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dell technical support -- question



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 14th 04, 02:31 AM
Tanya
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default dell technical support -- question

hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?
THANKS!

  #2  
Old June 14th 04, 03:56 AM
S.Lewis
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Tanya" wrote in message
...
hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?
THANKS!



The support industry as a whole has gone downhill. Dell remains the best of
what's out there, imo.


Stew


  #3  
Old June 14th 04, 04:07 AM
Fox
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Default

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 21:56:54 -0500, "S.Lewis"
wrote:


"Tanya" wrote in message
...
hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?
THANKS!



The support industry as a whole has gone downhill. Dell remains the best of
what's out there, imo.


Stew

I recently needed Dell T/S, and by the time we hung up, all was and
still is working as it should. There are never any guarantees of
course, but they came through on this one.
  #4  
Old June 14th 04, 04:21 AM
Technobarbarian
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Default


"Tanya" wrote in message
...
hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?


"Deteriorated" is putting it mildly. Nearly non-existent is more like
it. Individuals get Indians who get paid for getting rid of callers as fast
as possible, regardless of whether or not they solve your problem. Corporate
users talk to Americans who get paid for solving problems.

Dennis


  #5  
Old June 14th 04, 04:53 AM
Lawrence Glasser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Technobarbarian wrote:

"Tanya" wrote in message
...
hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?


"Deteriorated" is putting it mildly. Nearly non-existent is more like
it. Individuals get Indians who get paid for getting rid of callers as fast
as possible, regardless of whether or not they solve your problem. Corporate
users talk to Americans who get paid for solving problems.


Those "corporate users" include buyers through the Small Business Division,
something that anyone can do.

Larry
  #6  
Old June 14th 04, 05:08 AM
Robert R Kircher, Jr.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Tanya" wrote in message
...
hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?
THANKS!



Use email support when ever possible. Over all it takes longer to resolve
your problem but much less of your actual time and certainly less
frustrating trying to understand someone poor English.

In my experience, you will receive a replay with in 12-24 hours, many times
much faster. The initial reply will be the same exact script of actions
that the support person is going to have you go through. The advantage is
you can skip steps that have already been tried or make no since.

My other suggestion is this NG. There are alot of knowledge people who
frequent this group and are more then willing to help out.

--

Rob
Q: "What did the redneck say right before he died?"
A: "Hey ya'all watch this!!"




  #7  
Old June 14th 04, 03:39 PM
J. Bronson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Dell support is non-existent, via enail!

The problem was, a loud pop and flash, the smell of burning
electronics components, and now the system randomly shuts.

(bad power supply, computer repair 101)

I sent the first email and got back a reply. I did what they asked and
sent the results.

I get a email back a email stating the person helping me has left for
the day but this person will try and help. This person sent back the
EXACT same request for info. I emailed back saying I had just supplied
that info.

Yep. you guessed it that person had left for the day. but if I would
do th these test I will try and help. Again the SAME requset for info.
Again I sent it.

Again that person has left for the day, the next request was to
reformat the hard drive and reload everything.

I emailed back and told them this was DUMB!!! and asked to have this
problem bumped up to the next level.

Yep, again that person would try and help. However if I did not do as
ask and preform all the instruction there was nothing theu could do to
help. IE reformat and reload windows.


This went on for days, never the same person twice, and being ask to
preforn the same tests over for each new tech.

Finaly I gave up and called the customer support number.

Again I was told that since I had not reformated there was nothing
that could be done, until I did.

Now I had to lie to get help.

I told the tech,. that it just took a dump again and that there was a
loud pop, a flash if light and a burning smell, and the system shut
down.

That was a good thing cause that it proved that it was just a humitiy
problem according toi the tech. In June in California, Humitiy is not
an issue.!

Next I was asked to reboot and go into the bios and do some things.
like a P.O.S.T. I asked what that was and could I do it some other way
because the computer would no longer boot, or show any signs of life.

AHHH, now we are getting some where.

I ended up with 47 pages of emails and two hours on the phone with an
out-sourced tech.. fifteen minutes with a local tech. ordering a new
power supply and mother board.

This wa 4pm PST, by 8:30 am the next day the new parts had been
installed.



Just for the fun of it, I emailed tech support and ask it they could
direct me to a notice I had read regarding two icons for the CD RW
drive.

