Dell Arrogant, Abusive corporate arrogance typical of a big company, bureaucracy, a cover-your-a*s mentality, and fear Round Rock Texas

Dell, Inc.
One Dell Way
Round Rock, Texas 78682
Kevin B. Rollins, President and Chief Executive Officer
Phone Number for Corporate Head Office: NONE OF THE PUBLIC'S BUSINESS!

Dell is a mix of corporate arrogance typical of a big company, bureaucracy, a cover-your-a*s mentality, and fear. They act solicitous but keep the public at arm's length. The corporate mentality was demonstrated no better than by Robert in Home Sales (800-915-3355). I looked all over the Dell website for a phone number for the main office switchboard. There is none posted. That is intentional. I got a hold of Robert and asked if there was a main corporate number where I could talk to an operator and he immediately became evasive and cagey.

"Uh, what is it you are trying to do?"
"Contact somebody at corporate."
"Why would you want to do that?"
"I just need to know how to talk to a human being at corporate. If I wanted to contact, say, Kevin Rollins, how would I do it?"
"Why? What do you want to talk to Kevin about?"
"That's personal. Bye."

It sounded to me like there was a mixture of ivory-tower isolationist mentality with a bit of fear in his voice. I got to wondering just how many others they had screwed and were afraid they would come looking for the ones responsible. In their blurb on their website they talk about Dell and its supposed corporate mentality:

Soul of Dell
The Soul of Dell is a statement of our values, beliefs and aspirations and is at the heart of what makes Dell a great company. But it is more. At the core of The Soul of Dell are the members of our team who everyday, throughout the world, demonstrate our commitment to Customers, the Dell team, Direct Relationships, Global Citizenship and Winning.

Boy, are words ever cheap with those people, as I will go on to show.
Direct Relationships???????????? You can't call Corporate Headquarters and get an operator!!
Global Citizenship??? They are a country off by themselves with the draw bridge raised and the moat full of crocs.
What a line of PR crap!!
The only commitment to the above ever shown by any Dell representative I ever met was the part about winning.

Now if I were an investigative reporter, no doubt I would have to go to headquarters in Round Rock and then use perhaps intimidation to do some investigation of some rip off or another. Have a cameraman along and a van full of electronic equipment and camera running, perhaps. I am not a reporter, so thanks to ripoffreport.com I can come here and publish my account of Dell's customer disservice and the run-around I got from them. As the folks at ripoffreport are so fond of saying, "Don't let them get away with it!"

Thanks to those folks at ripoffreport, I don't have to.

I will post the emails I traded with tech support below for those interested. Suffice it to say at the beginning that my Dell computer came equipped with Microsoft Office from the factory. It came pre-installed on the hard drive, not on a disk, nor was there a back-up disk in the event of system failure, upgrade, etc. If there was supposed to be one, it was either carelessly omitted when they packaged my system, or it was stolen by someone at the factory entrusted with compiling people's systems prior to shipment.

In fact, there wasn't even a product recovery disk shipped with the computer. That was a decision made at some point to save money. They put all the Windows system reinstall information on a portion of the hard drive. That was supposed to be all the product recovery you were supposed to need. There used to be a utility in Dell Tools or something like that where one could burn his own recovery disk just in case of hard drive failure, but they even eliminated that. You had to have enough savvy to see that you might need a recovery disk someday and request one from customer service. Fortunately I did.

The trouble is I didn't know that I would lose Microsoft Office, that it wasn't on the disk the factory sent me, and that they would stonewall me if I asked for a replacement. Why, they even begrudged me the basic hardware drivers. Not even the system drivers you need to get your system up and running were on that disk!!!

My original contact at tech support was Darlene (# 0193763). I explained that I had installed a new hard drive and used the product recovery disk but the sound wouldn't work and neither could I get online. She explained, rather icily and unsympathetically, that the drivers for those things weren't on the disk. No, there is no disk for the drivers that I can or will send you, is basically the way she put it. I could go online and download them from the Dell website if I wanted to.

"How?" I asked. I have no network driver, so I have no Internet connection.

"You go to another computer, go to the Dell site, download the drivers you need and burn them on a CD. Then you take that CD and put it into your computer and install them. But all the software that came with the system is lost. It gets installed at the factory but if you lose it we don't replace it."
"HUH? Even the User's Manual, for crying out loud?"
Yup. That was right. According to her, anyway.

This took place on the phone, naturally. No way to contact customer "support" online, and besides I needed an answer quickly.

Well, my only option for getting anything done was to go to Fry's that very evening, buy an Ethernet card for my old computer (30+ bucks down the drain) install it, go online, and jump through the rest of the hoops Darlene ordered.

Then to rub salt into the wound, she emailed me as a followup. "Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware Warranty Support. It was a pleasure working with you
to resolve the issue you had with your system." What???!!! She didn't resolve a thing. Just gave me the corporate shuffle and told me I had to go to the website myself and find my own fix there. Well, come to think of it, I could have called back and someone would have told me where to click on the download page. Heh heh. Forgot about that kind gesture.

