UNSOLVED
No service tag, don't talk to us.
As an IT consultant, I used to be one of Dell’s best salesmen. Now I get more disenchanted with Dell every day.
A client bought a new Dell. It probably left the factory on about Oct 22. I installed it on their network Oct 26. As of this morning, I still cannot email technical support. Before you can even email technical support you need a valid Service Tag. I have one (7T92X51), but for some reason Dell’s system doesn’t recognize it…as of this morning, Oct 31.
Somehow I’d like some answers to some questions.
Why doesn’t the service tag work? I did skip the registration step when I first booted up as I don’t connect a computer to the internet or the domain until I am sure it seems to be reasonably secure. Now I ask the Dell site to find “how do I register with Dell” and don’t get an answer. As an IT consultant, I am not onsite and cannot afford to run back and forth. I would love it if I could register my client’s computer without being on site. It’s not too much to ask. Maybe that’s not even why the service code doesn’t show up. I have no way of knowing since I cannot email Dell without a service tag.
When I call Dell, I am made to answer 10 questions….at least…before I can ask one. When I email, they insist on a Service Tag before they’ll even read my email. I always get the feeling they are making their customers meet their needs. Once their needs are met: they consider the customer’s.
Greg,
I think Dell would be smart to recognize that many businesses buy what their IT guy suggests. More and more I am reluctant to recomend Dell because they put so many hurdles between you and tech support. I understand the average Joe hasn't checked the MS Knowledge Base, so they need to waste time asking if the computer is plugged in, etc.
So why don't they make a login for IT guys? We are the kind of guys who go to the KB before we go to Dell so they could assume the obviious stuff has been looked at. Just let us give you them the Service Tag and not bother us with the other usual 10 questions. They could also give us a little room knowing that we are not always sitting in front of the computer and need to do some homework before we get back on the clock at the site.
In return, we'd all feel better about Dell and be more likely to recommend them to our clients.
- Welcome to the club. You haven't reached the mountain top until you try calling them on the phone, and have to wait a couple or three hours on hold, and then when they do answer you will probably then proceed to experience the time of your life................
Tell me about it. I am a biz guy and use to buy lots of Dell. Couple of months ago bought desktop and the big Dell laser printer. Tried to setup printer apparently the CD driver was bad (Lexmark manufacture but Dell label? I don';t know) and they had to call Michael Dell personally to send out another CD. I would have guessed a new install CD would have been a real cheap thing to do to try to keep a customer.....So we tried with plain old Microsoft drivers their tech support was unable to install after I wasted a half a day. I am not a pro IT guy but I install at least 12 printers a year in my company. This is not a tough task.....
So ......since tech support is gone or non functional...I voted with my cash sent the printer back and am looking at Gateway....or someone hungry for customers....it's a shame
Over at NotebookForums.com, one of the moderators of the Dell forums there put together a set of FAQs - (originally for the XPS and 9100, but evolved to include all Dell notebooks).
One of the FAQs: in 5.(iii), deals with what to do when ordering / receiving your laptop. This includes contacting Customer Care to confirm Service Tag, name, addr..... so that the first time you need service/support you won't have to deal with resolving any missing information in Dell's database before they will help you.
Greg Gaudreau
53 Posts
466
0
Posted October 31st, 2004 17:00
Mtrox,
I'm in IT too and experienced the same problem about a year ago. It takes about 10 working days to get the tag numbers in the system. I called Dell support, they couldn't find it either so they took the order number and tracked it from there. Luckily the problem rectified in one phone call. I do sympathize with your frustration though.
Greg