JAXpc
01-07-2005, 07:41 PM
Thought I'd start by sharing my thoughts on how wonderful it is to be required to order from Dell, per email text pasted below. :mad:
On a more constructive note ;) , can someone here advise me what other brands fail to offer their ink cartridges & the like at retail stores such as Office Depot? I'd like to avoid this unpleasantness next time I purchase a pc. TIA
(text of email to Dell starts below.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
This is really intended for reading by someone in a position of authority. I'm writing to explain why your ordering requirements have discouraged me from ever again buying a Dell product (other than refill cartridges for the printer I already have). If I receive no reply by the close of business tomorrow, or a reply from someone with a ranking no higher than Rep ID, I plan to copy and paste this entire text on every web site I can find with a forum for people with questions about computer purchases.
My basic complaint is that the requirement to order from Dell, and only Dell, is absurd from the customer's viewpoint. It may be convenient for Dell, and profitable because it eliminates retailers and wholesalers, but it has proven to be extraordinarily and unacceptably INconvenient for me as a customer.
No one mentioned this requirement when I bought my Inspiron 5100 laptop and accompanying printer for $1800+. Why? I suspect now that it's because you know it is an unpopular requirement. Bringing it up at the time of sale might kill the sale, and you certainly wouldn't want that.
Yesterday I initially tried to order online, but was rejected. The responding window said, in essence, that my Windows XP and AOL 9.0 systems were too weak to do the job. Excuse me?
Then I called and, after being pitched ad nauseum to buy more than I needed, I ordered -- but no one mentioned the requirement for a signature upon delivery. I live alone and cannot spend my life at home all the time, like some hermit, waiting for a Dell delivery. So when I thought of it, I called back -- about two minutes after the order. The phone lines then were too busy to take my call -- even though my first call inolved virtually no waiting time.
Then I tried to access your chat room help & got a window saying it was too busy too!
Then I emailed you, which resulted in the exchange we see here. And because of your "signature required" policy, I just now called the air freight company to try to arrange for NO signature required. Turns out I need to call them back again, or check their web site later, because they are not yet showing the tracking number on their system -- so there's nothing they can do for me now,
So here I am, two phone calls, one failed online purchase attempt, one failed chat attempt, and several emails into this thing, and I STILL have no comfort or confidence regarding delivery of the cartridges I ordered.
All in all I have about two hours invested in what should be a very simple purchase process. Other name brand computers offer their cartridges for sale at Office Depot and the like, and a purchase there would have taken about two minutes.
Let's see: Two hours vs. two minutes. Which would YOU choose?
Jack Thomas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Thomas,
Thank you for your response.
I understand your concerns about the order delivery. I would like to
inform you that basically the orders are delivered with signature proof.
However, it may happen that the package might be delivered without the
signature of the recipient.
Mr. Thomas, I suggest you to contact the carrier and schedule the
delivery as per your convenience. I reviewed your account and show that
the ink cartridges have shipped on 01-06-05 via DHL under tracking
number 76488799881.
You can track your order with the help of the tracking number on the
following website:
http://track.dhl-usa.com/TrackByNbr.asp
You can call DHL at 1-800-247-2676
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to assist you. Your case number
for this interaction is 089522712. Please keep this number for your
records. It will help us keep track of this issue so that we can better
assist you.
If there is anything additional that you need, please feel free to visit
our online Customer Care Center at:
http://www.DellCustomerCare.com
Again, thank you for choosing Dell Online Customer Care.
Have a nice day.
Respectfully,
Pamela
Rep ID 87109
Monday-Friday 07:00AM to 03:30PM CST
Dell Online Customer Care
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Attn: Seth
Thanks for your reply but you said nothing at all about my request. To
repeat: My request is that the print cartridges I ordered be delivered
WITH NO
SIGNATURE REQUIRED by me upon arrival. Will that be the case?
There is no other issue. That's all I want to know for now. No
questions
about dates, times, shipping number, etc.; just the issue and question
above.
I look forward to your reply and I hope that this time it addresses my
concern.
John A. Thomas
Dear Mr. Thomas,
Thank you for contacting Dell Customer Care.
I apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused.
Mr. Thomas, I have reviewed your customer number 36800717 and show that
your order number 169665322 for Cartridges is currently in production
and estimated to ship to you on or about 01/07/05. Using your order and
Customer numbers, you can track the progress of your order online at:
http://support.dell.com/us/en/ordstat/
Once your order has been shipped the name of your shipper and the
tracking numbers will also be available at this same site.