Then at the bottom of her email it said: "Customer Experience: How am I doing? I am constantly striving to improve my service. If there is anything I can do to help
improve your experience, please don't hesitate to let me know by contacting my manager via email using the instructions above."

If she strove to do anything it was to be unsympathetic, uncaring, curt to the point of being rude. What hypocrisy!

Well, I took her up on her offer to contact her manager. His name is Chris
(# 0182407). He said, basically, "Sure there are driver and software disks! Send me your address and I will see that you get them." But forget about your Microsoft Office, is the gist of the rest of his email. We don't want to send you a disk to reinstall it, because we want to protect our standing with Microsoft. You lose, sucka."

I said that I had no idea when I read the User's Manual section on replacing one's hard drive that I would lose all software installed previously at the factory. Maybe I could have done something different, but there was not one word of warning I was going to forfeit my claim to Office!

Then he finally said, after all the runaround of trading emails, that all I needed to do was grab my copy of Office software and reinstall it. So I went from, "No, there are no replacement disks for even basic drivers," to "You got all the disk you need already to get your Microsoft Office up and running."

As an aside, I have had other quality issues with this Dell product as well. I can tell you how it was built on the cheap and how they cut corners every way they could. My email address is: Arthur21743@yahoo.com if you need any more info than that contained here, or if this post does not appear in its entirety for some reason. You will be able to tell because the last paragraph is as follows:
Either way, may God, the Universe, and all of life deal with Dell as a company and you people as individuals in the same manner as you have dealt with me. May life always be as cheap with you all as you have been with me, and as unwilling to right a wrong or admit to a mistake.
[Me: I bet these people have bought into the lie that to admit it when you're wrong is a sign of weakness. No, it is a sign of humanness, and a measure of one's humanity, one's heart, and one's humility.]


Following is a compilation of the email runaround that took place with Dell:

[ Darlene (0193763) wrote:
Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware Warranty Support. It was a pleasure working with you to resolve the issue you had with your system.]


My email to Darlene's manager:

Well, the pleasure was all one-sided. Not only did the issue not become resolved, it made me angry enough to go to badbusinessbureau.com (aka ripoffreport.com) and file a complaint against Dell. I am giving it one more try before I do, however, since once I write and post it there you folks could even give me a whole new system and beg me to take my report off there and they will not allow it. Once posted, any negative report written there stays on there forever. Even I as the original author can't get them to take it off once it's posted.

Ok, here goes. One last try to reason with you people. Not only was my issue not resolved, Darlene was not respectful, like she says in her closing. She was in fact curt, unapologetic, even borderline cold blooded.

Here's the problem. I bought a new HD with ten times the capacity of the old so I could use my video converter to put my VHS tapes on the system in preparation for burning them onto DVD's. I wanted it to be my D drive, but Windows balks at having to do all that heavy-duty processing of video files on a drive where it doesn't reside. So, I moved the original drive to D: and am using it for backup and storage of files and made my new 250 Gig HD my C drive. When I read the User's Manual on how to install a new C: drive there was absolutely no warning that the software now installed on my computer would be lost and was not included in the restore disk nor was it available as downloads at the Dell website. Well, Sonic maybe. But I haven't cared about that.

Darlene wasn't the least bit gracious when she announced that all that stuff comes installed at the factory and are all freebies which will not be replaced no how, no way. I mean what caring, reputable company even begrudges its customers a User Manual? I can buy a crummy TV remote and go to the manufacturer's website and download a user's manual, for crying out loud.

Now you folks can keep your precious User's Manual. I have read it anyway. And you can keep the stupid jukebox thingy and all that other stuff that timed out, but there is a real problem with Microsoft Office. It was fully functional and didn't try to get me to upgrade, didn't tell me it was a trial version, didn't tell me I had 60 days before it self destructed, etc. Now I have Office 2003 files I can't get to though I backed them up all good and proper, because the software is gone. I can't go to Dell's website, plug in my Service Tag, have the site scan my system to see that I have that particular software due me, and then reinstall it. Nope. Not even though it appears on the Packing Slip as P/N G2277.

What's next? Are you going to tell me P/N's 94443, 85932, and 85933 (extended warranty stuff) were freebies also? Pretty soon you will be telling me I bought the case, all the guts inside were freebies. I mean, that is the logical extension of your fool reasoning. "No, the power supply, motherboard, hard drive, extended warranty, etc. were all freebies. We threw them in with the metal case. What you bought was the stand-alone box. All the rest we threw in out of the goodness of our hearts."

Boy will this ever get a laugh at ripoffreport.com from people who go there to check out your company before they buy a Dell system.

Arthur Warchol

Arthur,

My name is Chris and I'm a supervisor here within the Dell Resolution Expert Center. I?ve [sic] reviewed our logs on the current issue and want to assure you that the primary goal of both Dell and myself is to ensure that this issue is resolved in a timely and accurate manner. [Read: Swept under the rug. I am going to spout a lot of customer-service platitudes while I tell you to go take a hike.]

Your case was escalated to me regarding some problems you have been having with your Dimension 4700 system.

