. Give him his due, he did, but only to tell me that it would be delivered on Wednesday. A few moans later and after telling him that I'd never buy from Dell again and that the service I was receiving was terrible, he admitted that they hadn't even received the machine yet!!! Can you believe that!
It turns out, or so the story goes, that it was delivered to the wrong Dell service location and was basically sitting there having a rest. Well it had done a whole hours work after all, hadn't it.
Now the Manager guy seems generally ok, apart from a few small discrepancies in his story about the PC not arriving at the right service centre and he has called to give an update every evening. So far the machine has been repaired and on test for the last two days and finally he has now said that the machine has been sent to the couriers!! YEE-HAW! Why it takes 2 days to test a machine, I'll never know, perhaps another small discrepancy? Maybe?
I did receive a nice call from some lady in Customer Services last night telling me that my problem was of the highest priority and that Dell were really a fabulous company and that I should buy from them again. Yeah right! She's going to send me a small token of appreciation for my patience and inconvience. Great thanks. I've not been able to work properly for two weeks now but what the hell.
Of course, it's never as easy as all that is it.
The Manager guy, this evening now informs me that as I live far away, it'll take 4 days for delivery! What! I order CDs from Hong Kong, which is half way around the world and get them in two days! I'm in the North of Scotland by the way.
So, the latest in this Dell Customer Non-Service Epic is that I have to wait again, this time an additional 4 days for delivery. What's the bets it hasn't left the Service Centre yet? (You'll not get good odds on this, by the way.)
I'm going to post here again on Tuesday with an update. Will my machine is finally home? Not if Dells previous versions of events are anything to go buy.
Not a happy customer!
My PC which was about 2 and a half years old was on it's last legs. It's been crumbling, crashing and limping along for ages now and finally went to that great chip breaker in the sky. The only thing to do? Buy a new one!
Great I thought and I managed to convince the other half this was a good idea, it took me a while but there you go. Anyway, Dell have a good reputation, or so I thought, and so I went on and ordered one from Dell.co.uk.
Had I known the problems I would have, I've opted for the MESH one that was the same price and specification.
Five days after I placed the order my new Dell machine arrived. I unpacked it, placed it neatly on the desk and started having a look at Windows Vista. My enjoyment was short lived though and after 1 hour I switched it off to go an errand. Upon coming back and hitting the on button, nothing happened. The power light was flashing an amber colour at me and that was it.
I called Customer Support who after 45 minutes told me that the machine would have to go back. I knew this was probably the case but they wanted me to check various things first.
I explained to them that I wanted a replacement machine and as I didn't have any data stored on it, I had nothing to lose. This was my first slip up - I agreed on a repair rather than a replacement. I should have demanded a new machine due to this one only working for one hour but they convinced me that a repair would be quicker than a replacement as they would have to build the entire replacement. This all happened on a Wednesday night (15 days prior to me writing this.)
They came and picked up the machine on the Friday (13 days ago) and they had told me that by the following Tuesday, my new PC would be back in fully working order. Bullshit!
I phoned them on the Thursday night to complain my machine was still not delivered. Not a problem they said, it would be there tomorrow. I called on the Friday night again and was told Monday. By now I was getting a bit jacked off to say the least.
Monday - still no PC. I complained again and this time got a Customer Services Manager who said that he would look into it and call me back. Give him his due, he did, but only to tell me that it would be delivered on Wednesday. A few moans later and after telling him that I'd never buy from Dell again and that the service I was receiving was terrible, he admitted that they hadn't even received the machine yet!!! Can you believe that!
It turns out, or so the story goes, that it was delivered to the wrong Dell service location and was basically sitting there having a rest. Well it had done a whole hours work after all, hadn't it.
Now the Manager guy seems generally ok, apart from a few small discrepancies in his story about the PC not arriving at the right service centre and he has called to give an update every evening. So far the machine has been repaired and on test for the last two days and finally he has now said that the machine has been sent to the couriers!! YEE-HAW! Why it takes 2 days to test a machine, I'll never know, perhaps another small discrepancy? Maybe?
I did receive a nice call from some lady in Customer Services last night telling me that my problem was of the highest priority and that Dell were really a fabulous company and that I should buy from them again. Yeah right! She's going to send me a small token of appreciation for my patience and inconvience. Great thanks. I've not been able to work properly for two weeks now but what the hell.
Of course, it's never as easy as all that is it.
The Manager guy, this evening now informs me that as I live far away, it'll take 4 days for delivery! What! I order CDs from Hong Kong, which is half way around the world and get them in two days! I'm in the North of Scotland by the way.
So, the latest in this Dell Customer Non-Service Epic is that I have to wait again, this time an additional 4 days for delivery. What's the bets it hasn't left the Service Centre yet? (You'll not get good odds on this, by the way.)
I'm going to post here again on Tuesday with an update. Will my machine is finally home? Not if Dells previous versions of events are anything to go buy.
Not a happy customer!
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