Update 24-Jan-2010: The Customer Advocate e-mail address mentioned later in this post has been discontinued. However, Dell still accepts comments from customers and will act on them in timely fashion. If you’ve been through the regular support channels and things aren’t working, go to the Outstanding Issues page and fill in the form. This is not a first-line support alias. You’ll need a case or reference number.
It looks like Dell has officially launched its Cluefulness 2.0 program. I got wind of the pilot program last April when I received an unsolicited phone call from a Dell support executive over a horrible support experience I had had. My issue had eventually been resolved, but it had left a bad taste in my mouth.
In the past few days, I’ve seen more signs that Dell is figuring out how to find unhappy customers and try to make things right. This November 2004 post, Memo to Dell CEO Kevin Rollins, turns up at #1 on the Google search results if you look for Kevin Rollins email address. As a result, the comments section has grown into an impressive collection of complaints about Dell service and support. Last week, a Dell employee named Richard added this comment to the thread:
Ed, we are reading comments like this. In fact, we have a specialized team that reaches out to fix individual customer issues, and then goes back to look at where we made mistakes internally. We arent where we want to be yet, but we will get there. Just in last few quarters we have committed over $150 million to improving customer service, recognizing publicly that we had let issues like these get away from us. We have hired more staff, opened new support sites, retrained staff and are very focused on regaining our leadership by solving the custtomer issues the first time they call.
They’ve even gotten some grudging praise from Jeff Jarvis (here and here), whose foray into Dell Hell has been well documented.
And today I got a personal e-mail message from the same executive who contacted me last April:
I want you to let us know if there are any customers in need on your blog. Our outreach team will be glad to help them as quickly as possible. They are some of our very best people and are ready to help. Their email address is Customer_Advocate@dell.com.
I would be glad if you shared this email on your blog for any in need.
Consider it done. I’m nearly ready to purchase a new PC, and Dell has made it back onto the short list.
Mark:
Sorry for the inconvenience. Not sure why this has been a problem. The only other question for you, are you receiving e-mails okay from that Earthlink.net address?
One other way to move forward… can you send me a comment to Direct2Dell (www.direct2dell.com)? Please fill in the e-mail address field and in the comment, please mention that you are from Ed Bott’s blog. If you think receiving e-mail may be a problem, you can also include a phone number. Of course, I won’t publish your comment.
I will share your info with Margo from the Customer Advocate team so she can contact you.
Sincerely,
Lionel Menchaca
Digital Media Manager, Direct2Dell
Dear Ed,
I am the owner of a Dell 9300 lap top. These machines have defective LCD panels that fail after about 18 months. You can read about our plight by googling “Dell vertical lines”.
As most people did not pay for additional warranty, most of the failures occurr when the machines are out of warranty and therefore Dell’s standard response is to purchase a new LCD for $500.
In the UK and other countries in Europe, where consumer protection laws are stronger, Dell has unofficially voluntarily been replacing these screens without charging their customers. But not in the United States.
My question is: how can we convince Dell with these LCD panels are defective? Or how can we get a Dell to admit that they are (because I think they know by now)?
Best regards
Rick
Ed & Lionel,
I am now in correspondense with Margo. I’m using the same email (earthlink) that I was using to contact Customer_Advocate@dell.com so I’m not really sure what is going on there. Anyway, thanks for your assistance.
Thanks, Mark
Customer_Advocate@dell.com really works!! I am out of Dell Hell ! After customer advocate started working with me, my troubles seemed to attract more attention. They have made me happy, and deserve many thanks. Many thanks to you also for giving out the address and encouragement.
Thanks!! Cherril
I just emailed the advocate address. I have a 9100 inspiron that has become a fire hazard. It has started powering off for no reason, then when I try to power it back up, it won’t boot up. It just shuts back off. Sometimes, if I keep trying to turn it on, it will boot up. Then it just shuts back off. when it boots back up, it says it overheated and that is why it shut down. This is a business computer and it is not even completely paid for. GRRRR!!! very unhappy camper here. I’ve been doing google searches all day trying to find a lawsuit to get in on. This is ridiculous. In my searches, I have found that this is a very common problem with the 9100 and that is why they quit making it. Too bad for all of us that purchased one to start with. I am also aware of the battery recall and mine is not included. Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated!
Tammy
Tammy, this is a classic overheating problem. Sounds like you have a fan that has stopped working, perhaps the one that is directly attached to the CPU.
You need a hardware expert to look at this. Meanwhile, do NOT use the computer. You can destroy it.
thanks for your response. I hope dell will help out with it.
Tammy:
I’m at Dell Headquarters in Austin, Texas and I just came across you comment and cannot find an email from you. I searched through the customer_advocate box and could not find anything that looked like your issue or had your name on it so if you’re reading this please email me at the address below. Thanks.
