Ineffective Technical Support & Customer Service - Unacceptable

Last September I bought my wife a Dell laptop (one of many Dell products purchased over the years). Right from the start, a hardware problem surfaced.

After all too many telephone calls with Asian support centers, a technician acknowledged our issue is the result of a known problem with our particular laptop and a repair technician was sent to our house to replace a part. The repair technician, was not organized and, predictably, the disorganized mess of parts and screws removed from our laptop was accidently brushed off of our kitchen table to the floor. After the computer was reassembled small screws were left over. We even found more screws on the floor after the technician left. Incredibly, the technician stated the leftover parts were not needed! He did not test the computer after reassembling it and clearly stated his only job was to replace a part.

After many more telephone calls, again with Asian support centers, arrangements were made to send the laptop to Dell for repair. Dell refused to replace it even though we no longer had confidence it was or ever could be now properly reassembled, long term reliability being our main concern. The laptop was eventually returned to us with the same problem that existed right from the beginning and, of course, we have no way of confirming if the missing hardware was ever installed. Worse, the uninstalled screws would not have been used at the factory if they were not needed so we are concerned about latent problems that may have been created that will appear long after the one year warranty expires.

At this time many more hours have been spent with Asian support centers and the problem still exists. Callbacks have not always been made as promised causing my wife to remain home unnecessarily waiting for an Asian technician to call.

We attempted to find a telephone number to speak to someone at Dell Corporate in Texas. In spite of much effort it is virtually impossible to speak to anyone in the Dell organization in North America. This is unacceptable and most offensive.

Offshore support is consistently not effective, not only for Dell. Fluently speaking English is a very different skill than fluently communicating in English. The culture of the offshore technicians is very different than that of a native North American technician and that too makes communication even more difficult. For example, the large number of apologies that are an integral part of every converstaion is both annoying and disgusting. A major part of communicating is inherent in the subtle nuances of phrases, tone of voice, etc.. None of this exists with someone for which English is not their native language. The use of obviously false names such as Jim, Bob, Sean, etc. from someone in India is disingenuous and insulting. I am willingly to very reluctantly accept an offshore support center the first crack at solving a problem but I am just completely done, as much as possible, with businesses that have either no North American support or make it too difficult to get to a support technician in North America.

I doubt this post will accomplish anything at all. Nevertheless, in summary, we purchased our last Dell product. If Dell ever recognizes the quailty and effectiveness of customer/technical support is every bit as important as the quailty and functionality of the hardware and makes North American technical support available, we will again use Dell products. At this time we have a new laptop that has an annoying and disrupting problem. In spite of much effort this problem has not been resolved and it is impossible to speak to anyone in North America about this problem. I do not think our experience is unique or isolated.