After suffering through quite a few problems with my laptop and getting poor customer support, I decided to write a letter of complaint to Dell. Im seriously wondering what response Im going to get. Dear Dell Support, I’m writing to you to express my greatest irritation with your Customer Service and their inefficiency in solving customer problems. The details of my laptop and the customer complaint number are given below: Model: Inspiron 14R Service Tag: --------- Service Code: -------------- Complaint ID: 888519805 On 18th January, I called your Customer Care Helpline to solve some problems relating to my laptop. What I was met with was incompetency on the part of your executive. The problems, of which there are many, are listed below along with the suggestions of your executive, and my personal suggestions on how you could best serve your customers. I have also added a list of other incidents that took place with regard to Dell for your consideration – - The first problem pertains to the fan in the laptop. For the longest time I believed this part of the laptop is meant to make sure that the laptop doesnt overheat and functions smoothly. Recently, Ive come to realize that it is more of a notification to make sure that the owner knows that the laptop is switched on. The laptop makes sure of this by randomly making noises and expelling out large amounts of heat. This doesnt just happen when the processing power of the laptop is pushed to its edge as people may assume but also, when the laptop is switched on with no applications opened. In addition to this, it also at times makes rattling noises without expelling any heat. I guess I should probably thank the good people at Dell for this secret built-in feature because it would be difficult for me to tell if my laptop is on or not when Im using it. However, I find that looking at my screen suffices quite well. I apologise for discrediting the hard work put into building this feature but I must ask for a replacement of the fan that has said feature turned off. As I pointed out this problem to your executive, he understoood my plight and assured me that the situation would be remedied at the soonest. I eagerly waited for 16 days before realising that my initial complaint may have been misplaced. I initally thought it would be impossible to misplace complaints in this age of computing but then I realised that your systems maybe running on inefficient computers that may decide to just randomly restart before the complaint could be saved. If this is the problem, I fully empathise with it as I too, have a computer that constantly gives me problems. At this point in time, I should also bring to your attention that this isnt the first time that the fan of the computer has given me problems. It has been replaced at least three times before because it tends to start malfunctioning close to every 6 months. This was the solution to the laptop overheating and subsequently, restarting. I guess I cant really blame the good people at Dell for this either as Bombay is a warm city and to expect a laptop to function properly in this climate would be as good as asking for world peace. What does puzzle me though is why Dell would sell laptops in Bombay if its product couldnt handle the climate. As my laptop nears the end of its full cover extended warranty, I came to realize that come this summer, I would have to bear the direct expenses of constantly changing the fan my laptop myself (under the insurance cover, I was indirectly bearing the cost by paying for insurance but psychologically, you dont feel like youre really paying much as it comes under a one-time payment). I also came to the realization that if the fan had to be changed more than 3 times within a 3 year period, it was probably a pretty shit piece of machinery but then I thought back to the fact that this was all probably because I was living in Bombay, and cursed my parents for not raising me in a colder environment. I was going to suggest that your company manufacture functional fans that didnt have to be changed every few months or at the least, give an unlimited period free cover for the replacement of defective parts provided by your company but I realize that to ask the company to do any of this would be prepostorous as it may marginally reduce the multi-billion dollar profit that your company is currently making and would have me labelled a communist. - The second problem I seem to facing is with my keyboard. While, most of the keys function smoothly most of the time, some keys decide to go on strike and stop functioning. Like most labour strikes where employees eventually come back to work without any of their demands being met, the keys too, finally concede and start working again. Sometimes these keys go on strike for an extended period of time. After the last time I got my fan changed in July (I suspect the technician changed my keyboard as well, though I cant recall), I had to circumvent the usage of the Escape Key till September, following which my Control key and Backspace decided to go on shorter strikes. Though, I appreciate the keys testing my creativity for finding alternative solutions, I feel that is rebellion needs to be crushed once and for all. I would thus ask the good people at Dell to send capable replacements for the rebelling keys (read: change the keyboard). I made an attempt to communicate the same to your executive without the analog (more along the lines of, my keyboard is spoilt). I went on to explain to him how the keys do not remain constantly spoilt but a few keys stop working erratically and to get them to work I have to keep hitting the key multiple times (which deeply pains me as violence towards anything animate or inanimate goes against my morals). The executive continued on to use a keyboard test where I would press every key on the keyboard the key would light up on the screen. While going through this test, a few keys did not work at which point I was asked to press them again. By the third time, all the keys had lit up. The executive went on to tell me that the keyboard was working near fine but he would still check out the problem as it was a hardware one. Again, owing to the misplacement of the complaint (or so I would assume), there was no follow-up. But as previously mentioned, I could not possibly begrudge you as I too, face constant problems with my computer. What I did find fascinating though, was the approach taken to the problem. If the key doesnt work the first time, hit it continuously till it works fine. I feel like this innovative approach can be used in parenting. If the child isnt listening to you, smack him/her silly