Dell: Just When I Think It Is OK, They Do It To Me Again!!

Talk about counting your chickens before they hatch. I should have learned by now. Dell (DELL) does it to me again.

When we left off yesterday, Dell was going to notify DHL to send the packages to my correct address and credit me the shipping i paid for but did not get. Now, in order to appreciate what comes next, please read yesterday’s post on this here.

I am going about my day playing catch up after they robbed me of 2 hours of it when I get a call at 4:30 pm that DHL is still waiting for Dell to allow them to release the package. I notify them to just forget it and at this point I will just goi pick it up. “No, you can’t” is the reply. What? It seems Dell put a “hold” on the order and it cannot move until they send another email releasing it. I do not blame DHL, they are doing what they legally have to do, I blame you know who!!

Now, another hour on the phone. This time it takes that long because I have to relate the entire days conversations to yet another person who does the 3 minute hold boogie with me while they “look at the file” and then he swears he emailed DHL. Now that the DHL person and I on a first name basis, I call her 20 minutes later and she at that point had not heard from Dell. She says (I actually believe her) she will call me tomorrow “if there is an issue”, talk to you tomorrow Sara…

Now, all this started with the sales process. I gave the new address to both the salesperson and the “payment specialist”. During the course of the day my wife emailes the salesperson for help and get this response..

From: Brett_Engle@Dell.com [mailto:Brett_Engle@Dell.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 5:23 PM
To: nicoles@VVVVVV.VVV
Subject: RE: Dell Order Has Been Canceled for Dell Purchase ID: XXXXXXXXXX

I have submitted to have the shipping address changed so you can pick it up. I transferred the call to a payment specialist who placed the order so I guess I won’t take credit for this mistake.

Hey, Bud. Way to take the bull by the horns and step up to help a customer!! Notice how he says we “can go pick it up”. It is nice to see Dell tells it’s folks to go the extra mile. Hey Brett, is it coming in pieces so “I can put it together”?

We emailed a reply and simply asked why we had to go pick it up, why can’t DHL deliver it to us?

Our reply from Brett at Dell?

From: Brett_Engle@Dell.com [HYPERLINK mailto:Brett_Engle@Dell.com mailto:Brett_Engle@Dell.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 5:48 PM
Subject: Read: Dell Order Has Been Canceled for Dell Purchase ID: XXXXXX

Your message

To: Engle, Brett
Cc: ‘Todd Sullivan’
Subject: RE: Dell Order Has Been Canceled for Dell Purchase ID: XXXXXXXXx

Sent: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:40:37 -0500

was read on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:48:03 -0500

Nothing. Nothing at all. Just a read receipt. I guess they are waiting for DHL to come through for them? Go DELL!!!

I am surprised but think I am a bit of a sucker for being so. If Micheal Dell wants to fix his broken company, stop thinking about ways to sell cheaper products through Wal-Mart (WMT) and maybe keep the ones you have? Stuff like this not only makes you lose people but is a great story to tell at dinner, the bar, a ballgame, hockey practice, everywhere and makes your company look real lousy.

Another thing. I have a family member who works for a large customer of Dell’s who read my in initial post and said to me “just call us next time, we could have had it fixed immediately”. Here is the thing though. Dell ought to treat us all the same. Right? I should not have to go “above someone’s head” to get their own admitted mistake fixed, should I?

Some people will get treated this way and keep it to themselves, others, like me, have a megaphone to tell everyone. You never know who is on the other end of that phone folks….