So before making my order on a Dell Inspiron 1720, I asked the sales rep, “I’m leaving for college on Aug 18th, will I get it before then?”
“Yes sir, you won’t have to worry about receiving it before then.”
- ESTIMATED ARRIVAL DATE: 16-20th
Customer Support Part 1:
[conversation summary]
Me: I was told I would not have to worry about getting it before the 18th, yet my estimated arrival date is 16-20th
Dell: I’ll give you next day shipping for free
Courtesy Gift #1: Next Day Shipping
- ESTIMATED ARRIVAL DATE: 15th
Customer Support Part 2:
[conversation summary:]
Me: I heard dell was having delays. Will I get my laptop before the 18th like I was promised.
Dell: Your laptop is scheduled to arrive on the 14th. You will not be having any delays. Your laptop is almost done and will be sent to you shortly.
- ESTIMATED ARRIVAL DATE: 14th
Customer Support Part 3:
So now it’s early morning of the 14th and my laptop is still in production.
[actual conversation:]
Me: Would this delay be because i have an Espresso Brown Case? I was told the colors were being delayed?
Shama: Currently there is no delay on this color.
Me: okay. Would you be able to check if there are any delays on any of my parts?
Shama: I have check your detail cannot assure you right as there is no part delay showing on the order.
Me: What?
Me: Could you rephrase that sentence? It didn’t make sense!!
Shama: Since the order is not showing anything just in production and the estimated ship date 08/14/2007 however hoping that the order has not been backordered but than to can will be able to give more prompt information by tomorrow.
Me: Okay. After a few minutes of reading that over, I figured out what you mean. It’s hard to understand you!
Me: I will be back tomorrow for more.
Shama: I apologize for the confusion.
Me: bye.
Shama: Is there anything else I can assist you with?
Me: no bye.
Please note their amazing English skills!
Customer Support Part 4:
[voice mail:]
Dell: Sir, I’m calling to tell you there’s a delay on the color of your laptop and your estimated arrival date is the 28th.”
Order Delay #1: August 31st
Customer Support Part 5:
After complaining to Customer Support, the rep. said she would give me a Dell Coupon once I received my order. Yipee! Now I can buy more delayed Dell products!
Courtesy Gift #2: A Dell Coupon
Dell: Sir, you’re going to look so professional with your Espresso Brown Laptop.
After complaining more, she said she would request to expedite my laptop.
Dell: (rapping up the conversation) Okay sir, are you satisfied with the support you received today?
Me: No.
Dell: ….. (unexpected answer) I’ll have you talk to my manager.
So the manager says the SAME thing. If I change my color, it won’t make a difference because then I’ll pretty much be canceling my order and resubmitting it. The manager says that the last customer support rep will call me back tomorrow after she request to expedite it.
Customer Support Part 6:
She called me back and the request to expedite was DENIED. After complaining, I manged to get another courtesy gift.
Courtesy Gift #3: A “free product from Dell”
Order Delay #2: September 5
Customer Support Part 7:
Once again, I went onto the chat after hearing about my delay. I told them I would NEVER buy from Dell every again, nor would my company (yeah… i don’t have any employees, but they don’t know that). I just made them know how upset I was and how it was drastically effecting my life (which it wasn’t really).
Courtesy Gift #4: $100 credit to my account
Customer Support Part 8:
I went on the Customer Support Chat to complain to them again. Here’s a snippet of the chat log:
Me: Two delays is ridiculous. I can’t trust Dell. I’ll probably receive another email September 5th and they’ll say that It’s been delayed another week. They’re just going to keep doing this again and again. It’s pissing me off and I’m losing money from my company because I NEED this laptop ASAP
Mandeep: Marcel, I can understand your concern as I would have felt the same if I was in your place. As of now, we are not anticipating a further delay in the order.
Me: That’s what the last two Customer Support Reps said before the last two delays. C’mon now. I know you’re getting paid to say that.
Mandeep: Marcel, you will receive a confirmation email as soon as the order ships out of Dell.
Me: Great. I’ll look forward to that email within a couple months.
Me: I’m tired of getting delays. Dell is the worst company I have ever dealt with. I am tired of the lies I’ve been getting from the representatives. I’ve been lied to - straight to my face. I can’t trust anyone at Dell - and I have a good reason to.
After that, I talked to her/his manager. I managed to get a request to expedite the order. I got a call the next day and it was DENIED.
Just as I thought, I checked my order status on September 5th, and saw that my order was delayed another week.
Order Delay #3: September 12
Customer Support Part 9:
So I went into the chat once again. Nothing exciting. I’m getting pretty used to this customer support thing. I did get another courtesy gift out of them, and the representative told me to contact sales to see if they could transfer my order over to a local dell store. (see part 10)
Courtesy Gift #5: $50 credit to my account
So I checked my order status the next day and had another delay - I was never notified of this:
Order Delay #4: September 22
Customer Support Part 10:
I talked to sales just like the last customer support rep. told me to. I asked them if they could transfer my order to a local dell store - even though I don’t see how that could work. I was right. Sales couldn’t do anything. Another waste of my time.
Laptop Finally Shipped
Sept 14 - about 7 weeks after order was placed.
So to sum it up, I waited an extra 5 weeks / 4 delays because of my Espresso Brown casing. Now get this. I pull the laptop out of the box and it’s so dark, that the brown is unnoticeable. (Note this image where it’s clearly brown.)
Customer Support Part 11:
After two weeks or so of having the laptop, I decide to go claim my 4 “courtesy gifts”.
To sum up the 170 lines / 1 hour and 20 minutes of customer support chat: I explained how I was offered these gifts and the representative asked me for case numbers. Now I was only given a case number for the LAST courtesy gift. The other 3 were over the phone, and I was never given a case number, nor did I think I needed one.
He claimed the best he could do was give me a $100 credit. - Even though the total courtesy gifts were: $100 and $50 credit, $50, a “courtesy gift”, and a “dell coupon”.
After arguing, I decided to go up a level of management and ask for his supervisor. After arguing with him, he told me the same thing. The max limit they could offer me was $100.
I told him I wanted to talk to his manager. He told me the same exact thing. He offered me either $100 or a printer. He claimed that each employee I spoke with was giving me an “offer” and at the end I could choose which offer I wanted. I replied:
Me: They didn’t offer these items, they promised me them. They said “I’ll credit your account with $50″ and “I will send you a dell courtesy gift once you receive your laptop”
I asked to talk to the manager’s manager. Now you know your company has problems when a you’ve gone up 3 levels of management and you ask to talk to someone higher. Apparently it’s their strict policy that they can’t offer me any more than $100, and no one in Dell could offer me any more.
So that’s the end. I was credited $100 and that’s all I’m getting.
Me: Dell has the worst customer support I have ever delt with. You can assure I will not be placing any orders with Dell again, nor will any of my family or friends. Every level of management has lied to me, and each had to cover up lies that the other said.
My Conclusion
- Dell Customer Support Employees say whatever they can to make customers happy, whether it be a lie or the truth.
- Whenever you’re offered something by a company, get a reference number or name.
I just ordered a 1GB Flash Drive for only $8 - including shipping. How? Well my friend 