Yep you guessed it, a most serious problem,, must reformat and reload
Windows.


The service is good ONCE you get past the incompetency of the call
screeners.

Thanks, now I feel better
jerry







On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 21:31:37 -0400, Tanya
wrote:

hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?
THANKS!


  #8  
Old June 14th 04, 04:57 PM
Christopher Muto
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

it is much harder today for first time buyers to purchase a pc. the fact
that most buyers are repeat buyers (if not students) and that prices have
plummeted, and computers have become commodities all means that support is
now bare bones from any manufacturer. they will help with software
questions that are in my opinion out of the reasonable boundaries of their
responsibility but when the question is poorly articulated or becoming too
time consuming to troubleshoot the call will be cut short with a 'reload
your system software and call us back if you still have problems.' computer
companies do not answer 'how do i' type questions. they do stand behind the
hardware with whatever level of service you purchase. the frustration comes
in when it is unclear if problem is hardware or software. having said all
that, say what you want about dell support, but it still remains the best in
the industry. but keep in mind that being the best doesn't necessarily mean
they are any good. as for news groups, this is the only lively one of the
majors (the hp and gateway groups are sadly dead, at least in terms of
answers to questions). this lively groups helps support dell in a very
candid way that understandably a manufacturer could not do directly due to
the need to protect themselves from exposure to more problems by suggesting
something that is extreme. and dell also has a lively dell discussion board
hosted on their own servers as well as on-line documentation and downloads
that are much easier to navigate than any of the competitors.



"Tanya" wrote in message
...
hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?
THANKS!



  #9  
Old June 14th 04, 05:02 PM
Irene
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Most OEM technical support is nearly non-existent.
Dell is better than most, but unless you are quite computer literate, you
will find them of little help. By that I mean you will have to trouble shoot
and be able to open your computer and work with it's insides as directed by
the tech that you contact.

Also, this URL might give you an insight to the problems with Dell's Tech
Support.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/computers/dell_svc.html

"Tanya" wrote in message
...
hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?
THANKS!



  #10  
Old June 14th 04, 06:13 PM
Robert R Kircher, Jr.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"J. Bronson" wrote in message
...
Dell support is non-existent, via enail!

The problem was, a loud pop and flash, the smell of burning
electronics components, and now the system randomly shuts.

(bad power supply, computer repair 101)

I sent the first email and got back a reply. I did what they asked and
sent the results.

I get a email back a email stating the person helping me has left for
the day but this person will try and help. This person sent back the
EXACT same request for info. I emailed back saying I had just supplied
that info.

Yep. you guessed it that person had left for the day. but if I would
do th these test I will try and help. Again the SAME requset for info.
Again I sent it.

Again that person has left for the day, the next request was to
reformat the hard drive and reload everything.

I emailed back and told them this was DUMB!!! and asked to have this
problem bumped up to the next level.

Yep, again that person would try and help. However if I did not do as
ask and preform all the instruction there was nothing theu could do to
help. IE reformat and reload windows.


This went on for days, never the same person twice, and being ask to
preforn the same tests over for each new tech.


I must just have the magic touch then because I NEVER have such problems
with email support. As a mater of fact I use email to avoid such problems.

Some how I don't think magic has anything to do with it.

--

Rob
Q: "What did the redneck say right before he died?"
A: "Hey ya'all watch this!!"


an issue.!

Next I was asked to reboot and go into the bios and do some things.
like a P.O.S.T. I asked what that was and could I do it some other way
because the computer would no longer boot, or show any signs of life.

AHHH, now we are getting some where.

I ended up with 47 pages of emails and two hours on the phone with an
out-sourced tech.. fifteen minutes with a local tech. ordering a new
power supply and mother board.

This wa 4pm PST, by 8:30 am the next day the new parts had been
installed.



Just for the fun of it, I emailed tech support and ask it they could
direct me to a notice I had read regarding two icons for the CD RW
drive.

Yep you guessed it, a most serious problem,, must reformat and reload
Windows.


The service is good ONCE you get past the incompetency of the call
screeners.

Thanks, now I feel better
jerry







On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 21:31:37 -0400, Tanya
wrote:

hello,
i'm helping a friend buy their first pc and had heard that dell
technical support had deteriorated.
would anyone know whether that is the case?
THANKS!




 




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