Frustrated by customer service

Just to give you the back story, I ordered a machine over the phone on the 8th of April. The sales agent was knowledgeable, polite and friendly and I had a really positive sales experience. In fact if I'm honest he upsold me on home protection (4 years for the price of 3). My specs are:

XPS M1530 CORE 2 DUO T9300 2.50GHz,800,6M
WSXGA+ (1680x1050
4.0GB (2x2048) 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Crucially I placed an order for the 1680 x 1050 resolution screen as I do a lot of CAD and spreadsheet work so the more real estate the better. I have been continually checking back at the website to see if there has been any price drop as I would like to reclaim any discount that occurs up to the point I actually receive the laptop (which was estimated for delivery on the 6th of May).

Imagine my surprise when not only was there a new larger resolution screen, but also that the screen I had ordered was no longer available. This worried me somewhat as I started to think have they dropped the screen I ordered due to the problems they've experienced with them. To put my mind to rest I thought I'd call my friendly, helpful sales agent. Cue recorded voicemail message to say he was on training until the 2nd of May. Frustrating, but not the end of the world. So I called the main Dell number only to be bounced between customer service, sales and technical before being cut off without warning some 15 minutes into the call. OK, I thought, time to take a different approach. Below is the conversation I then had with Online Support. I accept that I perhaps could have worded it a bit better and maybe have been more polite (and I did try at the start), but as you can imagine I was frustrated by this stage. I changed my name but have left the service agents name as a warning to others and to see if anyone else has had dealings with them.

10:38:47 Billbo baggins
Initial Question/Comment: Can I ask about screen resolution please?
10:38:54 System
You are now being connected to an agent. Thank you for using Dell Chat
10:38:54 System
Connected with Arogia_D'Cunha
10:39:07 Arogia_D'Cunha
Thank you for contacting Dell Chat Sales. This Arogia Dcunha, your Sales Advisor. In order to serve you better, may I have your telephone number & email address, just in case of disconnection I can either call you or email you back.
10:39:24 Billbo baggins
0771 *** *** and [email protected]
10:39:34 Arogia_D'Cunha
Hi Bill
10:39:56 Billbo baggins
please help as I feel like cancelling the order having just been hung up on by one of the dell agents after trying to get an answer for 15 minutes!
10:40:23 Arogia_D'Cunha
sure
10:40:25 Billbo baggins
I want to know why the 1680 x 1050 displays are no longer available on the web site.
10:40:32 Arogia_D'Cunha
which laptop are you looking to buy today?
10:40:46 Billbo baggins
My order number is ********
10:40:59 Billbo baggins
I have already bought one, but it has not been built yet.
10:41:12 Billbo baggins
its a dell xps 1530.
10:42:17 Billbo baggins
hello?
10:42:53 Arogia_D'Cunha
in your order, there is 1680 x 1050 resolution
10:43:04 Arogia_D'Cunha
so not to worry, you would be getting the same order
10:43:21 Arogia_D'Cunha
this option is available offline and not online
10:43:34 Billbo baggins
yes, but dell no longer offers this screen. if you no longer offer it I think there may be something wrong with it and want the better resolution - the 1920 x 1200.
10:44:13 Arogia_D'Cunha
there is no wrong with the order
10:45:21 Billbo baggins
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the order. I want to know why you no longer allow people to buy this size from the website and have added a new resolution and why I wasn't offered this?
10:45:32 Arogia_D'Cunha
well, if you have any further queries regarding your order please contact your account manager
10:45:50 Billbo baggins
I can't he is on training until the 2nd of May.
10:46:03 Billbo baggins
can you not help me?
10:46:43 Arogia_D'Cunha
am afraid I cannot help you. you need to call our customer care on 0870 906 0010
10:47:12 Billbo baggins
No, they have just hung up on me. It says Dell support at the top of this page, why won't you support me?
10:47:22 Billbo baggins
is it because you have my money now?
10:47:51 Billbo baggins
is it because you wish to send me an unsatisfactory Samsung screen?
10:48:01 Billbo baggins why won't anyone just help me?
10:48:18 Arogia_D'Cunha
we do not have the information about the make of screens Ben
10:48:36 Arogia_D'Cunha
so please call our customer care on the number provided or email
10:48:41 Billbo baggins
ok, can you answer this question then?
10:49:03 Billbo baggins
How much to upgrade to a 1680 x 1050 screen from the standard resolution?
10:49:29 Billbo baggins
I have emailed and not had a reply.
10:49:48 Arogia_D'Cunha
then you need to wait for them to reply
10:50:04 Billbo baggins
answer the question I asked please, How much to upgrade to a 1680 x 1050 screen from the standard resolution?
10:51:38 Arogia_D'Cunha
as this option is not available online, we do not have the price am afraid
10:59:28 Billbo baggins
so you work for Dell sales and don't know the price, fantastic.......
11:00:16 Arogia_D'Cunha
I can provide you the information is available online as this is the Online sales chat
11:00:36 Billbo baggins
lol, surely if I made it this far I could find out what is online!
11:01:51 Arogia_D'Cunha
on the Internet
11:02:28 Billbo baggins
I am on the internet, I am talking to you via the website. Ridiculous!
11:02:59 System
Arogia_D'Cunha has left this session!
11:02:59 System
The session has ended!



