Dear Dell Canada, here’s why we won’t be speaking anymore..
Posted by Ian January 29th, 2008 in Mixed Bag
I have often (as have all of us, I’m under no grand delusions here) suffered at the hands of the ineptitude of large companies. I understand the rhetoric of the executive class when they say things like “expanding our relationships with small business” and being “customer responsive”. I’ve been there, I’ve written the press releases. I know that nobody at big companies actually mean such hokum.
I have now been attempting to buy a number of DELL 24″ flat-screen monitors for the staff here @ Something Simpler for nearly a month now. My first order was placed via Dell Canada’s web site on January 5th.
Here’s my letter to Dell:
If you’re listening, Dell, which I doubt, my first order, #196489702, was initially delayed for credit card verification, which I provided, and then was spontaneously dropped with no explanation or notification. It wasn’t until I called after two weeks of no word or sign of any shipment that I discovered what had happened (sort of)…
I spent an hour on hold and speaking to a number of service representatives, none of whom could tell me when I could get my monitors from you and thus have my original order filled. I was informed that, even though I had successfully responded to their attempt to confirm my credit card information, the order had been spontaneously cancelled. A kind but hapless customer service rep identifying himself as Amir said that he would call me back in a few hours to let me know when I could get my order re-shipped, and of course he never did. The order had vaporised.
A couple of days later I found a special via RedFlagDeals on similar monitors, and placed an order, #198744807 on 1/22/2008. Today, they finally arrived (or so we thought).
The boxes looked a tad small for 24″ widescreen monitors. It turns our that what arrived today were the correct quantity of eight 20″, not 24″, monitors. Ironically, the waybill which specifically listed the correct model number was tucked in the side of one of the boxes. Are times really that tough for you, Dell? Did you think I wouldn’t notice? So, off to call you (or customer service, at least) again.
First of all, the 1-800 number listed on the Waybill: “ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL 1-800-847-4096″ has been disconnected, or at least is not reachable from the Rogers Wireless network. Once I called their main customer service number, it took ANOTHER hour of talking to three different customer service representatives, sitting on hold, and even being hung up on once by Dell’s IVR system, to get the correct LCD displays shipped to our company. I now have to cool my heels another few days to see just how badly You can mess up my order this time — as far as I know I am still no closer to getting what I ordered way back on January 5th.
I then sent you an email via your web site venting my frustration. I did some search for your executives, hoping to appeal to them directly for assistance, but found them to be very well-insulated from the faceless hordes of your peasant customers — blissfully unaware, in all likelihood, of the misery we suffer at your indifference and scorn. No luck there either, I guess.
So, Dell, I’m sorry … we’re breaking up. I’ve been good to you over the years: I’ve given you lots of spending money, and you’ve given me reasonably high-quality products at generally good prices. When things started going wrong, I tried to reach out to you to tell you how I was feeling, but you didn’t want to listen. I called, I emailed, but all I got were robot responses (and a litany of case and incident numbers). But you lost me on the relationship. Too bad for you… I’m a pretty good guy.
This pretty much sums up our experience with Dell as well. If they get it right the first time, everything is pretty good. But as soon as they screw up, or you need to talk to a person for whatever reason, it all falls apart. Every time I call Dell for whatever reason, I write down the number(s) I call and the menu choices I press so that next time I need to get to someone, I don’t have to spend an hour trying to get to the right department. Not once has this proven to be useful. I constantly have to “listen closely” because “the menu items have changed”. I’m not sure for whose benefit it is to be constantly changing the IVR menus around, but it sure as hell isn’t for the customers!
Well the service dell provide in China is ok. I just ordered an 19” LCD two months ago. They delivered in really short time and correct size
Hi Ian
We did hear you and are listening. Thanks for calling out. Hope things are getting solved. I wanted to assure you we are working hard to get better, listen more and build relationships with customers like you
After this post, I received an email from the Dell Canada Executive Support Office, where a woman named Michelle pleasantly expedited our corrected shipment. We received our 24″ monitors on Tuesday and I thought it was over — I thought wrong!
Today I received a call from the Dell Canada shipping centre.. and subsequently sent Michelle the following email:
“MIchelle;
Indeed, we received our 24″ monitors. The nightmare continues, however.
Today I received a call from JEFF at the Dell Canada Returns Dept. accusing us of returning 8 - 20″ monitors instead of the 8 - 24″ monitors that he was expecting. First of all, if he’d been expecting 24″ monitors then we’d have ha no reason to return them, since that’s what we ordered. Second, since when we called in to RMA the 20″ monitors which Dell shipped us by mistake, why wasn’t this noted in the RMA? Third, where does Jeff suppose I might obtain 8 ell 20″ monitors, brand new, in order to send to him?
Jeff’s number is 1-800-387-5752 ext. 5532. I will not be calling him back — I expect you can deal with it.
Seriously — what is wrong with your company that so many mistakes can be made in a single order?
WIth all of the phone calls, extra shipping costs, and time wasted you have eroded any margin your company would have made on these monitors, and I have wasted so much time as a customer that any money I may have saved by shopping with Dell is now more than accounted for.
-Ian.”
At this point I’m starting to wonder whether Dell actually uses computers to track your order, or whether invoices might be calculated by Abacus.
Hey Ian
Do you have the email/number for Michelle and/or Dell Canada Executive Support?