Neil
Dell, Inc.
neil@dell.com
Neil:
I’m not sure why my email was not found. I used the address as posted previously here. I’ve contacted dell via chat and was kinda given a run around telling me I was getting one thing, then another. At present, I am playing the waiting game (15 days) before contacting them again. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks!
Tammy
Just sent a message to the customer_advocate email address you sight recomments. Hopefully will get a better respones from them than i have the rest of dell.
Here is a summary of my problem for those of you who feel comforted by sharing stories of DED (Dell anxiety Disorder).
My screen on my inspiron 1000 kept going black. I would have to restart several times to get a picture back. so I called dell support. A rep worked with me for about an hour then said to send it in for repair which I did March 7. I called back the following week to see when i would get it back. I use the computer for work so I really need it.
THey told me it was on billable hold which made no sense to me because my warrenty doesnt expire till November.
Then someone told me that they made a mistake telling me that and that there is a part on order.
20 days later the part is still on order and I have no clue when I’ll get it back.
so hopefully the good folks at dell will find it in their heart to send me back a health computer.
If not… i wish they had to experience a 20 day vacation from their machines… so that they have to beg and borrow computers from their friends.
Wouldnt it be nice if they had a program similar to car repair where if your computer is underwarrenty they would send you a replacement while you are waiting for yours to be repaired?
probably not likely. but these days I need my computer more than i need my car (if i had one)
Dell really don’t care. I’ve sent numerous emails to their customer_advocate email address and not received a single reply out of courtesy.
Their Call Centres are atrocious, after 4 weeks of trying to deal with their team in India, I have given up. My $2000 laptop is now a worthless pile of junk after 15 months of service. I spent approximately $20,000 on Dell systems/laptops/servers the last few years…. never again. I wont be buying Dell products anymore.
Like many others, my Inspiron 9300 has developed the dreaded vertical line problem around 3 months after the warranty expired. Like many others, Dell refuses to do anything about the problem despite the fact its a clear manufacturing defect, and consumer law says they are accountable for problems like this even after the expiry of warranties.
http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_general&message.id=232150&query.id=256218#M232150
Here’s some gems from my conversation from the transcript of a chat I had with a “manager” today:
—
Agent: “i understand your concern, Sir. Since the warranty on the system has expired , the LCD has to be replaced out of warranty”
Me: “if you go to the website http://www.dellverticalline.com you’ll see your company is urging customers to contact them about this known fault”
Agent: “Sir i would beg to differ, the website that you are quoting is not an official dell website”
Me: “the email address is official”
Agent: “We have not acknowledged any such issue with the model that you have”
Me: “so you think its perfectly normal then? that a £1000 computer should have 20 vertical lines running across the screen top to bottom after about one year of use. you dont think its a very serious issue?”
Agent: “Sir, please bear with me while i check on this”
5-10 minutes pass>
Agent: “i have checked with my resources, there are three models which are reported with this issue. I am afraid your LCD does not belong to either of the models”
Agent: “dell has researched this issue and confirmed that the problem persists only with these three models.”
Me: “i can confirm this problem is persisting with my model, its here right in front of me now”
Agent: “I am afraid we need to raise a chargeable call to replace your LCD.”
Me: “if you think my model is not part of the problem line then your engineers really need to take a look at my panel and they’ll see it is”
Agent: “We have confirmed the lcd which was shipped with your machine is not among the affected systems at all”
Me: “let’s just clarify your position on this
1. Despite 20 bright and decorative vertical lines running across the screen of my 15 month old £1000 laptop, Dell declares there is no fault with my laptop computer – and the LCD panel is fine.
2. If i decide those 20 vertical lines are a fault, I have to pay Dell upwards of £600 to have the problem fixed by buying a new part myself.
3. Dell’s position on this is not going to change. If I don’t like it, I can take my business elsewhere.”
Me: “can you confirm 1, 2 and 3 are an accurate representation of the position?”
Agent: “Sir, it does appear that the lcd is faulty, its just that we can’t cover it as inwarranty since the computers warranty expired on 29-08-2006″
Me: “if my model was one of the three parts you have declared as faulty, J9662, T4976, and W4554, would you have replaced the part for free?”
Agent: “We have confirmed your computer was not shippped with the part numbers you have mentioned above, but yes, if it belonged to one of these we would certainly replace the LCd for free”
—
It’s so good of Dell to research this issue so extensively and to reach a definitive conclusion my laptop has none of the faults the others have claimed. This despite mine having all the symptoms others have suffered, and the ageing process of a few weeks leading to many more vertical lines appearing. The same Inspiron 9300 model, purchased around the same time as many others reporting this problem, and yet my model is fine.