I think I must have upset them, what I was trying to find out what the cost differential between the upgrade to the two screens was. I suspect they quit out as they didn't want to tell me. Seriously though, if they really only can read whats on the web page then what's the point in having them? If I can connect to them and chat via a PC I could just look myself.

I have since had a satisfactory answer to my questions but had to ring up and pretend to be a new customer to get it. It's surprising how helpful they were when they thought I would be spending. After finding out about the prices (£20 upgrade to 1440 x 900, £90 upgrade to 1680 x 1050 and £140 upgrade to 1920 x 1200) I then gave them my customer order number and they checked on my system to see if it could be upgraded. When they checked they said the laptop had actually been shipped but that if I wasn't happy with the screen they could look at exchanging it or upgrading to the new resolution.

Dell, if you are reading this, please treat your potential, new and existing customers the same. Just because people have placed an order doesn't mean the helpfulness and smiles should stop. I expected so much better after my first truly positive experience with Dell and now feel worried about the support I will get over the next 4 years having shelled out for the premium support.


Am I a minority here or have others had similar experiences? Am I being unreasonable? Feedback would be appreciated.

 

so Ben aka billbo baggins (aye?),

i do not think there you did anything wrong, it seems the online support is absolutely useless/clueless. i can imagine you feel very upset, after all this large company decided to hang up on you, and did not provide you with help, or at least show an effort to. yes it happened to me on a few ocassion, for computer, as well as others things.

if you want the most polite and helpful computer company; look at apple. their customer service is superb (a bit greedy, money wise, but...).

why did you choose dell? i think a lenovo t61p would be a lot more suited to your purpose.

oh, i did not think there is anything wrong with the 1680x1050 screen, just recently, if i remember correctly, dell launches a high res screen and an LED backlighting system. might be supply and demand things going on? who knows..

 

Well funny , well not for you just those chat things they use.
i have had the same experience, you type after type and they seem as if they dont understand a bloody thing
I contacted them about changing the OS from vista to XP on a 1730 i ordered.
In the end i logged out , the dell chat guy didnt have a clue , such a simple request and yet obviosly didnt understand. I dont wanna be rude but english obviously isnt there main language and i personally think it immedately casues a problem

I hope you get it sorted out

 

thanks guys, your support is appreciated (just reread this to check it and realised the unintended pun!). The decision to buy the xps was not particularly logical if I'm honest. I assumed Dell would be good (I'm hoping I'm not wrong on this, although feel like I may be), the 1530 seemed to have good reviews in general (with the exception of the screen) and, well I think it looks pretty......

I considered a macbook, but I have a home PC, an xbox 360 and use a laptop at work so was I guess a bit lazy in that I thought a windows machine would be more straight forward.

Hmm, and so much for my rubbish attempt at a disguise. You boys are too smart for me. Still at least I didn't post my credit card number up here! Well not yet anyway!

 

i kicked up a fuss about it and they upgraded me free to the 1920 screen

 

The easiest option that you can take is to cancel the original order and to order a new one. Your money will be credited back within a week or so...!

Or you can wait until you get the 1680 screen, take a look at it and then decide.

 

Online Sales Chat is really meant to help those who have no clue about the machine they are buying...i.e. not the typical consumer that would show up on NBR!! I am glad you got your answer in the end, but always remember to be calm and composed when you speak to Dell. Personally after reading your chat I felt an aggressive tone, but that could just be me.

Secondly, the reason they probably didn't have the WSXGA+ screen was probably because of supply issues and so they temporarily removed it from the website. What was the lead time quoted by your first sales rep?

 

Who goes for training for 2 weeks?

 

Hi, I'm sorry that your having these Customer Service troubles. I used Dell's Online Chat once, and gave up midway in frustration. They only seem to be able to handle actually taking an order, not one that has already been placed.

After my point of frustration w/Dell Online Chat (back in 1/08 when I first ordered my lappy), I ended up calling Dell Customer Service, and somehow got things worked out. Though, I was also bounced around on the phone a few times, also! Now when I have to call, I try to be sure I am calling the right number, to cut any "bouncing around" w/in different departments.

 

i asked sales online help if the screens were HD, their reply was "what do you mean"

nuff said

 

Yeah I think that's a fair comment. I guess it could be read as being a bit aggressive, but it was from the frustration. I just wish that these companies (Dell is in no way the only problem company) could sort it out and look after all customers. I mean you would think with 2 week long training courses they would all be experts and this person wouldn't even answer my question on prices.

The laptop is being delivered tomorrow (I wonder if they have rushed it to me so I couldn't change my mind) which is a lot sooner than the 6th of May they quoted up until it moved to shipped on their web page. If I'm not entirely satisfied with it I'll either negotiate a screen swap, or send it back and consider if I really want to spend my money with them or if it would be better spent else where.

thanks again all, let's hope I love it. Can't wait till tomorrow now!

 

i asked sales online help if the screens were HD, their reply was "what do you mean"

nuff said


I really hate to suggest any intelligence in Customer Service, but they have a valid point. What HD are you referring to? 720p? 1080p? 1080i? 480p? What refresh rate? 30hz, 24hz, 60hz, etc.

It sounds like a straightforward question, but it really isn't.