Before I really rant, I want you to read this little disclaimer. I understand why companies outsource. It's obvious. Do the math. Dell did, and it's cheaper for them that way.
THAT being said, how some of these people are employed at Dell is beyond me. They're so polite, but UTTERLY, UTTERLY clueless.
I have called Dell about 15 times since I placed my order for my new Inspiron M1210. The system is fine, but Dell screwed up in the following ways:
1.) The order was supposed to be next-day delivered, but was sent UPS Ground.
2.) I was supposed to receive 2% off for using my Dell Preferred Account, but did not.
3.) The system was supposed to come with a $50 mail-in rebate, but (not) astonishingly, it did not.
The whole debacle started two weeks ago, the day I ordered my system, where I called to complain that I hadn't received my 2% discount for DPA purchase. I was offered a $50 concession coupon for my trouble. Great!, I said to myself.
Then the system was sent Ground so I called to complain, since I needed it sooner than it was to be delivered. The CSR, a very polite outsourced man, told me that he was very sorry and that he wanted to make me very, very happy. Now I'm a married man, and took it on good faith that he meant he wanted to make me a happy Dell customer. He offered me a $50 concession coupon for the next-day delivery. During the conversation, this amount was upped to $75 and then to $100, all without my saying a word. Great! He gave me a case number for the coupon and told me I'd receive it in 24-48 hours, and that he'd call me back.
The nice young outsourced man called me back the next day and told me the concession had been rejected because I had already received a $50 coupon and I couldn't have more than one for whatever reason. However, he offered me a battery instead. Sure!, I said. A 9-cell extended battery would be lovely. He gives me a new case number and the call ends.
The next day, the nice young outsourced man calls me back and tells me he can't do the battery order either. I ask him what he can do, and he says "nothing."
Wonderful! That was a big waste of many hours on the phone. I explained to him that he can cancel the first $50 coupon and issue me the $100 instead, since I hadn't used the $50. But, of course, Dell can't do that. Dell can't cancel issued coupons. Amazing how they can cancel system %-off coupons or $750-off coupons at a moment's notice.....
Anyway, that was the last I heard from the nice young outsourced man.
I called back several days later and explained the sitation to a nice young outsourced woman, and she told me that Dell can't issue more than one concession coupon PER YEAR. Now I won't argue the truth of this (though I do doubt it). But let's think back. The only reason I received the FIRST concession was because Dell messed up my DPA 2%.
Anyway, I said this to her, in a nutshell:
"So, you're saying that if Dell screws up one time, they can give you a concession coupon, but if they screw up again, it's the customer's problem?"
The nice young outsourced woman had no clue what to say to this.
Anyway, that went nowhere.
So today, June 19, I call Dell once again to find out what's going on with the $50 mail-in rebate I'm supposed to receive. Apparently, Dell have no record of it. Now, it says this on my order confirmation:
SAVE $50 (After mail in rebate) which includes 4Yr Limited Warranty, 4Yr At-Home Service, and 4Yr Hardware Warranty Support.
Expires on 2006-12-01 12:59:59
Apparently, that's not good enough for Dell, so I'm jipped here once again.
All in all, not a great experience. I don't know how Dell get away with it.
Would I buy another Dell? Yep, I would, and I nigh hate myself for it.
THAT being said, how some of these people are employed at Dell is beyond me. They're so polite, but UTTERLY, UTTERLY clueless.
I have called Dell about 15 times since I placed my order for my new Inspiron M1210. The system is fine, but Dell screwed up in the following ways:
1.) The order was supposed to be next-day delivered, but was sent UPS Ground.
2.) I was supposed to receive 2% off for using my Dell Preferred Account, but did not.
3.) The system was supposed to come with a $50 mail-in rebate, but (not) astonishingly, it did not.
The whole debacle started two weeks ago, the day I ordered my system, where I called to complain that I hadn't received my 2% discount for DPA purchase. I was offered a $50 concession coupon for my trouble. Great!, I said to myself.
Then the system was sent Ground so I called to complain, since I needed it sooner than it was to be delivered. The CSR, a very polite outsourced man, told me that he was very sorry and that he wanted to make me very, very happy. Now I'm a married man, and took it on good faith that he meant he wanted to make me a happy Dell customer. He offered me a $50 concession coupon for the next-day delivery. During the conversation, this amount was upped to $75 and then to $100, all without my saying a word. Great! He gave me a case number for the coupon and told me I'd receive it in 24-48 hours, and that he'd call me back.
The nice young outsourced man called me back the next day and told me the concession had been rejected because I had already received a $50 coupon and I couldn't have more than one for whatever reason. However, he offered me a battery instead. Sure!, I said. A 9-cell extended battery would be lovely. He gives me a new case number and the call ends.
The next day, the nice young outsourced man calls me back and tells me he can't do the battery order either. I ask him what he can do, and he says "nothing."
Wonderful! That was a big waste of many hours on the phone. I explained to him that he can cancel the first $50 coupon and issue me the $100 instead, since I hadn't used the $50. But, of course, Dell can't do that. Dell can't cancel issued coupons. Amazing how they can cancel system %-off coupons or $750-off coupons at a moment's notice.....
Anyway, that was the last I heard from the nice young outsourced man.
I called back several days later and explained the sitation to a nice young outsourced woman, and she told me that Dell can't issue more than one concession coupon PER YEAR. Now I won't argue the truth of this (though I do doubt it). But let's think back. The only reason I received the FIRST concession was because Dell messed up my DPA 2%.
Anyway, I said this to her, in a nutshell:
"So, you're saying that if Dell screws up one time, they can give you a concession coupon, but if they screw up again, it's the customer's problem?"
The nice young outsourced woman had no clue what to say to this.
Anyway, that went nowhere.
So today, June 19, I call Dell once again to find out what's going on with the $50 mail-in rebate I'm supposed to receive. Apparently, Dell have no record of it. Now, it says this on my order confirmation:
SAVE $50 (After mail in rebate) which includes 4Yr Limited Warranty, 4Yr At-Home Service, and 4Yr Hardware Warranty Support.
Expires on 2006-12-01 12:59:59
Apparently, that's not good enough for Dell, so I'm jipped here once again.
All in all, not a great experience. I don't know how Dell get away with it.
Would I buy another Dell? Yep, I would, and I nigh hate myself for it.
I really like this one.
