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General discussion (archive)Dell customer support rocks(25 posts)(25 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted December 18, 2009
Level 1 tech support is a joke in every company I've ever encountered. Its always a script reading phone monkey, I've actually been told once that the guy had to go through the list of standard questions.
Sometimes you're lucky and get someone on level 1 thats also knowledgeable, I had that with microsoft support but most of the time they're of the "Hello IT, have you tried turning it off and on?" variety
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Gundato: I get just as annoyed when I have to call tech support and explain to the Comcast technician that I know how to hook a TV up, but still get to spend twenty minutes unhooking and rehooking the HDMI cable (which is unreachable without moving furniture, and even then has to be unplugged and replugged blind due to the short length of it...) before they just reset the damned box.

Couldn't you just lie? Seems like the easiest option
Post edited December 18, 2009 by Aliasalpha
Posted December 18, 2009
Never had any problems with Dell when purchasing from the UK (via the Dell in Ireland IIRC) but then, I never had anything (I couldn't fix myself) go wrong with the laptops I purchased either. I still have one I bought from them a decade ago and it *still* works with only a few minor problems (which I can certainly put down to age).
In fact the only major problem I had with my Inspiron 8000 was when the hard drive overheated to a point it refused to function for a few days. But that appeared to correct itself and I've never had another problem with that same hard drive.
But like most multinationals, the quality of service you get will most certainly depending on the local presence the company has.
Posted December 18, 2009
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Gundato: That being said, can you really blame them? Nine times out of ten, "reformat" is the easiest solution. Especially when you are likely dealing with someone who isn't computer-savvy. No offense, but I hope you can understand why they would expect those people to call.
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lowyhong: Yet that is no excuse to be rude over the phone, and the problem is not hard drive related (Internet connection/possible browser-related problems, and they're telling me to reformat my system? really?)
I believe the tech support here is no more IT-savvy than the average housewife.

That could very easily be a virus, where the easiest answer is 'reformat".
Is it great tech support? Nope. But like alias said, that is level 1 tech support.
And alias: As for why I didn't lie: I tried, but they found it suspicious that it only took me fifteen seconds to unplug and replug. Then they started lecturing me on how they can't help me if I don't do what they say.
Posted December 18, 2009
Its at that point that you ask to speak to a supervisor or an upper level tech. Frankly, when I call a help desk, any help desk, I explain the issue then immediately ask that my problem be escalated. Having worked in tech support for a number of years, I already know what level 1 is going to ask of me and have already done all of it. The whole "we can't help you if you don't do what we say" thing is just the level 1 tech's ego getting in the way of the job. He or she usually is someone who has a little computer knowledge, not enough to really be useful, but believes that that knowledge exceeds anything a client who calls the help desk could possibly have. They don't like it when someone more knowledgeable than them calls and has already done their job.
Posted December 18, 2009
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cogadh: Its at that point that you ask to speak to a supervisor or an upper level tech. Frankly, when I call a help desk, any help desk, I explain the issue then immediately ask that my problem be escalated. Having worked in tech support for a number of years, I already know what level 1 is going to ask of me and have already done all of it. The whole "we can't help you if you don't do what we say" thing is just the level 1 tech's ego getting in the way of the job. He or she usually is someone who has a little computer knowledge, not enough to really be useful, but believes that that knowledge exceeds anything a client who calls the help desk could possibly have. They don't like it when someone more knowledgeable than them calls and has already done their job.

The main problem is that I knew what he needed to do (reset the box, it wasn't the first time their hardware sucked), and it really is something that a Level 1 tech is supposed to do. And level 2 techs are the morons who get sent out to do on-site repairs, so I would have preferred to stick with the phone.
Posted December 18, 2009
Heh, I had an issue with Dell, got the call center and all that good stuff. They said they would send someone out the next day until they realized where I was, so they sent me a new laptop lol gave my old one away. :)
Posted December 18, 2009
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Gundato: The main problem is that I knew what he needed to do (reset the box, it wasn't the first time their hardware sucked), and it really is something that a Level 1 tech is supposed to do. And level 2 techs are the morons who get sent out to do on-site repairs, so I would have preferred to stick with the phone.

