Ironically, one of my first posts ever on a blog was "Disappointed in Dell". I have long forgotten why I was disappointed at this point, but I remember the title (and I would gladly still buy from Dell). That being said, I am again disappointed in Dell. Recently I have been researching self-service technologies, so I was very interested in watching my mother try to use Dell's website and then watching that situation blow up into a disaster.
The problem started with a coupon. My mom (a big spender by home use standards for Dell products) had a $50.00 coupon (a result of a recent large purchase from them) that was going to expire in the near future. The website would not let her apply the coupon and didn't give a reason why.
Then she spent about 30 minutes on the phone during which they took her order, transfered her around a few times, said they couldn't help her, then sent us to the operator and said to use some transfer code like 'TSA' or something, and then we never got off of hold. What a nightmare.
One problem with services like this, both on the phone and on the web, is that there isn't a good feedback loop that management can use to govern the process. If it were an assembly line, you'd see all the toys on the ground and know that all heck had broken loose. In this case, in me helping my mom you have a guy specializing in IT services for his PhD who can't even make an order on his mom's behalf. I suppose I should be angry, but instead I am just in awe.
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