My email to Dell

I received a followup email asking me about the service I had received. Here is my response.


What has happened to service at Dell? I've personally bought a dozen refurbs over the same number of years without a problem. This time I have had a series of problems indicating that your training and quality control has gone to hell.

1) When I received the M11x the first thing I noticed was the external damage: scratches, a small bubbled pitted area that looked like acid damage and bent cooling fins.

2) Upon opening the M11x I was shocked to see a dirty keyboard. I had to scrape the crud off the control key. The trim strips on either side of the on buttons had their corners curled up, but this looked like a manufacturing rather than a refurb problem.

3) Given that, I wasn't surprised to find that the firewire port didn't work.

4) After 90 minutes with tech support I was told to send it in for service.

5) I was sent the wrong box and the wrong type of foam padding which was meant for a much larger laptop and was incapable of holding the M11x securely. I modified the packing materials and sent it in.

6) I received it back with the problem unchanged. I assume the tech didn't even read my notes.

7) The tech did manage to force the bottom cover on with the tabs on the outside instead of the inside.

8) In another service call I lucked into someone who knew what they were doing, Ronald Tenorio, and had it fixed in 15 minutes.

As a CFO, I have specified Dell as the preferred suppler for over a decade. After this series of screwups I'm going to be looking for another brand. Now I may stick with Dell because it well might be that everyone else is worse.

 

I feel like your email was very well worded but whats the point? Do you expect Dell to give you a sincere apology with flowers and chocolates? This has happened to other people besides you, hopefully they learn from their mistakes and this never happens to future machines built by Dell. Not all M11X's are messed up like yours so don't go trollin the whole industry because your unhappy.

 

That is actually a protective covering over the nice plastic under it. Pull it off and all is good. I left mine on since its hard to notice and I like for it to stay nice under there.

 

You come onto an Alienware M11x forum to tell us how ty Dell is?

What do you really expect people to do? Do you expect people to read this and go HE'S RIGHT, I'M THROWING MY M11X OUT A WINDOW NOW or BECAUSE OF THIS EXPERIENCE ONE PERSON HAD I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ALIENWARE.

No. The reality is that my next laptop will be an Alienware, and I know full well that Dell is not a perfect company. No company is. They will work with you, but you have to be patient and go through the apropriate channels.

I honestly don't know what to tell you dude. I'm not trying to flame you, but you're acting like that disgruntled restaurant employee who screams that he's quitting and then takes it upon himself to inform every single customer on his way out. You're not gonna by an Alienware after this experience? That's your choice. Nobody's stopping you. Don't just talk about it, do it. because posts like these just tell me you're angry and looking for attention.

 

Well said and I don't think I could have said it better.

 

Errr, flames trying...to..unleash...:demonic laugh:
It's a refurb. Did you expect a Ferrari to be packaged to you? And every company makes mistakes man. Just because ONE service for a machine went wrong doesn't mean that you can hurr derr everywhere. If I was you I would troll on Yahoo Answers, NBR should be free of trolls...that are not in disguise Transformers! Robots in disguise!

 

How do they learn from their mistakes if they are not informed of their mistakes?

Thanks.

People looking to buy an M11x regularly read this forum. They deserve to know that the quality of refurbs and service from Dell may have declined.

I expect a refurb from Dell to meet the standard of the dozens of refurbs I have purchased over the years. How many mistakes does it take before there is a pattern that constitutes evidence of a decline in service:
1. didn't test refurb properly.
2. didn't clean refurb
3. couldn't solve software problem remotely
4. sent wrong box for return
5. didn't test properly after slapping in new motherboard
6. didn't read my notes or 5 couldn't have happened
7. forced bottom cover on with tabs on the outside

 

I think your complaint is legit. The real lesson is to not accept poor products - even if refurb, rather than "don't buy at all".

Im not sure if your experience is proof of decline or not any more than somebody talking about how great it is but its ok to share said experience.

 

Large coincidences do happen. That's why I termed it evidence of decline rather than proof. One purpose of a forum is to collect anecdotal evidence and the accumulation may eventually add up to something, as it did with the hinge issue.

 

Like I said, it's a REFURB. You get what you paid for. You looked like you signed up on this forum to troll about how your M11X refurb sucks. Just have patience. And the unclean laptop part, can't you just clean it yourself? You got a refurb. Just need to realize the facts. Not flaming but yeah, just so you know.

 

Yeah, not flaming, just not reading my post and making a bunch of incorrect assumptions.

Do you really believe that cleaning the machine is not part of Dell's refurb process???

The point I was making is that the dirty keyboard indicated that the tech who did the refurb was not following procedure and therefore discovering a disabled port was not surprising.

 

Are you ing serious? It is not acceptable in any way shape or form for Dell to send out a dirty laptop even if it is a refurbished machine. Refurbished does not mean DIRTY. Get a clue and stop being a Alienware fanboy.

Dell's Outlet service has been lacking lately. The last laptop they sent me was the wrong laptop entirely. Just return it and make them send you a new system. They tend to jerk you around and exchange it which can take up to two weeks. Thanks for the convenience Dell!

 

When I received my m11x it was a refurb from the Out Let store. It was perfect, well at first glance. Then I noticed a small crack on the upper right corner protective screen cover. I got on the phone and called support and explained the problem. The tech said I see you just received the unit today, I said yes. He then said we will exchange it right away just use this one until you new R2 comes. I explained mine was a R1 and he said no problem you never should of received a damaged one enjoy your new R2. So Alienware fan boy? Ya call me one..please.