To,
Dell India Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore
I would like to share my experience of buying a Dell laptop with you. You may wish to forward my concerns to your senior Management people who can take a view of whether they would like to review Dell’s policies or whether Dell is comfortable in harassing customers and making their experience with Dell a nightmare. I had previously purchased a Studio 14 laptop from Dell vide invoice No. 00242342 dated 27.6.2009 against order No. 0329176 and had faced no issues, but this time my experience has been horrifying.
I had purchased a Studio Laptop 1558 on 20.8.2010 after making full payment (Order No. 840103878) and the same was delivered to me on 27.8.2010.
Immediately after opening the laptop, I found that the touch pad was not working and called up Technical support. Over phone they (Mr. Mohan) told me to reload all the drivers, which I did. But still the touchpad was not working. He told me that the same needs replacement (Case Ref: 5301435 and Service Tag No. 364P6BS). I conveyed to him that as this is a new laptop, I do not want any part to be replaced and instead desire that the whole laptop should be replaced. I also told him that he should send some Dell Technician who can technically verify the defect.
The technician came on 1.9.2010 and after finding that the touch pad was defective, he replaced the same even when he was specifically told by me not to replace the defective part. But he said that as he is from Wipro (Dell’s vendor) and they have been advised by Dell to replace the part and he is only doing his job.
Immediately I again called up Dell Technical Support and conveyed the same to Mr. Mohan. He assured that they would take approval of replacement of the laptop. He said that another team would call me within 2 days and arrange for picking up this defective laptop and then they would be sending me the new one within 25 days after the same has been picked up. When I said that I cannot wait for 25 days, then he told me to talk to customer service. He said in the meantime he would take the approval.
I then called Customer Service and talked to Ms. Sumana who said that she has noted my concern regarding the 25 days deliver period and she would arrange for some senior officer to talk to me within 2 days to resolve this issue. While I was talking to her, she informed me that Technical Support has already obtained approval for replacement and they have informed the replacement team.
I am to inform you that till today nobody from Dell (neither from the Replacement group nor from Customer Service) called me and hence I had no option other than to call Dell again. After being put on hold for nearly 13 minutes, I could talk to first Mr. Mithun from Technical Support and then he escalated the matter to his Manager, Mr. Malwan. After discussions for nearly 25 minutes with both Mr. Mithun and Mr. Malwan, I have understood a lot about Dell’s policy of treating its customers and my concerns are:
1. Dell has no qualms about how the customers feel when they receive a defective product delivered by Dell? They are least bothered about the customer and talk of their Bible (Dell’s policy this and Dell’s policy that)
2. Dell pays no heed whether the customer is being inconvenienced by not being able to utilize the product that he has purchased?
3. Dell does not care about the money (not a small amount – Rs. 56, 000/-) already paid by the customer in advance?
4. Dell’s policy of replacement of a newly delivered defective laptop in 25 days is merely harassing a customer for no fault of his, as Dell has delivered a new laptop to me in the first instance in only 7 days. I have also subscribed to Dell’s 3 years complete accidental damage cover and hardware warranty by paying a princely sum. If this is the type of warranty and cover that would be provided, then I don’t see much brighter days for customers.
5. Dell is absolutely not bothered about customers time and instead of responding to my concerns on their own, I again have to call up Dell and wait for eternity to get connected to someone. This shows Dell’s unconcerned attitude towards its customers.
6. If Dell treats its existing customers this way, then I am not sure, how long your business model in these lines would last.
As none from Dell is responding to my concerns and I am not willing to wait for 25 days more after Dell picks up the defective laptop (I simply cannot understand why it takes so many days…), I have already advised Mr. Malwan to refund my payment made to Dell.
If Dell still practices what your founder believes, i.e. ‘Delivering positive Customer Experience’ and what Mr. Sameer Garde says in the article in VARIndia “At Dell, after-sales support is a means of ensuring total customer satisfaction.” [http://www.varindia.com/ July_ChannelBuzz6.htm], then I would expect that the least Dell can do is to refund my payment IMMEDIATELY and allow me severe all my ties with Dell with a very very bitter taste.
I hope that Dell would at least not disappoint me this time.
Regards,
Rohit Dawa
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