Here's something you might be interested in.
I killed my computer. I managed to spill water, which did not splash onto the keyboard. Thought I was in the clear. As I was wiping up, I lifted the computer & there was a puddle. I thought there might be trouble brewing. The computer was off. I did not remember if I had shut it down!! This was a 4 AM unable to sleep time. I unplugged all computer connections, removed the battery, then took off the back plate. Got out the hair dryer and tried to get all the spaces dried. I waited a couple hours, then plugged in the power. It did not power on. There was no reaction at all. I put out a call for assistance & received some replies. Hopefully, I can at least retrieve my data.
I called Dell. Each call was answered by the phone robot & when I reached my destination (after choosing numbers for several minutes), I was put on hold. After 2 minutes another robot informed me that wait time would be 10+ minutes. I hung up. I apparently was optimistic as I did this 6 times!!!!!!!!
The next day, I received a call from Dell. Unfortunately, this call was for the purpose of selling me an extended warranty!! I don't think I need coverage on a dead computer. I then called technical support. After going through all the steps, I finally talked to a technician. He explained the choices I had. The computer can likely be fixed but I would have to send it to Dell & pay a fee of $289.!!! Then they would diagnose and charge me for the repairs. He estimated $200-$300. I declined. He said it would be better to buy a new computer. I declined. He then said I needed to speak to an "out of warranty" technician. This one was pushy and not helpful at all. "I have a new computer right here. It will be faster and better". I told him several times that I did not want a new computer. The question I kept asking (of all 3 persons at Dell) was, "can I get the information out of the dead computer?" Then this 3rd guy had the audacity to tell me that I have $XXXX! He looked up my Dell financial account. This really got my blood boiling. I told him that if I use my Dell account, I still have to pay for it. "Of course you do, but you can afford $15/month". My finances are none of his business and how dare he check into my Dell account without even asking?? I again asked about retrieving information. He said, "Well, Ms. ......, I guess we can't help you today" and HE HUNG UP. Wow, customer service at its best.
I had been a Dell customer for awhile. I had always touted their customer service. No more. Outsourcing may be cheap, but it can also lose customers. All 3 of the men I spoke with were Indian. The first one even told me to stop him if I didn't understand him because of his accent.
So, Dell gets the worst possible grade in customer service. I spent WAY too much time on the phone and never got an answer to my question. All 3 of these men had 1 goal in mind, to sell me something! Either an extended warranty on a deceased computer, or a new computer. AND, I wonder if they breached:
"California Residents Only: We only share your Customer Information with our affiliates in a manner that is permitted under the California Financial Information Privacy Act. If required by the Act, we will provide you with notice and the right to tell us not to make such disclosures prior to sharing your Customer Information with our affiliates."
In my opinion, financial information should remain in the Finance Dept. It seems rather unethical to share credit limits with the Sales Dept. So, it is NO MORE DELL for me.
So long
I killed my computer. I managed to spill water, which did not splash onto the keyboard. Thought I was in the clear. As I was wiping up, I lifted the computer & there was a puddle. I thought there might be trouble brewing. The computer was off. I did not remember if I had shut it down!! This was a 4 AM unable to sleep time. I unplugged all computer connections, removed the battery, then took off the back plate. Got out the hair dryer and tried to get all the spaces dried. I waited a couple hours, then plugged in the power. It did not power on. There was no reaction at all. I put out a call for assistance & received some replies. Hopefully, I can at least retrieve my data.
I called Dell. Each call was answered by the phone robot & when I reached my destination (after choosing numbers for several minutes), I was put on hold. After 2 minutes another robot informed me that wait time would be 10+ minutes. I hung up. I apparently was optimistic as I did this 6 times!!!!!!!!
The next day, I received a call from Dell. Unfortunately, this call was for the purpose of selling me an extended warranty!! I don't think I need coverage on a dead computer. I then called technical support. After going through all the steps, I finally talked to a technician. He explained the choices I had. The computer can likely be fixed but I would have to send it to Dell & pay a fee of $289.!!! Then they would diagnose and charge me for the repairs. He estimated $200-$300. I declined. He said it would be better to buy a new computer. I declined. He then said I needed to speak to an "out of warranty" technician. This one was pushy and not helpful at all. "I have a new computer right here. It will be faster and better". I told him several times that I did not want a new computer. The question I kept asking (of all 3 persons at Dell) was, "can I get the information out of the dead computer?" Then this 3rd guy had the audacity to tell me that I have $XXXX! He looked up my Dell financial account. This really got my blood boiling. I told him that if I use my Dell account, I still have to pay for it. "Of course you do, but you can afford $15/month". My finances are none of his business and how dare he check into my Dell account without even asking?? I again asked about retrieving information. He said, "Well, Ms. ......, I guess we can't help you today" and HE HUNG UP. Wow, customer service at its best.
I had been a Dell customer for awhile. I had always touted their customer service. No more. Outsourcing may be cheap, but it can also lose customers. All 3 of the men I spoke with were Indian. The first one even told me to stop him if I didn't understand him because of his accent.
So, Dell gets the worst possible grade in customer service. I spent WAY too much time on the phone and never got an answer to my question. All 3 of these men had 1 goal in mind, to sell me something! Either an extended warranty on a deceased computer, or a new computer. AND, I wonder if they breached:
"California Residents Only: We only share your Customer Information with our affiliates in a manner that is permitted under the California Financial Information Privacy Act. If required by the Act, we will provide you with notice and the right to tell us not to make such disclosures prior to sharing your Customer Information with our affiliates."
In my opinion, financial information should remain in the Finance Dept. It seems rather unethical to share credit limits with the Sales Dept. So, it is NO MORE DELL for me.
So long