I am just curious if anyone else is having problems with dell's customer service? It seems like it takes me forever to get through and when I do I get the run around or they tell me to contact someone else.

I think what you are experiencing is Dell Hell.

Good Luck with that

Dell customer service reps' job description is as follows:

1. Tell the customer: "it's a Windows problem, call Microsoft"

2. Even if the problem is not Windows related, see rule #1

3. If customer tells you Microsoft told you that the OEM is responsible for Windows support, see rule #1

Usually if I need to contact Dell or HP I get irrefutable evidence that a specific part is faulty and then call. I pretty much tell the the problem and what part I need and then they, of course, walk through the motions of making sure the part is faulty. Otherwise you you have to take a whole lot of directions from somebody whose accent is very strong and difficult to understand.

I hate calling tech support. Now Dell has the voice activated system and it can never understand me. I end up yelling into the phone and people around me think that I'm yelling at some poor tech support soul!

Are you calling the home user support or the business user support? (depends on the service tag from the system). I've always bought business machines and have had great support from dell and hp/compaq. My last support call was just in November because I had a cracked connection on the pcmcia slot of my laptop, the dell tech support lady in TX overnighted me a new system board because I told her I was capable of swapping it out rather than makeing me send my laptop down for them to do it, she sent me a new fan and new rubber feet as well.

consumer products = give money to a company + no support

commercial products = they really try for support but only with some extra money from you(extended warranty) but ofcourse not the support you want

have you actually thought of being in the other side? I mean...
"hello, my computer doesn't work what should I do?"
"there's a hidden red self destruct button, press it..

We all have to understand that companies like to sell and not to provide service.It's common sense and everybody knows that. The matter is who has less bad support

The hard drive died in one of my Dell machines in December. Although I have recieved poor support from Dell in the past, I can't complain this time. Both times I called, I had no wait and was connected straight to a support tech. With very little fuss, they sent a replacement drive. And it was 80GB, rather than the old 60GB drive that was in the laptop originaly.

However, I did notice that Dell have now outsourced their UK technical support to India. While their customer care line was in India last time I called, their technical support line was in Northern Ireland.

commercial products the extra cost for support is built into the product, you don't have to pay extra unless you want something like 4 hour response.

The US consumer support is outsourced as well.
Consumer stuff there is very little profit in so they want to do the support as cheap as possible.
Business stuff there is little profit per box but they sell boxen by the thousands so they can give better support.

Thats what I always try to get through to people. people always want to buy the Inspiron, Presario, whatever consumer model then try to run their business off of it and expect the maker to give good support when the target market for those models is Granny checking e-mail once a week. The business models are where the good support is, if you want good support thats what you buy. I see so many threads like this on so many forums where people complain about bad support and they are the ones that bought consumer system.

Enine I have contacted both. My dad's business uses dell and he has a dell pc at home. I no longer tell my customers to go to dell for computers. I either build them pc's or refer them to companies like hp or micron.

When I started using linux (on a Dell), I noticed Dell were saying "Dell recommends Microsoft".

So I stopped buying Dell because I prefer linux, and it seems stupid to go against a manufacturer's recommendations.

I now have my computers assembled very cheaply by a local business. They run linux beautifully, and I am very happy.

Any Large brand name will have to put that "recommends microsoft" its part of their requirement to sell microsoft's OS, part of the illegal practices microsoft does.

unfortunatly you can't easily build a laptop, at least not a decent one, there are some desktop replacemts out there, but if you want real portability your stuck with the brands.

What model of Dell is used in his business, a lot of people try to use the consumer stuff.

HP operates the same way, you have to get hold of of the business support people. Is Micron still in business?

Yes Micron is still in business. I could not believe it either. Their name is now micronpc. Once I started for Casino Aztar I laughed to myself because I thought the same.

Tredgar, enine is right. Microsoft wants it's customers to say they recommend Microsoft. As much as it is going to kill me to say this, I don't blame them. If it was my business I would do the same. It is how business runs I guess.

Hey Enine I found their website. Here it is if you want to check it out.

http://www.buympc.com/

I hate Dell. The reason, because a few years ago I had an Optiplex G something. Anyway the power supply goes dead...so I head over the compusa for another one. Well that's when I found out about the proprietary power supplies, and mobos, of course my mobo blew a fuse. Since then I've learned to build my own 'puters and I will never by a stock pc again (well maybe when Apple comes out with their Intel version this year I'll reconsider my decision)