Further if you want the order to delivered to any specific address,
please revert to me and I will be initiate the request to deliver the
order at the requested address.
If I can do anything else for you, please feel free to mail back to me
and I shall be happy to assist you. I assure you that I shall always try
my level best to solve your issue as soon as possible.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to assist you. I hope to have
addressed all your concerns to your satisfaction. Your case number for
this interaction is 089522712. Please keep this number for your records.
It will help us keep track of this issue so we can better assist you if
you have any further questions or concerns about the same.
If there is anything additional that you need, feel free to visit our
online Customer Care center at:
www.Dellcustomercare.com
Thank you and have a great day.
Respectfully,
Seth
Rep id 81124
8:30pm-6:00am Monday-Friday
Dell Online Customer Care
When responding to me, please use the *REPLY* function of your e-mail
program.
This will keep the SAME SUBJECT LINE of our e-mail.
Otherwise your message may be delayed or lost.
* * * * * * * * * *
Visit the NEW Customer Care Website!
http://www.DellCustomerCare.com
* * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Dell Community Forum!
http://delltalk.us.dell.com
* * * * * * * * * *
Visit Dells Technical Support Center!
http://support.dell.com/EMailDell/EMailDell.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&validate=true
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
* * * PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT WHEN REPLYING * * *
*** This is a feedback Message from the Dell Online Communications
Center. ***
************************************************** ****************
Customer Information:
***********************************************
Requesting Organization(Empty for DHS) =
Name = John A Thomas
Customer Number =
Requestor E-Mail =jatwrite@aol.com
Contact Phone =313-461-4550
Service Tag =30YK131
Order Number = 169665822
Issue Category = Shipping/Shipper Issue
***********************************************
Problem Description:
I just ordered two cartridges and need to make sure that they will be
delivered with NO SIGNATURE REQUIRED. They are going to my home during a
period of several days and, obviously, I can't be home all the time.
When you reply please advise whether this is standard procedure, or
whether I need to tell the sales person every time.
***********************************************
Sent To: us_csd@dell.com
Referring URL: 64.12.117.13
Date Submitted: 1/5/2005
Date Received(K): 1/5/05 11:43:03 PM
On a more constructive note ;) , can someone here advise me what other brands fail to offer their ink cartridges & the like at retail stores such as Office Depot? I'd like to avoid this unpleasantness next time I purchase a pc. TIA
(text of email to Dell starts below.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
This is really intended for reading by someone in a position of authority. I'm writing to explain why your ordering requirements have discouraged me from ever again buying a Dell product (other than refill cartridges for the printer I already have). If I receive no reply by the close of business tomorrow, or a reply from someone with a ranking no higher than Rep ID, I plan to copy and paste this entire text on every web site I can find with a forum for people with questions about computer purchases.
My basic complaint is that the requirement to order from Dell, and only Dell, is absurd from the customer's viewpoint. It may be convenient for Dell, and profitable because it eliminates retailers and wholesalers, but it has proven to be extraordinarily and unacceptably INconvenient for me as a customer.
No one mentioned this requirement when I bought my Inspiron 5100 laptop and accompanying printer for $1800+. Why? I suspect now that it's because you know it is an unpopular requirement. Bringing it up at the time of sale might kill the sale, and you certainly wouldn't want that.
Yesterday I initially tried to order online, but was rejected. The responding window said, in essence, that my Windows XP and AOL 9.0 systems were too weak to do the job. Excuse me?
Then I called and, after being pitched ad nauseum to buy more than I needed, I ordered -- but no one mentioned the requirement for a signature upon delivery. I live alone and cannot spend my life at home all the time, like some hermit, waiting for a Dell delivery. So when I thought of it, I called back -- about two minutes after the order. The phone lines then were too busy to take my call -- even though my first call inolved virtually no waiting time.
Then I tried to access your chat room help & got a window saying it was too busy too!
Then I emailed you, which resulted in the exchange we see here. And because of your "signature required" policy, I just now called the air freight company to try to arrange for NO signature required. Turns out I need to call them back again, or check their web site later, because they are not yet showing the tracking number on their system -- so there's nothing they can do for me now,
So here I am, two phone calls, one failed online purchase attempt, one failed chat attempt, and several emails into this thing, and I STILL have no comfort or confidence regarding delivery of the cartridges I ordered.
