Dell's call centre

november

I posted this on someone else's thread in 'Shop til you drop' but I'm not really shopping as I can't find anyway of buying the computer I want from Dell anymore and that thread is sinking and I want to vent about the call centre.

I have several Dells - last one bought in 2003 which was obviously before they bought in the stupid call centre (in India?)

I have been sent a small business sales mag (offers end 01/02) and want to buy a pc. However when I look online that has changed too and whats more the prices don't tally with the mag. e.g. Dell Dimension 3100 offer in mag is £229 (exc VAT/package), online it says £199 but when you click on it that changes to £283 (exc VAT/package. So actually I'm venting about the web site as well :mad:

I decided the only thing to do was phone them (phone no on mag).

Attempt - get some guy asking me how many people work for the business etc etc etc. I try asking my basic question and give up cos he won't answer it but instead starts asking about my home computing needs. Apparently he is 'assessing my computing needs!' I know what I want :mad: Explain again I just want info about difference in mag/online so I can order for a small business! He puts me through to .....

Attempt 2 - home financing!!!! Tell them I wanted small business sales and they can't help so hang up and go to look for another number.

Try phone no. on website - no such number

Go to another page and try again - small business sales

Attempt 3 (yup its the Indian call centre again) - Woman asks how many people etc. I give in and give all info. Asks for name of business and she says she can't understand me! Takes me a while to actually work out that is what she is saying so I can understand her having problems with my accent but still! Try again but she continues to say she can't understand what I am saying! Give up and hang up.

Is this worth it??? :mad:

Anyone suggest how I can a) speak to someone at Dell who understands English and can tell me how much a named computer is, or b) find something similar for same price elsewhere. We bought all our computers from Dell and I did have a lovely customer service manager who always dealt with me. Oh those were the days

I just want to buy a computer arggggggggggggggggg and I have a deadline!!!

CIS

The online website is the same on the items I looked, every screen seems to show a different value, even though the inventory shows the included items only with no extras selected, on the 3100, the machine goes up from £349 to £448.

It is dodgy practice, especially of you dont happen to look at the total before you pay and realise its not the same.

Viz_2

I think with Dells website you need to change the warranty to the basic 12 month collect and return. That should reduce the price.

november

Thanks Viz I'll remember that one in future

Actually I didn't explain very well though. I would prefer the brochure offer as it is £229 including flat screen monitor while as the £199 online price is without monitor.

I forgot that bit until I looked it back up. :oops: I wonder if the brochure is ahead of the online offers? Thats why I was trying to phone them up - to get the best deal. It says online that the 3100 comes with free upgraded memory to 1024mb but todays the last day so maybe the monitor offer is starting when that offer finishes. I would prefer the monitor I think to additonal memory as I could do with a flat screen and don't need the additional memory.

I've tried doing an advanced search by the e-value code but it shows up as no such item. The brochure code is different at the beginning to the on-line one - DMUK4 as opposed to UKBSDONL plus it has an 'A' at the end of the number

I still hold by my vent that it used to be far more simple in the old days (all of 2 years ago lol)

wobbley

Vote with your wallet and buy from somewhere else! I refuse to deal with any company that has a call centre in a non Engish speaking country in the hope that they will realise it's a false econony. I do like Dell PC's and have an inspiron laptop that's great but when it comes time to replace it I hope Dell will have an English speaking call centre. I'm not racist in the least, I have friends and even a relative that are from India but as well as taking British/Irish jobs it's a really dumb idea from a customer service view.
The Dell website is really poor too. I know what you mean about the price changing and having to change the support option.
They seemed, just before Christmas to be advertising a PC on telly for 299 with a TFT monitor. However this only comes with a 90 day warranty! But,,,, - they were also selling exactly the same system for about 335 with a 1year warranty. Now I may be wrong but aren't all new electrical items sold in the UK supposed by law to have at least 12 months warranty? Still this is probably irrelevant as there's no way they'd teach the Dellindians what the word 'warranty' means !

mike_the_bike_2

Ditto vote with your feet and don't buy from them and drop them an E mail to explain why...I'm sure if everyone did then they would quickly address their "customer service" requirements

slowen

Totally agree the Indian call centre is very bad and it feels like you have won the lottery if you get through to the Irish call centre as even when you phone the switchboard they say you have to go through the Indian call centre and then get transfered to the Irish one and the switcboard say they dont have the facility to transfer you

november

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm reviewing what to get. Trouble is I like my Dells and can't think of anywhere else but don't trust them anymore. I mean if anything did go wrong the call centre wouldn't be much help would it

p.s. The website sale has now changed and has the same pc as in the brochure. Only on the site its £299 with free postage as opposed to £229 with £70 postage in the brochure. Ummmmmmm so that makes the 'free' postage cost £70 which coincidentally is the cost of postage then