Dell Buying Experience / Customer Service FAIL!

By Andrew Robinson -
I understand that outsourced customer support is a reality that isn’t going away any time soon but I never expected to receive that via on-line chat. Likely my naiveté. One could argue the issue here is with Dell’s pricing. It is one thing to offer a limited time special on high end machines that are very sector specific but when you sell the very same, almost commodity machine into different sectors, you better be pricing them the same or be prepared to deal with the fall out. I don’t think Dell dealt with this very well.

10:59:27 AM   Initial Question/Comment: Read about a $228 offer for small biz on a Mini 10v but can't find it. Had ordered a 10v just today. Can I get it?
11:04:07 AM System You are being transferred to another Agent. Please stand by...
11:04:12 AM System You are now being connected to an agent. Thank you for using Dell Chat
11:04:12 AM System Connected with QCSMB_Jeff_Chan
11:04:17 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan Thank you for contacting the Dell Small Business Sales chat line, my name is Jeff and I will be your sales agent today. If you have further questions once our chat session has ended, I can be reached by e-mail at jeffrey_l_chan@dell.com
11:04:29 AM Andrew Robinson ok
11:04:53 AM Andrew Robinson did you see my question?
11:05:11 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan These are only the promotion that we have.
11:05:12 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-10?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd
11:05:46 AM Andrew Robinson I don't see what that promotion is. Just looks like list pricing.
11:06:12 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan What I can process is what is online right now?
11:06:17 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan Is there anything else that I can assist you with?
11:06:41 AM Andrew Robinson But I ordered 3 or 4 hours ago when there was supposedly a 228 special but I didn't get it.
11:08:10 AM Andrew Robinson How about you take a look into it and see if there is anything you can do. my email is arobinson@.....com my order number is 7602xxxxx and my dell customer number is 650xxxxx
11:08:31 AM Andrew Robinson I would really appreciate any help you can give me on this.
11:08:57 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan I can only give what is online right now.
11:09:29 AM Andrew Robinson I know you said that already. If there was a special earlier in the day during which time I placed my order why wasn't it made available to me.
11:09:30 AM Andrew Robinson ?
11:09:48 AM Andrew Robinson Should I cancel my order. Can I do that with you?
11:10:08 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan And your customer # shows that you are under the consumer department. Let me connect you to consumer sales.
11:10:33 AM Andrew Robinson I AM a biz customer. have bought servers and workstations from you.
11:11:00 AM Andrew Robinson for my business.
11:11:02 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan If you want to cancel the order. Call consumer customer care department at 800-6249897
11:11:55 AM Andrew Robinson I don't want to cancel my order. I just want to be given the price that was advertised. Looks like I should be a biz customer and maybe that is why i wasn't offered the price.
11:12:00 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan I understand, but you placed the order under consumer.
11:12:11 AM Andrew Robinson and yes, I know that you can only offer what is on the web site now.
11:12:38 AM Andrew Robinson this all seems silly.
11:12:50 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan Is there anything else that I can assist you with?
11:13:15 AM Andrew Robinson yes, i have stated what I would like you to assist me with. can you transfer me to your supervisor. thx
11:13:37 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan I can only give what is online right now.
11:13:47 AM Andrew Robinson are you just copying and pasting?
11:14:02 AM Andrew Robinson are you just copying and pasting?
11:14:02 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan Nope, I'm typing
11:14:02 AM Andrew Robinson are you just copying and pasting?
11:14:21 AM Andrew Robinson ok. this seems silly. I feel like i AM talking to an automated machine.
11:14:37 AM Andrew Robinson seems that you (dell) kind of messed up on this. why should I suffer?
11:14:48 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan Nope, I'm a live person.
11:15:09 AM Andrew Robinson this is going to make a fascinating blog posting.
11:15:33 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan What is online is Base Package: Starting Price $299. I'm not showing any $228.
11:15:57 AM Andrew Robinson try googling it. there was a pricing at 228 this morning.
11:16:29 AM Andrew Robinson http://www.google.com/search?q=dell+mini+10v+%24228
11:19:34 AM Andrew Robinson Jeff, are you still there?
11:20:43 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan Yes, but that is not an official dell website, kindly refer to our website if you are looking for promotions.
11:20:48 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-10?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd
11:21:28 AM Andrew Robinson ok, i will just now say goodbye and go and have a seizure. thanks for all the info!
11:21:43 AM QCSMB_Jeff_Chan Thank you for choosing Dell. Have a great day!
11:21:43 AM System QCSMB_Jeff_Chan has left this session!
11:21:43 AM System The session has ended!

Comments

  1. Steve StedmanMay 29, 2009 at 10:12 PM

    Andy,
    The best line, after all of that is

    "Thank you for choosing Dell. Have a great Day!"

    Go for the Acer. It works for me, unless I want to type.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bill ForneyMay 30, 2009 at 10:07 AM

    LOL Why did you expect anything better from someone who barely understands English? Dell, Microsoft, whoever... Almost all of their support sucks. If it isn't because they run off scripts, it's because they don't understand anything you say. I've been through this a few times too.

    ReplyDelete

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