According to a recent press release, Dell is aiming to delight you with a new premium customer service offering—for a price.
Would you like to contact the same “dedicated” team of customer service reps every time you call? Would you like those reps to be “empowered to address a comprehensive range of issues?” Would you like those reps to be “based in North America?” All this can be yours, if you’re willing to pay extra for it.
From Dell’s press release (emphasis ours):
Dell’s new premium support service is to provide a dedicated team of technical professionals which customers can contact directly for support of any Dell-branded product. This new fee-based offering is designed specifically for those customers who want to engage with the same dedicated team each time they have an issue with any of their in-warranty Dell-branded products.The premium service offer provides household support by an advanced support team in North America for one year. The technicians are empowered to address a comprehensive range of issues across the breadth of Dell’s product line.
“Our commitment to a great customer experience has never been stronger,” said Ray Roman, vice president Dell global consumer services and support. . “This premium service is all about making the tech support experience more personal; users who want high-touch support can now receive it. We’re excited to bring them to the market.”
We wonder how they’re going to upsell this service.
You: “Can I speak to your supervisor?”
Dell: “Ha, ha, ha! That’ll cost you.”
Dell’s New Premium Support and Integration Services Build on Existing Tools and Improvements for Consumers (Press Release) [Dell] (Thanks, Beecher Bowers!)
(Photo:fallenposters)
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Dell small business FTW. Drop shipped me a new battery fast for my Latitude.
Alienware tried this bullshit 4 years ago. I paid for the support thinking it would help. I received some of the worst support I’ve ever been given in my life and not from American English speaking support techs.
That said, I’ve given up on box computers and build my own for my own purposes. Luckily at work I don’t have to figure out how to deliver good computers to people that let them do their jobs.
It seems like the cost of premium customer service comes at a price – they have just officially announced that they are closing the last XPS support line in Canada and will be diverting all those calls to the Philippines.
[www.ottawabusinessjournal.com]
It seems that the Premium support will still get your call answered in the US,but if you dont pay you are going overseas!! w00t DELL
Funny that the above commenter mentioned the Philippines. This last Dec. 14, about 50 of us received an email asking us to meet at 3:45. They laid us all off as a Christmas present. (They paid us for the rest of the day) This was just as their call center in the Phillipines was up and running. TIP: if you buy a Dell online or by phone, they have a program called EPP or employee purchase program. Anyone in America gets this and it can range from 2-12% depending on price of computer, which overpriced warranty you get, etc. BUT, Boeing employees get a flat 15% off. So buil your computer at dell.com/eppbuy, then CALL the toll free number and say you are a Boeing employee. They are trained not to question you about your discount. If they do ask for your discount code, just say you can’t remember it.
Funny that the above commenter mentioned the Philippines. This last Dec. 14, about 50 of us received an email asking us to meet at 3:45. They laid us all off as a Christmas present. (They paid us for the rest of the day) This was just as their call center in the Phillipines was up and running. TIP: if you buy a Dell online or by phone, they have a program called EPP or employee purchase program. Anyone in America gets this and it can range from 2-12% depending on price of computer, which overpriced warranty you get, etc. BUT, Boeing employees get a flat 15% off. So buil your computer at dell.com/eppbuy, then CALL the toll free number and say you are a Boeing employee. They are trained not to question you about your discount. If they do ask for your discount code, just say you can’t remember it.@boosted22:
The problem with Dell is that their current customer service is no better than… say the McDonald’s round the corner.
For some of us, we don’t necessary pay just $500 for a new laptop or desktop, and the reason we are willing to shell out that much money is mostly because Dell’s laptops (in my case) are highly customisable.
That relates to more costs on our side, and the least Dell could have provided was someone who at least CARE to listen to customers and their concerns.
in this one purchase, i had to listen to a Dell customer service person lecture me on marketing strategies, forced by his superior to listen to him yap again, and to top it all off, had about 3 receptionists hung up on me before i can even give my customer ID.
why would i pay more for better service when the current one is so bad it’s below par? so would more money shift it to at least average service levels?