I just realized we are talking about Comcast here. You can't get any worse than their support, no matter what level tech you get. I called them a little while ago to find out if my cable modem, which they support but did not provide, would work with their upcoming DOCSIS 3.0 rollout in my area. Not only did the tech tell me that the modem manufacturer would provide me with a firmware upgrade to get the functionality I need, but she also said they would be rolling out the new spec on the upcoming Sunday. Never once in the years I have had this modem did I have to get a firmware upgrade from the manufacturer, they've always been pushed to me from Comcast and that upcoming Sunday was back in mid-October... they still haven't rolled out the new spec in my area yet.
How long ago did your problem occur? I don't know if it is the same all over the country, but in my area when you call support, one of the automated menu options lets you to send a signal to re-set your box yourself without ever talking to a tech. It was a glorious day indeed when I discovered that little feature.
Post edited December 18, 2009 by cogadh
Posted December 18, 2009
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Gundato: The main problem is that I knew what he needed to do (reset the box, it wasn't the first time their hardware sucked), and it really is something that a Level 1 tech is supposed to do. And level 2 techs are the morons who get sent out to do on-site repairs, so I would have preferred to stick with the phone.
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cogadh: I just realized we are talking about Comcast here. You can't get any worse than their support, no matter what level tech you get. I called them a little while ago to find out if my cable modem, which they support but did not provide, would work with their upcoming DOCSIS 3.0 rollout in my area. Not only did the tech tell me that the modem manufacturer would provide me with a firmware upgrade to get the functionality I need, but she also said they would be rolling out the new spec on the upcoming Sunday. Never once in the years I have had this modem did I have to get a firmware upgrade from the manufacturer, they've always been pushed to me from Comcast and that upcoming Sunday was back in mid-October... they still haven't rolled out the new spec in my area yet.
How long ago did your problem occur? I don't know if it is the same all over the country, but in my area when you call support, one of the automated menu options lets you to send a signal to re-set your box yourself without ever talking to a tech. It was a glorious day indeed when I discovered that little feature.

The one I am referring to actually happened on Sunday evening. I was helping my sister set up her new TV. No automated reseter.
I switched to Verizon at home a year ago. Not much better, and they actually pushed a firmware update to the box that broke it. Yup. I had to swap out boxes because they don't know how to handle firmware updates. They refused to admit that this was the reason, but considering that they had one of those messageys about an upcoming update a week or so in advance, and that the help support line actually had an automated option for loss of functionality, I was a whee bit suspicious :p
Ironically, the one year deal/contract with Verizon is up, so now I need to figure out who to go with. Full-on Sophie's Choice.
Posted December 18, 2009
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Gundato: And alias: As for why I didn't lie: I tried, but they found it suspicious that it only took me fifteen seconds to unplug and replug. Then they started lecturing me on how they can't help me if I don't do what they say.

That's funny. I got the same lecture too.
That, plus the fact that they kept telling me to reformat, was the last straw. I never contacted their tech support again. Altavista was far more effective (no Google back then, sadly)
Posted December 18, 2009
Roughly 9 years ago, some of my friends got jobs with a company called Stream. What Stream provided was a call center for major companies to have to use. My friends happened to be on the Dell team. They absolutely hated it. They hated the people calling, they hated Dell's computers, and they hated Dell themselves since the policies they had in place were stupid. Note that my friends were 16-17 when they started their jobs there, so they were not college educated or otherwise certified in computer support/operation. They all got a weeks worth of training and sent to the phones.
Eventually, Stream got rid of the Dell contract (A HUGE part of their workforce) and their employees responded by not caring whatsoever about their jobs. Example: One of my friends would transfer customers to Tier 2 support, except he changed the number to Tier 2 support to a Taco Bell 4 miles away.
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General discussion (archive)Dell customer support rocks(25 posts)(25 posts)
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