Yesterday I wrote about PR and customer service. Today, Jory gave me a perfect follow-on with her open [blog] letter to Michael Dell.
I wonder if Dell PR is paying attention? Jory's story could be repeated verbatim by my business partner. She basically blackmailed the Dell PR department a couple of years ago to get a new computer after she went through a couple of motherboards within the first six months of owning the machine. (Sometimes it pays to be in tech PR!).
I will never buy Dell. For that matter, I am having serious issues with Gateway, and I won't buy them again either. This is my third Gateway computer...and last. (Forget customer service if you are in Europe - you have to mail back to the US and wait months. Riiight. Not to mention they can't seem to keep you on the line for support, hanging up on me 3 times -- did I mention that I am calling from Europe! 90 minutes on the phone with 3 different people for NOTHING.)
And forget Sony Vaio - seen too many people with too many problems with that machine too.
So, any suggestions for my next laptop?
Get an Apple PowerBook. You will never regret going over to the Good side of the Force...
Posted by: david parmet | March 17, 2005 at 12:51 PM
A Powerbook. :)
Posted by: Daniel Von Fange | March 17, 2005 at 02:48 PM
Buy a Mac! They have a HUGE international tech support system, including at-door service and 24-hour replacement for a nominal cost. That's beside the enormous hardware and software advantages they have over more profit-minded and less integrated companies like Dell and Sony. I've had a great string of Mac laptops, all of which I have dropped on concrete at least once, while on, with no problems (I take them with me to university every day.)
Try it out. It runs Office and everything else you need, and once you try a Mac, you'll never go back.
Posted by: joey | March 18, 2005 at 11:46 PM
Depends on what you want - IBM thinkpads are rock solid. I spent about 6 months researching my own laptop purchase, and finally settled on the IBM X40 series (as I needed an ultraportable companion machine). If you don't like the looks, the surface is perfect for paint screens and there are tons of examples on the net. If I remember correctly, the IBM T41 got the best corporate laptop award among linux users last year - what's that say? They're not cheap, but neither is a Mac, and I'd take the IBM machine.
./4 n G3L/
Posted by: Angel | March 20, 2005 at 02:56 AM
Seems a lot of us are Mac users. Have switched over from the dark side for 2 years now. First an iBook then a Powerbook.... never looked back.
But when I get the urge to play games..... I bought a PS2!! :)
And Apple has service centers all over Europe... and they also have a worldwide warranty!
Posted by: Vish! | March 30, 2005 at 07:59 AM
Elizabeth,
My colleague recently moved from the dark side with a Powerbook and is thrilled with it.
However if you've loads of important Windows applications, then the Mac is probably not feasible. For a PC laptop you simply can't beat an IBM Thinkpad or a Toshiba.
I've been impressed with Toshiba since the Windows 3.11 days, though I admit that the higer end thinkpads are fairly impressive also!
TM
Posted by: Tom Murphy | April 05, 2005 at 08:56 AM
I also had/still having a serious issue with Dell about a notebook computer I purchased some time ago (details in my blog, soon). Acer notebooks are good. I don't know about their customer service though.
-Dan
Posted by: Dan | July 21, 2005 at 08:16 AM
I bought a Dell desktop and laptop about eighteen months ago and have been to the dark side. I wonder how many blogs have posted on this subject? And why Dell doesen't pay attention? Stop by wrongblog.com and read my posts. I dont have an answer for what to buy.
Good luck
wolfbernz
Posted by: Paul Wolfbernz | March 27, 2006 at 04:52 AM
WOW!! I knew Dell was getting worse, and I knew they were having problems, but I never expected a problem like the one I just encountered. I am a Dell VAR, and I move a moderate amount of product through to my clients. That is, until today. I simply can't afford the time to continue to fix their problems and deal with their incompetence any longer. In June I bought a new D820 laptop for a client. Out of the box id did not work correctly. After contacting Dell Gold Support both by phone and through their on-line chat, they wanted to start sending me parts and have me fix the laptop. After spending many hours with the techs, and finally getting a supervisor, they agreed to send a replacement laptop. The new laptop was received and upon examination I found that it was configured incorrectly. After spending several more hours with Gold Tech Support, I was told to take parts from the old laptop and put them in the new one; specifically, the hard drive which I just finished programming for the client. I've invested over 20 hours just fixing Dell's problems, and after calling Customer Care and again speaking with a supervisor, they offered to compensate me in the amount of $100. Then they hung-up on me. I called again, got some guy in India, who wants to start the entire process over again. After providing the ticket number and asking for his supervisor, he says no problem, and he hangs-up. I have been in the IT business for over 20 years. I am a MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), I'm certified on MS Exchange, I have an excellent customer base that covers Long Island and Manhattan, and customer service is my primary focus. I have never, in 20 years, encountered a company as frustrating as Dell; a company that has a complete lack of respect for its clients, or a company that hires complete fools to interact with the public. Aside from being the president of my company I am also on the board of education and the chairperson for the technology committee for the 3rd largest school district in New York. Dell can not be the only player on the block, and I will find the alternatives and find a way to work with them. I have been insulted by Dell; by their lack of concern for my time and by their lack of quality customer support, both technical and non-technical, and I can not in good conscience continue to do business with this type of company. If anyone reading this is aware of real, viable alternatives to the Dell product line I would appreciate an email. We sell all types of systems; laptops, workstations, desktops, servers, and storage units (NAS), and I would welcome any information and direction that you can provide. Please send any guidance directly to me at [email protected].
Posted by: Mike Anderson | July 07, 2006 at 10:22 PM