All in all I have about two hours invested in what should be a very simple purchase process. Other name brand computers offer their cartridges for sale at Office Depot and the like, and a purchase there would have taken about two minutes.
Let's see: Two hours vs. two minutes. Which would YOU choose?
Jack Thomas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Thomas,
Thank you for your response.
I understand your concerns about the order delivery. I would like to
inform you that basically the orders are delivered with signature proof.
However, it may happen that the package might be delivered without the
signature of the recipient.
Mr. Thomas, I suggest you to contact the carrier and schedule the
delivery as per your convenience. I reviewed your account and show that
the ink cartridges have shipped on 01-06-05 via DHL under tracking
number 76488799881.
You can track your order with the help of the tracking number on the
following website:
http://track.dhl-usa.com/TrackByNbr.asp
You can call DHL at 1-800-247-2676
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to assist you. Your case number
for this interaction is 089522712. Please keep this number for your
records. It will help us keep track of this issue so that we can better
assist you.
If there is anything additional that you need, please feel free to visit
our online Customer Care Center at:
http://www.DellCustomerCare.com
Again, thank you for choosing Dell Online Customer Care.
Have a nice day.
Respectfully,
Pamela
Rep ID 87109
Monday-Friday 07:00AM to 03:30PM CST
Dell Online Customer Care
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Attn: Seth
Thanks for your reply but you said nothing at all about my request. To
repeat: My request is that the print cartridges I ordered be delivered
WITH NO
SIGNATURE REQUIRED by me upon arrival. Will that be the case?
There is no other issue. That's all I want to know for now. No
questions
about dates, times, shipping number, etc.; just the issue and question
above.
I look forward to your reply and I hope that this time it addresses my
concern.
John A. Thomas
Dear Mr. Thomas,
Thank you for contacting Dell Customer Care.
I apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused.
Mr. Thomas, I have reviewed your customer number 36800717 and show that
your order number 169665322 for Cartridges is currently in production
and estimated to ship to you on or about 01/07/05. Using your order and
Customer numbers, you can track the progress of your order online at:
http://support.dell.com/us/en/ordstat/
Once your order has been shipped the name of your shipper and the
tracking numbers will also be available at this same site.
Further if you want the order to delivered to any specific address,
please revert to me and I will be initiate the request to deliver the
order at the requested address.
If I can do anything else for you, please feel free to mail back to me
and I shall be happy to assist you. I assure you that I shall always try
my level best to solve your issue as soon as possible.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to assist you. I hope to have
addressed all your concerns to your satisfaction. Your case number for
this interaction is 089522712. Please keep this number for your records.
It will help us keep track of this issue so we can better assist you if
you have any further questions or concerns about the same.
If there is anything additional that you need, feel free to visit our
online Customer Care center at:
www.Dellcustomercare.com
Thank you and have a great day.
Respectfully,
Seth
Rep id 81124
8:30pm-6:00am Monday-Friday
Dell Online Customer Care
When responding to me, please use the *REPLY* function of your e-mail
program.
This will keep the SAME SUBJECT LINE of our e-mail.
Otherwise your message may be delayed or lost.
* * * * * * * * * *
Visit the NEW Customer Care Website!
http://www.DellCustomerCare.com
* * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Dell Community Forum!
http://delltalk.us.dell.com
* * * * * * * * * *
Visit Dells Technical Support Center!
http://support.dell.com/EMailDell/EMailDell.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&validate=true
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
* * * PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT WHEN REPLYING * * *
*** This is a feedback Message from the Dell Online Communications
Center. ***
************************************************** ****************
Customer Information:
***********************************************
Requesting Organization(Empty for DHS) =
Name = John A Thomas
Customer Number =
Requestor E-Mail =jatwrite@aol.com
Contact Phone =313-461-4550
Service Tag =30YK131
Order Number = 169665822
Issue Category = Shipping/Shipper Issue
***********************************************
Problem Description:
I just ordered two cartridges and need to make sure that they will be
delivered with NO SIGNATURE REQUIRED. They are going to my home during a
period of several days and, obviously, I can't be home all the time.
When you reply please advise whether this is standard procedure, or
whether I need to tell the sales person every time.
***********************************************
Sent To: us_csd@dell.com
Referring URL: 64.12.117.13
Date Submitted: 1/5/2005
Date Received(K): 1/5/05 11:43:03 PM