It has been a nightmare with my XPS M1330. I originally purchased it in December and upon arrival, was not happy with the build quality (the base was wobbly, keyboard was uneven, loose hinge, high pitched noise, etc). So after trying to stick it out for a week, I phoned in requesting an exchange. I received the exchange laptop two weeks later and not only were the same problems present, the build quality was even worse with a more wobbly base, more uneven keyboard, really high pitched noise, AND a small crack on the cover.
No way was I going to keep the second laptop. I phoned in once again asking for a return (prior to the 30 day period) and was told by the rep that it was all good to go and to wait for a UPS shipping label by email. No label was sent so I phoned a few days after asking for it (this is now past the 30 day period) and was told there was NO RECORD of my previous phone call about a return and that they could not return my laptop because it was over 30 days! Because of a technical/communication/whatever error with this rep, I am stuck with this mess. Bill and Jenn, the supervisor sent in a request for my return to head office. I received a phone call from Dell the next day and they wanted to arrange for shipping for both laptops (I assume my issue was resolved). I phone in again to make sure that I would be getting my money back and the Rep was useless and only recorded my concerns. Today, I receive a phone call asking to confirm my shipping address because they need to return the (2nd) laptop because its past 30 days. What a shock. So I phoned in again and was connected to Jennifer again and this is when I find out the request to Head Office has been DENIED (that and their promise to phone me the minute they heard back from HO was obviously not kept). Now not only is it Dell’s problem that my call was not logged, I am not able to get my money credited because I decided to phone in a few days after to double check my return status! If only I asked for a reference number when I talked to that rep but I have no “proof” unfortunately. I spent a good 45 minutes on the phone and the only message I got from Jennifer was:
1. There’s nothing I can do.
2. You can MAIL head office if you want to talk to them
3. It’s your laptop now. Deal with it.
4. There’s nothing I can do.
5. You’re not getting your money back.
6. There’s nothing I can do.
How disappointing. I am so frustrated right now with the lack of communication within Dell’s customer support and their lack of initiative and ownership to resolve this issue. I don’t know what to do now. I am so intent on not having this laptop that I ordered the Thinkpad T61 right after I was told I could return the XPS. And this is the mess I’m in now.
Rest assure, this story will not be kept quiet. Fortunately, I have a large enough network that this will cost Dell a lot of costumers. On top of that, they want to spend the money to ship back the second laptop but won’t deal with this return!!! UGH
nevermind about the phone number. I phoned back to customer service and talked to the manager (who repeated the same thing as Jennifer) and then requested to be in contact with the escalation department - to which she said that my case was already escalated but she would get someone from the Executive Support office to phone me and that it would take 24-72 hours. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for but the fact it had to take THIS long and for me to actually request it is ridiculous. I innocently asked her when Jennifer never provided this callback option when I asked for an alternative to taking back my laptop and the manager made some bureaucratic excuse about Head Office not getting back about my case (which Jennifer had repeated told me was denied) - But no point in furthering something so I accepted that reason.
I got a phone call the next day from Madeline - I missed her phone call and had to phone her back and it was answered promptly by her. She was confused by my profile notes and was like “So, do you have a laptop at all now?” - more bad communication, Dell does not even know if they picked up my laptop or not. Regardless, it took me 5 minutes on hold for her to get me an authorization number, and 2 minutes on the phone with her and the situation was resolved. So easy. Madeline was very quick to resolve my situation but did not actually apologize or provide reason/compensation/follow up for this mess. So I took the opportunity to express my dissatisfaction with the lack of communication in customer service/technical support/shipping, and also Dell’s poor supply chain management. To which, she apologized for and said she knew. And that was our conversation.
Hopefully, all is well and I will be credited the money in the next week. But its not done until its done. Lesson to all, just ask for someone from executive support to contact you and they will be MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH more helpful.
Cheers!
I take over from Vicky. Do you have the email/number for Michelle and/or Dell Canada Executive Support? I have been trying to reach them for a faulty motherboard from a Dimension model and I cannot get through to them. Your help would be appreciated.
Diane
Hi Diane
I would prefer not to give out the number for Madeline just because it is her own phoneline and she was very helpful in resolving my issue - plus, because I requested for someone to phone me back, she had time to look over my case. Anyways, I suggest you do what I did and ask the manager at customer service to have someone from executive support phone you back - they’ll put in the request and you should hear back within 24-72 hrs! Good luck
Vicki
[...] Sometimes you’ve gotta call it like you see it. [...]
Wow! I thought it was transparent that if you wanted a Dell you would be calling Austin and speaking at near terms with cowboys (Indian cowboys sometimes, but hey) who care about computers that rock.
Why is there any question that you would file with the RCMP against Dell NA (Dell North Passage, whatever; I understand the officers pick from fraud charges and riding in with vinyl-shot guns, cobras and zip-ties) whose exec will be fingered as sure as _Jigoku Shoujo_ is watchable.
This is the product/service you get when the call center is in India (cheap labor) and the products are shipped from Canada….a lot of companies are doing this to reduce overhead - the end user pays for the difference…
I am so dissapointed to read that so many others have had the same bad experiences with this company as I have. My father bought my younger sister and I Dell Inspiron 1525’s for our christmas gift and upon start up my laptop had issues, my first phone call to Dell was December 31st and since I have returned it to the depot two times and have been in constant contact with every dell call center around the world I swear and have yet to have any sort of quality customer service I have dozens of emails back and forth and no resolutions I have barely been able to use this laptop and it has almost been a year now and of course my warranty is going to run out and Dell will do nothing for me, I will never buy dell again nor will any of my family members,friends or co -workers
Dell India not Dell Canada,the nightmare continues.