I’ve been chasing around Dell customer services and support for 2 months about this issue. When I started I had a couple of vertical lines, today I have 20 of the things running all over my LCD display. The above is by far the most I have gotten out of the so-called customer care team Dell claims to have.
I’m appalled by their treatment of me as a loyal customer. I have spent a heck of a lot of money buying Dell computers, laptops and servers the last three years… and this is how they treat me when things go wrong for the first time. Rest assured, I will not be making a single other purchase of Dell products ever again. And I hope sites like DellVerticalLine.com make people seriously think about whether they can really trust their hard earned money with this company either.
To who it may concern,
I am writing to you because I can not solve the problem locally.
I ordered an Inspiron 640m on 20 March and I received the product on Tuesday ( 27 March). However, the first time I turn it on, the LCD does not work. It is totally in dark!
I called Dell immediately and they said they would send a service person to fix it the next day.
On Wednesday, a man came and fixed it. Although the LCD worked (it can be turned on), there are flash and electric wave light appeared when the windows start up and occured frequently during the system operation.
It makes me very unhappy as I bought a new product, but it is full of problems!
I called Dell more than 10 times in two days and asked for change a new one as this one looks like a second hand product. You know, the problems occured one after one!
Today (30 March), Dell called me again and tell me that the engineer thought that the hardwares are all right and it is normal to have flash during my using.Therefore they will not change a new one to me and asked me accept this one!
I don’t think it is normal. I have been used laptop for more than 10 years and I have used more than 5 different brands of computers. However this one is the first one that has such a situation.
I asked the service representitive whether she can promise that 100% of their products has this problem, she replied ‘I can’t answer you.” If so, why can not change one which does not have this problem to me!???
These days I paid lots of my time, my energy and cost lots of my telephone fee into this issue. The result is bad, I feel very angry and unsatisfied.
So could you please concern this issue and help me to solve this problem?
My requirment is very simple, just change a new one to me! As this one, it is also totally new!! just take this back and send me another one which does not have flash and electric wave light!
My location is Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Provice, PR China,
My service number is 98D242X
My last service representitive’s surname is Yao, her service number is 08. She is in Xiamen city, Fujian Province,China.
You can contact me by this mail or call +086-13071952903
Waiting for your reply, thank you very much!
Best wishes,
Zhang Yuying (Yvonne)
Hi Ed,
First of all, thank you for this wonderful blog and helping people with DED. It’s a service.
I have a Dell Inspiron 8600 that we bought in Oct’04 that has started to show horizontal white lines on a blue screen after the start up and during booting the screen turns to pitch black with a white area at the top right corner and ofcourse the laptop is out of warranty and we did not get extended warranty. I have a couple of other friends with Inspirons who are having the same issue too. Our previous experiences with Dell Support have been absolutely scary and are not hopeful of getting any help from that quarter. I am not good with anything and so scared to do anything. Any suggestions would be immensely helpful.
Thanks,
Jasmine
I meant not good with anything hardware and am scared to mess with this as this is the only computer I have and am on a tight student budget.
To everyone who’ve had problems with Dell. USE BBB. Yes, the company that a lot of people have touted as corporate bought.
These guys have gotten me out of crappy situations with Dell numerous times with customer service. So much so that a easy to understand person called me back from Dell, gave me her personal helpdesk number and told me to contact her anytime there was a problem. I had my Dell laptop since 2001. It only just died last year. I am still using my gen2 xps from 2003. I have an Alienware laptop purchased in July. I’ve all ready called twice, once for a bad graphics card one month after receiving it and another because it gets so hot I can’t even touch the keyboard. They said it was normal. WHAT!!! May have to contact BBB about this soon. For a computer that cost over 4500k, it should be cooking me breakfast not so hot to actually cook breakfast on it.
Lookin to buy a voodoo or an HP next. Dell and Alienware suck now. BBB can help in so many ways. USE THEM. You’d be surprised.
BTW, Anyone want a 4500k laptop for 3k? It works, just runs hot. Save 1500. Some savvy person could put a new cooler in it. If you want specs, email me
Can anybody help me with my problem? I bought a Dell
laptop last May 08. Since I got it, it regularly shuts
down and goes to the blue screen of death. I contacted
Dell almost immediately and was told that they would be
able to fix it “100%”. Since I had confidence in their
abilities at the time, I patiently went along with their
updates, restores, replacements, etc. Finally, 10 months
later, I said enough and asked for another computer.
They informed me that I could only get a “refurbished”
computer. No one is interested in helping and there is
definitely no customer relations to go to. Any suggestions?
I was basically told to take the refurbished
computer or they would close my case.
So take the refurbished computer. It will be essentially identical to a new one and no different than if they had repaired (ie, refurbished) your existing one. I own several Dell refurbs. They are indistunguishable from new.