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.
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Here’s my e-mail which I attempted to send to Dell. This, of course, also proved impossible.
I tried desperately to purchase a Netbook through your website on Friday morning, devoting at least an hour to the ultimately fruitless quest.
After all my credit card information had been accepted, I was asked to provide an account password which I did not have and the site defied all my attempts to circumvent this before ultimately shutting me out.
My call to customer service resulted in a 10-minute hold, a transfer to another customer service rep, then a transfer to sales (after being promised that I would not have to wait). I gave up after being on hold for another 10 minutes.
So, congratulations. You have not only lost my order due to your inefficiency and neglect. I have been loyal to Dell, purchasing my desktop at home and my laptop at work from your company.
I now will be looking to do my business with a company which seems to want to accomodate me when it comes to spending money. I’ll also spread the word to anyone shopping that they would be well advised not to attempt to deal with you.
Yours frustratedly,
William M Tallon
william.tallon022@sympatico.ca
Just to clarify my previous remarks – Dell substituted the 8100 for the 8000 (not the other way around). The 8000 is no longer available – I wonder why – it never ever worked properly for me – it turns out the video card was faulty from the very beginning.) Also my previous remarks are a very shortened version of what actually happened. I have copies of many emails, made a record of one telephone call which took 45 minutes of my time and nothing resolved. And Yes, it is unusual to get someone that has English as their first language, which only compounds all the problems. In addition, they often transfer you to the US Customer Service, even when you tell them you ordered from Canada) and of course, US Customer Service cannot help a Canadian. Round round we go. There’s far more I could tell you, but I am tired of this whole situation and tired of talking and typing about it.
I recently ! purchased a new PC from Dell. I received cruel and unusual treatment as a customer. Ordered PC Dec./09 received faulty PC in Feb. after many delays, Dell thought it was the monitor causing problems (it wasn’t) and asked me to send it back, sending me a refurbished one in its place (I paid for a NEW one BTW). When I realized it was refurbished, I asked for a new one, after many many emails, telephone calls (where you are cut off, sent to the wrong department, for 45 minutes at a time, etc. etc. I finally got a new monitor .in March 2010. Got new PC finally in March. This is after many, many more emails, telephone calls, etc. So frustrating to be transferred to the wrong dept. so many times. Now I discovered that I ordered a 8000 PC and they replaced it with a 8100 PC which lists for $100.00 less than the PC I paid for. (They did give me a credit on my credit card of $99.99, but this was before they sent the 8100 PC and they said the refund was for all my inconvenience – nothing to do with substituting a different PC.) You can imagine the toll all this has taken on me. I am 71 years of age, Diabetic, have high blood pressure among a few other things, and this terrible experience has even affected my health. I still have not received any satisfaction regarding the last stunt they pulled – ie. – substituting the 8000 (which they no longer sell) for the 8100 and the $100.00 difference in the sale price. I’m not holding my breath. Beware when dealing with Dell!
Dell financial services is so bad…
They simply dont want to help me to change my adress.
How do they expect me to make my paiments when i cant see my bills?
Here is the letter that I have just tried to send to Dell but to no avail because their online complaints form wasn’t working.
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I want to know what happened to make your service so unfathomably awful. I have emailed you three times now and received not even one reply. But I know that you have my email address because you send all kinds of unwanted junk email my way as often as possible.
I had an extremely frustrating week of trying to purchase a Dell computer online and trying to contact someone to help me complete the purchase, first online (the chat feature did not function properly and when I finally was able to get through I was cut off), then by phone (for the three days that I tried I continued to get the same message telling me that the lines were too busy and I needed to try again later), and finally by email (no response to any of my messages).
If this is the kind of effort you put into customer service when a sale is at stake I wonder what happens to your customers once their money is safely in your pockets.
***Sent from my new and entirely satisfactory Acer Aspire, purchased in a day with in-person help from three friendly, knowledgeable, helpful sales staff.***
Hey Ian,
I would be great if you could update everyone on the status of the issue as i don’t think you just laid down and take 8 20 inch monitors for the price of 8 24 inch monitors.
I have had it with Dell as well. Not only is their customer “care” center useless but no matter who I seem to talk to thay are all over seas in some foreign country, they speak very poor english and all they help me with is getting my blood pressure up higher.
I have been trying numerous times to get simple tracking information regarding an order I placed over a week ago. Each rep at Dell sais they will send out an email and I should call back in 24hours. Well after doing that three days in a row they still couldn’t supply me with a simple tracking number for my order. Furthermore their “managers” seem to care less that I keep getting the tun around and told the same thing that I was the day before. I expect they have shipped my order to the wrong address because the first rep I talked to about ordering this part entered the address in completely wrong with out double checking it with me, and even after talking to other people that same week no one seems to have fixed it.
I expect my part is lost and that I will go through a whole headache trying to find it.
WHY CAN’T I TALK TO A CANADIAN WHEN I CALL DELL.CA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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