Here is a letter to Dell regarding a particularly abhorrent abuse by Dell to an end user with a chronic heart condition, that has been going on now for two years!
Dear Mr. Rollins
Case # 129738319
Tag# 4G33D11
Before coming to the USA in 1990, I was the National Customer Service Manager for one of the UK's largest pc dealers. At the time, we knew Dell as an ethical competitor that prided itself upon the provision of high quality systems to its end users, and a company that had an almost untouchable record when it came to providing the highest class of customer service after the sale within the then young Personal Computer Industry.
I am now in the USA; I run my own consultancy, and boy have things changed significantly. Your company now has a reputation for providing products that overheat (the recent laptop fiasco that, rather than issuing a recall, you have decided to embark upon a quiet replacement policy for clients who complain is such an example); it has a widely publicized reputation for rude frontline technical support personnel, and customer service personnel who have no grasp of the basic fundamental concepts of what customer service really means.
A case in point is referenced in the above case # and tag #. It involves a Dell user who has a chronic heart condition; whose computer was purchased by the taxpayers of this state through the State of Nebraska Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. A computer that, ever since a technician replaced the original faulty installed hard drive has failed to function as advertised. A computer that, despite all the documentary evidence provided to Dell supporting that the original order was to include a CD/RW drive, Dell has stubbornly refused to provide the paid for and ordered CD/RW drive, insisting the user make do with the CD drive instead (it took an anonymous donation to the end user of a third party CDR/W drive to complete the system as ordered).
An end user who has been verbally abused by both your technical support personnel and customer service personnel. Frankly sir, an end user with a chronic heart condition who, if subjected to much more of this treatment from employees of your company would indeed have probably suffered a hear attack as a consequence (and NO sir, I am NOT exaggerating here!).in fact, I must admit personally, in view of my previous experiences with your company, to some skepticism on my behalf when I heard the end user's story regarding the veracity of her claims. That however, was before I became involved; that was before I personally experienced the same abuse at the hands of your technical support personnel; before I experienced the same condescension and blatant couldn't give a damn attitude from your customer service personnel.
Effectively, in a nutshell, you had shipped the user a replacement hard drive with a defective installation of Windows 2000. Calls complaining about this resulted in no action on your part, DESPITE assurances from Microsoft that they had also contacted Dell about this specific issue and its effect on this direct end user. It was not until my involvement; not until I had informed three state senators (two Democrat and one Republican) of your abuse of this user and the fact that this abuse was being paid for by this State's own taxpayers dollars; it was not until I informed Dell that these same Elected officials were ready to introduce bi-partisan legislation that would forever bar Dell from being an approved technology supplier to any body of State or Local government within Nebraska, that ANYBODY at Dell even started to take notice.
Your ABU Customer Care Manager, Misty (Dell ext: 7365786) attempted to take ownership. After finding out that obviously, a correct and non faulty Windows 2000 System CD was not available, she offered a Windows XP Home CD to the end user. Unfortunately, Dell couldn't even follow through on THAT correctly; The CD that was sent did NOT include ANY Windows hardware drivers. I personally ended up in a stand up shout down argument with Misty out of sheer frustration at yet another display of absolute incompetence by Dell when it came to addressing the end user on this account and their issues. I even spoke to Microsoft who ALSO re iterated that the Windows XP CD that Dell had sent was NOT a full system installation CD, but instead a system RESTORE CD that did NOT include the essential Windows XP drivers!
Eventually, one of your Gold Key technical support technicians spent several hours on the telephone with the end user and was able to get a BASIC installation of windows XP on the computer; however, the CD containing the drivers is STILL required to complete the installation.
Frankly sir, your company's conduct throughout this whole affair is unforgivable and disgusting. You have defrauded this state by taking money for a hardware item (a CD/RW drive) and installing instead an inferior CD-ROM drive; your support personnel have been condescending and abusive to the end user. You have throughout continuously violated your own OEM contract with Microsoft Corporation. If I was you sir, I would be utterly ashamed at the conduct of both the employees concerned and my company as a whole in this matter.
There WILL be consequences to this however;
1) As stated, I am an independent consultant who is frequently asked to recommend hardware sources by my current and prospective clients. As of today, Dell has been removed from the list of approved recommendations to my clients.
2) The three previously mentioned State Senators have been fully informed of your companies conduct throughout this matter, and are, as we speak, still seriously considering the introduction of legislation that would remove your company as an approved supplier of Information Technology products to ANY State or Local government department or contract.
3) Two clients of mine (1 in Omaha, 1 in Kansas City KS) recently received recommendations from me for a hardware supplier for servers and networked computers. I HAD recommended your company and its Power Edge Blade Server products. However, today I have contacted BOTH clients and advised them MOST strongly to NOT pursue ANY hardware option from your company as we could no longer recommend that the level of post sales support would meet their expectations. We subsequently advised our clients to discuss their network server requirements with alternative hardware suppliers.
On a personal level, I am frankly sorry that a company that I had come to respect as an ethical competitor back in the early days of PC's and PC networking has fallen so far from those high standards. On a professional level, I am disgusted and horrified with the total absence of ANY comprehension of even the most basic customer service handling skills of, not only your frontline personnel, but their immediate superiors, their managers, and the fact that this lack of understanding extends to what would appear to be the higher levels of management of Dell. There is NO excuse that can be rendered by Dell for it's abhorrent conduct in this case, nor can there be ANY defense for the abusive mistreatment of a direct end user with a substantial and chronic heart condition, and the resulting additional stress that has been added to that end user by your employees.
At the very least Sir, an apology is owing to, both the direct end user in this case and, to a lesser degree, myself, for the absolute hell we have been put though; if your company actually gave a *, you PERSONALLY should be making that apology. However, I suspect that, no such apology will be forthcoming, and even if an apology is made, it will be made by an underling who has been ordered to make an apologetic telephone call; in short, any such apology from a source OTHER than yourself will be considered meaningless and disingenuous.
As I stated at the opening of this letter, your company used to have such very high standards in terms of behavior and ethics; it is indeed so sad to see it has fallen so far from those ideals that at one time separated it from it's competitors.
As a final insult sir, this morning I received a call from the "Gold key' technical support representative who assured me that the sytem was now working correctly and the end user did not want my further involvement. I then called the end user who, coincidentally, was on the telephone to that exact same gold key representative, and they asssured me thay made NO SUCH STATEMENT!!!
It appears that telling lies, even when they are easily caught, is pervasive within your company!
Yours sincerely
Trevor; partne
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