Dell Computer Corp. (Shop)

...that this opinion is on Dell as a company, and not on the computer I have just received from them, which will be covered separately.

About Dell…

I have no doubt that if you have a major national newspaper in front of you, that after a quick flick through, you’ll find an advert for Dell, the company I’m looking at today. Founded only a few years ago, they have rapidly grown to be the world’s largest supplier of computing ...
...As I have already mentioned, Dell rely very heavily on newspaper advertising. You will, however, also see their computers advertised on TV and around the internet – indeed, you’ll see some Dell adverts right here on Ciao if you click refresh enough times [later…]

These adverts show images of sharp-looking, professional black computers. Don’t get me wrong, the product is outstanding. But the service? Well, I’ll say it’s the opposite. ... more

Yes, I’ve been away for a stack of time with mounds of work to sift through, but I’m back at last, and bring you now my first offering of the year. I’d just like to point out that this opinion is on Dell as a company, and not on the computer I have just received from them, which will be covered separately.

About Dell…

I have no doubt that if you have a major national newspaper in front of you, that after a quick flick through, you’ll find an advert for Dell, the company I’m looking at today. Founded only a few years ago, they have rapidly grown to be the world’s largest supplier of computing equipment.

This monstrous enterprise now spans the world, supplying devices to all four corners of the globe. You’d think that this is because they sell great computers. This is true. However, you’d also think the pricing is competitive. Well, you have to hunt hard for a good deal. Perhaps they are good at customer service, your mind will ask. ‘No,’ the reply will come.

Coming Across Dell…

As I have already mentioned, Dell rely very heavily on newspaper advertising. You will, however, also see their computers advertised on TV and around the internet – indeed, you’ll see some Dell adverts right here on Ciao if you click refresh enough times [later…]

These adverts show images of sharp-looking, professional black computers. Don’t get me wrong, the product is outstanding. But the service? Well, I’ll say it’s the opposite. The Dell experience starts when you either call them, or, as I did, buy through the website at www.dell.co.uk.

Buying Online…

The web address they advertise is actually dell.co.uk/deals, however, that’s just a con to get you thinking you’re getting a good deal. It actually redirects to the first address I gave, so what’s the point in making that supreme effort of typing those additional six characters?

As you enter the site, you are bombarded with pop-up adverts screaming unbelievable offers at you, and big boxes announcing free printers, or screen upgrades, or if you’re lucky, a laptop carry-case for your desktop PC. Wow, these people are really geniuses.

I’m going to talk specifically about buying a desktop computer from Dell, though I’ll note at this point that laptop purchase works very much in the same way – just select ‘Notebooks’ instead of ‘Desktops’ on the home/home office computer selection page. It’s really very simple.

Choosing Your PC…

The website is carefully designed to make it very simple for someone even with very limited computer knowledge to buy a computer and understand what’s going on. I have looked carefully and I really don’t think there are any instances where we can blame Dell for trying to con the technologically-challenged in to picking up unnecessary extras.

The desktops page offers you a choice of three basic models – the Dimension 2350, 4350 and 8150 [correct at time of publishing, though the models are updated very frequently]. Underneath, Dell so kindly explain the advantages each particular model has to offer. The 2350 gives ‘affordable technology,’ the 4550 ‘advanced performance,’ and the 8250 ‘cutting-edge.’

This, as well as the starting prices for each range, is listed. They vary every few days depending on the deals available, though the 2350 tends to start at around £600, the 4550 at around £780 and the 8150 sits at about the £950 mark, though they can vary greatly depending on what’s available.

Further Details…

Once you have chosen what you think is right for you, you can view further details and specifications, and then choose from a list the model you think is just about right for you. Then, further alterations can be made to the specifications to make sure you get exactly what you’re after.

This is what’s unique about Dell. Each computer is tailor-made to order to the customer’s individual specifications. For example, the model you choose may have a 2.4GHz processor, which determines how quickly your computer opens programs and responds to a click etc, but you can upgrade this to a 2.5GHz one to make it operate more quickly.

If you are working on a budget, a good thing to do is to change the guarantee to ‘one year collect and return,’ which, when VAT is included, takes approximately £160 off your bill. I’d also recommend to anyone that they pick up Microsoft Office XP Small Business – it’s expensive, I know, but it’s so much better than Microsoft Works and offers far superior word processing and desktop publishing tools.

