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[Hero]

I have a Dell Dimension 8100 that had the main HDD fail a few months back.

Recently I got a 160GB Seagate HDD. Used a spare 80GB as the main OS system and the 160 as a media drive.

Put Win2K on, downloaded essential programs at my friend's house, I come home, plug it in, and it doesn't boot.

I take off the cover, it gets power, but I'm not sure if it's enough. The monitor doesn't receive a signal, and I don't even get a beep that the BIOS are running. The CD bays get enough power to open close.

Take it apart, use a different HD, it begins to spin, however the 80 doesn't.

At this point I'm just really pissed off at trying to fix it on my own. Should I bother with calling Dell? I bought it back in 2001 and only got a 2 year warranty, but would they be able to help me out? Or would it just be cheaper/economical to get a new desktop?

 

[demi]

http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=38513

 

[xsarien]

At this point I'm just really pissed off at trying to fix it on my own. Should I bother with calling Dell? I bought it back in 2001 and only got a 2 year warranty, but would they be able to help me out? Or would it just be cheaper/economical to get a new desktop?

Step 1: Pull everything out except for the master hard drive, video board, and memory. If it still doesn't boot, see if the computer will start off of the Windows disc.

 

[Pellham]

Get a new system. It'd cost more to replace the parts to fix the likely problem (a dead motherboard) than to buy a new system from Dell (you can get refurbished Dimension 8400s for as low as $600-$700).

 

[ChumsGum]

They're great if you can understand their English through their thick Hindu accents.

 

[tedtropy]

They're great if you can understand their English through their thick Hindu accents.

Hah, yeah, they do outsource alot, although I've read that they started cutting down on it some do to customer complaints. Sometimes it can be quite a wait when trying to get through to customer support, but they've honestly never given me any hassle about replacing parts. Now their business support, which we get to deal with alot at work, has been pretty great. We get parts replaced with no qualms, they send out techs if need be for the laptops, and they generally go out of their way to keep their high-paying customers happy, for obvious reasons.

 

[golem]

if u want a reply that is useful and not someone reading from a script, try their email addresses rather than the tech support number

 

[Pellham]

Now their business support, which we get to deal with alot at work, has been pretty great. We get parts replaced with no qualms, they send out techs if need be for the laptops, and they generally go out of their way to keep their high-paying customers happy, for obvious reasons.

Yeah, something like 70-80% of Dell's business is from medium businesses to large corporations. Which is why consumers make fun of Dell a lot, but corporations love Dell. So it's no surprise that they spend a lot of effort appeasing big business customers if they have problems.

 

[DonasaurusRex]

I believe dells support is in India atm...unless it got switched back to the US over complaints .

 

[tedtropy]

Yeah, something like 70-80% of Dell's business is from medium businesses to large corporations. Which is why consumers make fun of Dell a lot, but corporations love Dell. So it's no surprise that they spend a lot of effort appeasing big business customers if they have problems.

Pissed off at-home mom with her 'broken Interweb' and laptop versus company with nearly a million invested in Dell machines. She ain't gonna win.

 

[SyNapSe]

Hah, yeah, they do outsource alot, although I've read that they started cutting down on it some do to customer complaints. Sometimes it can be quite a wait when trying to get through to customer support, but they've honestly never given me any hassle about replacing parts. Now their business support, which we get to deal with alot at work, has been pretty great. We get parts replaced with no qualms, they send out techs if need be for the laptops, and they generally go out of their way to keep their high-paying customers happy, for obvious reasons.

Their corporate level support is incredibly good. They have started to outsource a lot, but if you have gold support you don't get the outsourced people normally. They are extremely easy to deal with. I don't know specifically about there consumer level support, but I would assume that it's at the very least pretty good.

 

[Pimpwerx]

Dell's customer service ain't bad. I bought a couple lappies from their Small Business site now, and I've never really had a problem with customer service. My one beef has been the subpar SXGA screens they got caught shipping. A bunch of people complained about it, and if you didn't stand up for yourself, the customer service reps were told to steamroll you.

The way that works for me with any customer service is to simply state your demand clearly. Don't mince words, just cut to the chase. Don't make excuses for them, it's their fault. If someone is giving you hassle, or can't answer your question, ask for a manager. You can probably ask for that person's manager too. And pull an employee badge number each time you talk to someone new. Make that your first step. That way they know they are accountable from the start. I got a $400 credit back to my account for the screen, b/c I wasn't gonna take no for an answer. I explained to them that the screen doesn't match the specs they printed (response time), and that I have no reason to return a laptop that's perfectly fine otherwise. They tried pulling the, "well, if you don't like it, return it" bs, testing my mettle. I just told them they were opening themselves up to nice lawsuit and that I wasn't having any of their crap. Even after I got the $400 credit, I asked for an address where I could send a formal complaint, which I did. I sent the complaint, and got a phone call the day after they received it (snail mail).

The point is that any customer service rep will try to just get you off the line regardless of if your problem is resolved or not. Dell's India crew is pretty nice, and speak excellent English, but they are no different in their goals. Let them push you around, and they win. If you take a stand and *DEMAND* satisfaction, then they have no choice but to bow to your will. Again, go through as many managers as you need. Ask to speak to as many sales or parts reps as necessary, but don't let them rush you off the phone until you're satisfied with what you're hearing. And ask for the complaint department if you feel you were treated badly, even if your problem is ultimately resolved. You don't gotta take shit from nobody. PEACE.

 

[goodcow]

^

THAT'S how you handle customer service. I do it too, and it works wonders.