Comments on: Dell: We missed some pretty big things

Michael Dell talks about the company's past stumbles and looks ahead to Dell's renewed growth and innovation.

[Galaxy5]

They've triple their human experience team? So that'd be what, three people? Nine? I like how Dell sidesteps the obvious problem - that Dell has been in a hardware race to the bottom, instead of focussing on what people actually want from a computer - build quality, modern design, and utility. Again, they're hamstrung by selling the same thing everyone else has - a PC with Windows - and ignoring many of the more advanced technology out there (alternative operating systems, EFI, and other value-adds).

[kkohnen]

Hey Mike!

You missed customer service! I tried to order from Dell a replacement battery for an Inspiron 700m. You folks sent me the WRONG battery 3 times in a row. You couldn't get it right, and I had to go through my credit card company to get my money back!

The next computer I bought was a Fujitsu S6510 - NOT a Dell because your customer service sucks.

I teach a college class on microprocessor architectures - I've incorporated the Dell customer service story into my lectures.

And, I went out and bought _1_ share of Dell stock just to cost you folks $$$ every year.

Yup. You missed some big things - like you can't urinate all over your customers and tell them it's raining!

[kkohnen]

Hey Mike!

You missed customer service! I tried to order from Dell a replacement battery for an Inspiron 700m. You folks sent me the WRONG battery 3 times in a row. You couldn't get it right, and I had to go through my credit card company to get my money back!

The next computer I bought was a Fujitsu S6510 - NOT a Dell because your customer service sucks.

I teach a college class on microprocessor architectures - I've incorporated the Dell customer service story into my lectures.

And, I went out and bought _1_ share of Dell stock just to cost you folks $$$ every year.

Yup. You missed some big things - like you can't urinate all over your customers and tell them it's raining!

[cchenoweth6]

Dell is consistantly screwing people over. Read some of the comments on this article:
http://www.threadabort.com/threadabort/archive/2008/05/03/dell-m1530-dim-grainy-lcddisplay.aspx

Amazing that they think sub-standard displays on high-end notebooks is acceptable. Not to mention how many people you get bounced through to get something solved! 1 English speaking rep with half a brain could solve problems in 1/10th the time.

[mklgry]

Hey knucklehead I think you missed the most important thing, your tech support/customer service stinks. It is definitely near the bottom. I paid $4500 for an XPS and when I purchased I even paid $500 for a warranty plan that supposedly get me service anywhere in the world. I found out when my hard drive crashed that I got duped. Phone call after phone call after phone call talking to people who couldn't even pronounce Dell (that wasn't meant to be offensive but is a fact) produced no new hard drive....just we'll have to get someone in Germany (where I was living at the time) to send you one. Never happened, I purchased my own after three months of frustration. Guess what though, in the end I get the last laugh as my new laptop is NOT a Dell and I will never buy one of you piece o' crap machines again.
One more side note, my company the second largest defense contractor in the world also dropped you guys a couple of months ago. I was/am extremely pleased. Dell is awful.

[sbwinn]

Maybe it's time to "shut down Dell and give the shareholders their money back", eh Michael? :-P

[Tommx2]

The sad truth. Dell used to make one of the best computers you could buy. They stood behind their machines and the support was great, but not often needed, because they just didn't break down. Dell climbed to the top of PC makers through hard work and keeping their customers happy with their products, private and corporate.
Now Dell PCs are built with the lowest end parts they can find, and are no longer made here, they are made in China (like everything else). Their customer service/tech support has been outsourced to some country in the middle east where helping Americans is a last resort, and only done from a book filled with possible responses. The language barrier is,,, well enough said. Michael Dell and his company has gone from hungry innovators to a "sacrifice all, for the oh mighty buck!" Sad really, They forgot who brought them to the dance!

[Thomas, David]

Well said. Especially "They forgot who brought them to the dance!"

[Thomas, David]

I hope you guys at CNET read this. Ever since you changed the site, and adopted whatever architecture you are using, it is less user friendly. Quite frankly, I completely miss the old version. Come to think of it, what excuse was used to change it so much in the first place? New host server, different OS, and underlying CGI support?

[AppleSuxLeo]

Kevin Rose said...XPS stands for Extra Plastic Shi*

[Igiveup2]

I came close to buying a Dell until I had a question for their sales department. Everything got channeled into their agenda - upsells, trying repeatedly to enroll me in their credit program, etc. - in short, everything but providing a simple answer to a simple question.