Bottom Line: Absolute ZERO Customer Service Score for Dell

I ordered my phone on December 1st with Next Day Shipping. Up until yesterday the 13th, my order status still said "In Production."  Out of concern, I called the U.S. customer service line.  Lord knows there's only so much someone in India can do to move things forward thousands of miles away.

I was told not to be concerned as my phone was "...in the Nashville warehouse, ready for shipment." and may arrive a day late at the very latest.  Strike 1: Why did I have to call the day before my order was due to arrive to obtain status?  Any decent customer care operation would have at least auto-notification that the order would be delayed.

Then I get an email this morning informing me that I won't get my phone until Jan 5th!  Strike 2:  I have to wait another 3 weeks for a phone that was supposedly in a warehouse last night ready to ship?

When asked why my order has been delayed, I get a response "I honestly don't know the exact reason for the delay, but I will tell you that if I was getting a phone, I would rather wait to get a good product, than receiving a defective phone, now."  Strike 3:  Is that some cryptic response that I should decode and take-away the idea that there are product issues that Dell is trying to conceal?  Man up and tell me the deal!  Seriously!

At three strikes, Dell has failed miserably at customer service, but they're apparently not finished failing yet.  To not even attempt to realease a formal statement to it's customers either with the truth or PR fluff, is simply consumer care at its worst.