till they obey. Since, the solution does come from the good people at Dell, Im sure it must be efficient. - The third problem Im having relates to my computer hanging while trying to perform the simplest of tasks. Among these tasks, the one I found most intriguing was the laptop started hanging when it was shutting down. Up until now, I had no idea that something of the kind could even happen. Again, I think I should thank the good people at Dell for exposing me to a host of problems that a computer could present to one. To add to the list of things makes the computer hang: starting up, opening Firefox, opening Facebook, watching a movie, scanning the computer among others. It should be noted that when the computer does hang, the fan against start making noise and expelling large amounts of heat. I cant say for sure but there seems to be a correlation between the two. To begin with, I assumed that this problem was software related and thus, was not a challenge put up by you to test my patience but our good friends at Microsoft. Before speaking to the executive, I had asked an IT technician in my office how to solve the problem of the computer hanging. On inspecting the computer, he seemed to believe that it may be a hardware problem (something to do with processing power or the motherboard of something) and thus, asked me to speak to the good people at Dell about it. On speaking to your executive, he assured me it was a software problem and proceeded to convincing me to format my laptop. I assumed that he would know what he was talking about as the IT technician in the office only has an Engineering Degree in Computer Science while he is working for the good people at Dell. As I didnt have my data backed up, I didnt end up formatting the laptop at that point in time but the good person from Dell came up with a solution to help me out. It ended with my mousepad losing the ability to scroll or magnify the screen. Another obstacle for me to tackle, but this time I decided to take the easy way out and call back the Dell Support for help. The lady on the line proceeded to take more than an hour to fix the problem. Good thing too, otherwise god knows, I may have actually ended up doing something productive with that time. But coming back to a solution, I thought Id ask you what I should do - believe your employee who hasnt seen my laptop and has a vested interest in putting it down as a software issue or an IT technician who has no bone in the fight but has diagnosed it as a hardware issue. - The fourth issue at hand isnt covered under the insurance agreement and I didnt bring it up with the customer care executive but I thought I would bring it up right now to yet again ascertain the fine quality of your products. Along with my laptop, I had got a mouse which to be honest, I barely ever used. The other day, I decided that maybe it was time to change that. The mouse connected properly and scrolled around but it turns out, both the left, centre and right button dont work anymore. I would love to say I was surprised but by this time, another malfunctioning product from Dell seems rather commonplace. All in all, I know I should really be thanking the good people from Dell; for making me a more patient person, for training me to think creatively, for empowering me with the knowledge of every single problem that can be faced by a user, for making me understand the world is an unfair place however, unfortunately Im an ungrateful simpleton who would rather have solutions than challenges. As a child, I was the proud owner of a Microsoft XBox 360. My Xbox came with a manufacturing defect called the Red Circle problem. The manufacturer admitted that the problem was from their end and came up with a solution. I was to courier my Xbox to and from Australia at my own cost where Microsoft would fix the problem (the cost amounted to the cost of the Xbox itself). This was because I bought my Xbox from Hong Kong as I just couldnt wait 6 months till it released in India. Im sure the good people at Dell would concur with the immaculate reasoning of their friends at Microsoft. After all, if one appreciates your product so much that he would go out of his way to acquire it, he must be charged a higher price. To resolve the current predicament we seemed to have reached, I suggest the following remedies - - A New laptop. One with properly functioning parts would be preferred. As much as Ive enjoyed the challenges that my current laptop has put before me, Ive reached that point in my life where I would like to sit and back and let the computer make my life a little simpler. (Some ignorant fool recently told me that it was the reason they were first made. I strongly disagreed and told him that the good people at Dell would agree with me). An upgrade would be even better :D - An indefinite period of full-cover warranty. I feel like the trust even if I were to get a new laptop has been completely shattered. To be honest, Im not sure if I could ever love again. Hence, I feel this is an equitable point. - A new mouse would be appreciated. - Induction into the Training Program of the Marketing Team at Dell. I recently saw the movie Wolf of Wall Street. I was amazed at how one man managed to con so many people off their money. I laughed thinking there was no chance that someone would be able to pull a fast one like that over me. It took me a few days to realize how wrong I was. My anger was soon overcome by admiration for the skill of the marketing team. I would thus like to learn the procedure to apply to the Dell Marketing Program. - Seeing as the products manufactured by Dell, do not seem to satisfy the customers. I feel like I could bring the requisite expertise to turn the company around. I thus propose my name for CEO of Dell and if that cant be met I will be satisfied by appointment as International Head of Manufacturing. - Last but not least, an apology. That is, if that isn’t asking for too much. I feel like the aforementioned suggestions are reasonable and adequate for me to move on with my life. Good day to the good people at Dell and I look forward to a quick response! :) Also, please do not get some smooth-talking manager to call me and try and convince me that the problems with laptop are a result of my own negligence. He may actually succeed and that would force me to write a longer letter of complaint in the future. PS – As much as it may seem like a letter of appreciation from my side, it really isn’t. Please get someone who understands sarcasm to read the letter. Thank You.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 11:40:16 +0000
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