I apologize as the Dell representative you had been originally communicating with was mistaken, we are able to dispatch a Dimension driver disk for your system. However the latest drivers, may not be on the disk
and would be found on our support.dell.com website.

We are also able to dispatch a disk with all of the Dell programs that were installed on the system, this would be located on our Dell Tools disk.

If you can provide the following ship to address information, I will get those sent to you immediately.

Name of the Company:
Name of person to contact:
Address (No PO Boxes):
City / State / Zip:
Area Code & Phone Number:
Cell Phone Number:
Alternate contact number:

Due to licensing agreements with Microsoft, we are unable to replace your Office 2003 disk. The disk was originally sent out with the system, and was yours to keep in case you needed to reinstall the software. If
you have lost the disk, and maintain the product key, you may contact Microsoft directly and request a replacement media disk.

I hope this clears up any confusion regarding the situation. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Regards,
Chris UID:0182407
Case #125974047


[My response]
That's just the trouble with Office. There WAS no disk packed with my system. I personally unpacked my son's Dell system so I know about the disks and hard copy manual that was packed with his machine. I got none of that! Somebody forgot to include the disks and that book. I believe it (the manual) was about his monitor, but don't remember for sure. Anyway, you should know what I am talking about.

For crying out loud, Chris, if I had an installation disk do you think I would be writing all this? I mean I had an issue with a motherboard and they sent me out a replacement and I installed it myself. If you have access to my service history you should be able to tell I am not a computer idiot!

I am not out to screw Microsoft by conning you out of a duplicate Office program. I just got offered a pirated version of some of their software and turned it down. I believe everybody should get his due when it comes to product and labor rendered. You might need to cover your a*s with Microsoft and not send out free copies of their software, but when it is Dell's fault that my disk was never included, then what?

As far as those other disks you offered me, I have all the drivers downloaded already and saved to my D: drive. If needed I can burn them to disk as well. I don't really need all that other software, I don't imagine. It was a bit of a nuisance anyway and just cluttered up the desktop with icons.

Arthur

Arthur,

Thanks for your response.

Unfortunately we are unable to replace the Microsoft Office disk at this time. If this had been brought to our attention within the 21 day return period, or even shortly after, we might have been able to send out
a replacement.

That being said, it's not possible for you to use the Office 2003 product without first entering the activation code, and that code is located
on the outside of the disk itself. So if you had been actively using the product, you had to have entered the key at one time.

I have created a dispatch for the replacement drivers and tools disk under DPS #069376845. I realize you state you have already downloaded the software, however it is convenient to have these disks in case you
may not have internet connectivity at your location.

I wish I had a different response for you in regards to the Office 2003 disk, but policy decision in this situation are rarely made.

Please reply directly to this email if you have further questions or concerns regarding this issue. If no further assistance is required, then no reply is necessary. The case will be archived in 1 business day if there is no response. It can be easily re-opened if necessary.

Thanks,
Chris UID:0182407
Case #125974047


[Me]
So let me get this straight, Chris. If I had spoken up about not having a disk in the first 21 days I would have been telling the truth, but now since I found out after that time frame that I didn't have a needed disk, I am -- you might as well come out and say it -- pulling a scam. Sounds like you got a mindless bureaucrat to make that decision for you. Or did you come up with that "solution" on your own?

Care to give me that person's name? If there was someone else over you responsible for this idiotic response you and Darlene shouldn't be the only ones having your name plastered on ripoffreport.com for all the world to see.

And no, I didn't have to install Office from a disk or enter any product key either. It came already installed and enabled. Probably some of that cost-cutting stuff you people initiated. You know, like eliminating from the Dell Toolbox or whatever you call it the ability to burn one's own restore disk. My son has that on his because his was purchased before you folks eliminated that feature. I had to contact tech support and have them ship a recovery disk out to me. Luckily there was no 21-day clause for that part of my warranty.

Anyhow, what this is all about is you folks' unwillingness to stand by your warranty. You sacrificed customer service in your attempt to do things on the cheap and I am the victim of your cost-cutting schemes.

My mistake was I couldn't foresee how much I had to watch my back when dealing with you people.

Of course, there is another possibility that just occurred to me. It could be someone at the factory who is responsible for installing these programs onto the individual customers' machines is stealing the disks and installing a working Office without any disk backup hoping the customer won't know any better. That would explain why there was no backup disk with a product key on the envelope included with my system, wouldn't it?

How ironic it would be if that were the case and I was the one who got stuck with bringing the problem to light, and got paid for my effort on behalf of Dell's improvement by getting screwed by those same recipients of my time and effort.

Either way, may God, the Universe, and all of life deal with Dell as a company and you people as individuals in the same manner as you have dealt with me. May life always be as cheap with you all as you have been with me, and as unwilling to right a wrong or admit to a mistake.

[Me: I bet these people have bought into the lie that to admit it when you're wrong is a sign of weakness. No, it is a sign of humanness, and a measure of one's humanity, one's heart, and one's humility.]

Arthur
Wylie, Texas
U.S.A.

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