When You’re Done…

At this point, you enter your details to pay for the computer and your address for delivery and telephone numbers so that they can get in touch with you. Click ‘submit,’ and there is where the saga begins. This is where the nightmare starts. I originally ordered this computer on the 18th November as a Christmas gift for my kids [self]. It arrived on Monday [24th February]. They take ‘between seven and nine working days’ to deliver.

If things had worked out, indeed, if Dell had acted properly, a few paragraphs would bring this opinion to a close. In fact, I would have gone in to ridiculous detail about the website. But there’s so much to say, and I don’t want to bore you any more than I have to. I know you all love a little whinge every now and then. I think a four-month rest should have given you time to recover from the last one :)

All Seems Well…

On the 19th November, I received an e-mail confirming that my order had been received, but that there were some ‘issues [they had] to clarify’ with me. I tried to call them. After an hour in the queue for the call centre, I got through. I gave the order number I had been quoted in the e-mail. They couldn’t track my order, so they gave up.

A few days later, by which time we should have received an invoice, there is still nothing in the post. At this point, I begin to get a little suspicious, though then I receive a call from Dell. They tell me that they have made two errors, firstly that they had entered my credit card details wrongly in to the system, and also that the order number they had given me was not actually one for an English customer.

Take Two…

The original order was cancelled but was then reactivated – the process was started again. The promised to give me a fresh, proper order number – they said they would call. They didn’t. In the end I called them, again, waiting in the call centre queue. They fobbed me off with excuses about being busy. I was quite annoyed after having had to ‘press one’ and ‘press two’ for ten minutes to get through to the ‘right people’ that they put me through to someone else, who threw me back to the original crowd after having done sod all.

It’s nice to know Dell value my custom so much.

Anyway, at this stage, we receive an invoice, and the order has been put through. However, it’s now too late to receive the computer before Christmas, and it is agreed that we will accept it after I get back from Australia, on the 30th January. This seems fair enough. However, when I return on the 7th [the 30th was the earliest day I could get off work, and they can only deliver Mon-Fri 8-6, which is not very useful for the working family], I check my ‘phone messages, and after specifically telling them, and them acknowledging not to do this, they had tried to make a delivery whilst we were away, on December 23rd.

So I called them and arranged, again, for the delivery to be delayed until the 30th. That date came, and went, and no computer turned up. I called them furious; since I had taken a day out of my allowed holiday and sat at home waiting for this, and it had not turned up.

The Hole Deepens…

After me asking SEVERAL times if the computer would be okay to be held until the end of January, and their insistence it would, it turned out the courier had sent it back to Dell after having held it for too long. I was refunded on my credit card – on what date? January 29th 2003. I was bloody livid. My angerfest over, Dell agreed to call me the next day to discuss reactivating the order at the great price I had got, since the same system would now cost around £1,250 instead of the £801 I had found.

Finally, they had sorted it. Yes, I could definitely have the deal they had offered originally. Yes, it would be delivered on 24th February, and would not be sent back to Dell, and yes, the order number was right. Perhaps there is a God. I called Dell on the Monday morning to check it was coming. They said it was, and I ‘phoned the courier, who told me the computer would be with me ‘within the hour’ – you can call them on the day of delivery and the call centre contacts the driver to give a rough delivery time.

Indeed, the device did arrive, and I am, as it happens, very satisfied with it. The driver was courteous, unlike the staff at Dell, who were not very helpful and had no idea what was going on. Their customer records are clearly disorganised and they pay no attention to the people who buy from them. They obviously have little respect for their customers and value their business as highly insignificant.

Summary…

As you can tell, I’m not very pleased with the service I received, though I imagine that if you are careful and if they get it right first time, an experience with Dell should be a seamless one. Unfortunately, both me and my wife work and are out during Dell’s delivery hours, which makes it very difficult for us.

However, I am now very satisfied with the machine and it was worth the hassle. The kids are very pleased with their Christmas present, even if it did come after one of their early-February birthdays. However, I’ll be writing about the product separately, probably in the next few weeks – this opinion is merely about the ordering and delivery process.

The bottom line? If it’s quality you’re after, then Dell can offer it to you, as long as you’re prepared to take days off work to accept your machine or make infinite ‘phone calls and spend hours on hold if you don’t want to take time off work – they refuse to leave deliveries with neighbours, which could potentially be very useful. Though the world’s biggest computer retailer, they’ll have to work hard to keep their position, since they have one very unhappy customer. I’d be interested to hear your experiences with Dell – please leave a comment.

©, Daniel Etheridge for ciao.co.uk, 2003
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