Thursday, July 31, 2008
Mind-Boggling Idiocy
Last week I ordered a monitor. A Dell 2408WFP. I have one at work, and I know it to be a great monitor, so I wanted to get one for home as well. For work, it took roughly 3 days from the time I ordered it until the time it was delivered to my cubicle.
I placed the order with Dell last week, but today it looked like it was seriously stuck in the "in production" phase. What's there to 'produce' anyway? It's just a monitor. There's no customization needed. It just needs to go in a box. So I submitted a web request with Dell Customer Service, which included my name, customer number, order number, home address and so-on. I jokingly asked, "is it being assembled one pixel at a time?"
I got back an automated response telling me that the industry standard for stuck or dead pixels is 5 per screen, and that if I had that many or fewer, I'd just have to live with it. Or if that didn't answer my question, I could reply. I made the mistake of replying.
I say 'mistake' because Dell has outsourced customer service to semi-sentient balls of yarn in India, and what happened next was a colossal waste of my time. The one saving grace is that from a certain perspective, it is a funny waste of my time, especially when the conversation is condensed and all the email headers removed. I shall present the conversation to you now, replacing the Dell representative's name with the word "yarn."
Me: I didn't ask about stuck/dead pixels. I asked why it's taking so long to process my order for a non-customized piece of equipment.
Yarn: To protect your data privacy, we require a Dell identification number. This can be found on any communication you have received regarding this order. A Dell identification number can be an order number, customer number, service tag number, express service code number, case number, or DPS number. In order to resolve your concern I would request you to provide the name on the account as it appears on the original order documents. Please get back in touch with us once you have located this information and we will be glad to assist you.
Me: My name, customer number, order number and address are already in this email if only you would look. What more do you need?
Yarn: In order to resolve your concern I would request you to provide the complete name on the account as it appears on the original order documents.
Me: It's the same name that it's been in all of my emails: Nicklas Johnson.
Yarn: Your order number ######### is currently in production and has an estimated delivery date of 8/8/2008-8/12/2008. You can track the status of your order online by visiting
http://support.dell.com/support/order/status.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&~ck=pn
and entering your order number ######### and customer number ########.
Me: Yes, I already knew all of that. My question is: why is it stuck in the "in production" state for such a long time? It's been "in production" for almost a week. There's nothing to "produce" since the only thing in the order is a monitor. What takes so long?
Yarn: It is just an estimated delivery date, however, the order might be delivered to you before that also. Orders can be delayed for a variety of reasons.
Me: I appreciate that orders can be delayed for a variety of reasons. My question is, what is delaying MY order?
Yarn: Orders can be delayed for a variety of reasons. Please be informed that we will not be able to specify any particular reason.
Me: Who can?
Yarn: Orders can be delayed for a variety of reasons. Please be informed that we will not be able to specify any particular reason.
Me: You already said that. I asked "who can?" As in, "who can read my email and give me a constructive response that addresses my initial question?" or "who can tell me why it is taking such a large amount of time to fulfill a simple order for one item that requires absolutely no customization of any kind?" Who can investigate further and explain why this order is stuck? How do I contact that person or persons?
Yarn: I apologize you are experiencing this delay. Dell is making every effort to ship your order as soon as possible. The most current information we have is that your order number ######### should ship on or before the Estimated Delivery Date of 8/8/2008-8/12/2008.
(It is at this point that I gave up.)
Hey, Dell: you guys are assholes.
I placed the order with Dell last week, but today it looked like it was seriously stuck in the "in production" phase. What's there to 'produce' anyway? It's just a monitor. There's no customization needed. It just needs to go in a box. So I submitted a web request with Dell Customer Service, which included my name, customer number, order number, home address and so-on. I jokingly asked, "is it being assembled one pixel at a time?"
I got back an automated response telling me that the industry standard for stuck or dead pixels is 5 per screen, and that if I had that many or fewer, I'd just have to live with it. Or if that didn't answer my question, I could reply. I made the mistake of replying.
I say 'mistake' because Dell has outsourced customer service to semi-sentient balls of yarn in India, and what happened next was a colossal waste of my time. The one saving grace is that from a certain perspective, it is a funny waste of my time, especially when the conversation is condensed and all the email headers removed. I shall present the conversation to you now, replacing the Dell representative's name with the word "yarn."
Me: I didn't ask about stuck/dead pixels. I asked why it's taking so long to process my order for a non-customized piece of equipment.
Yarn: To protect your data privacy, we require a Dell identification number. This can be found on any communication you have received regarding this order. A Dell identification number can be an order number, customer number, service tag number, express service code number, case number, or DPS number. In order to resolve your concern I would request you to provide the name on the account as it appears on the original order documents. Please get back in touch with us once you have located this information and we will be glad to assist you.
Me: My name, customer number, order number and address are already in this email if only you would look. What more do you need?
Yarn: In order to resolve your concern I would request you to provide the complete name on the account as it appears on the original order documents.
Me: It's the same name that it's been in all of my emails: Nicklas Johnson.
Yarn: Your order number ######### is currently in production and has an estimated delivery date of 8/8/2008-8/12/2008. You can track the status of your order online by visiting
http://support.dell.com/
and entering your order number ######### and customer number ########.
Me: Yes, I already knew all of that. My question is: why is it stuck in the "in production" state for such a long time? It's been "in production" for almost a week. There's nothing to "produce" since the only thing in the order is a monitor. What takes so long?
Yarn: It is just an estimated delivery date, however, the order might be delivered to you before that also. Orders can be delayed for a variety of reasons.
Me: I appreciate that orders can be delayed for a variety of reasons. My question is, what is delaying MY order?
Yarn: Orders can be delayed for a variety of reasons. Please be informed that we will not be able to specify any particular reason.
Me: Who can?
Yarn: Orders can be delayed for a variety of reasons. Please be informed that we will not be able to specify any particular reason.
Me: You already said that. I asked "who can?" As in, "who can read my email and give me a constructive response that addresses my initial question?" or "who can tell me why it is taking such a large amount of time to fulfill a simple order for one item that requires absolutely no customization of any kind?" Who can investigate further and explain why this order is stuck? How do I contact that person or persons?
Yarn: I apologize you are experiencing this delay. Dell is making every effort to ship your order as soon as possible. The most current information we have is that your order number ######### should ship on or before the Estimated Delivery Date of 8/8/2008-8/12/2008.
(It is at this point that I gave up.)
Hey, Dell: you guys are assholes.
Labels: annoyances, assholes, hate, stupid
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Virgin America Update
Backstory
Today will be my first (and last) trip withVirginVagina America.
On January 10, I sent them snail mail outlining my disgust with the way they had treated me. On their "VA Difference" web site they say things like "Loyalty, it's hard to earn but easy to lose" and "If there ever comes a time when we're not being as Virgin America as we could be, we will work hard to remedy the situation and hopefully bring a smile back to your face."
They claim they will responds to concerns and/or requests within 30 days.
I have received no response to my letter. It's been more than 30 days. Their mailing address is 5 miles from my home address, so it seems unlikely the letter has spent a great deal of time in transit.
Therefore, I conclude:
1. They do not care.
2. They are liars.
3. They do not want my business.
If anyone fromVirginVagina America reads this post, answer me this: was it worth it? And if you acknowledge that loyalty is hard to earn and easy to lose, why are you such assholes?
Today will be my first (and last) trip with
On January 10, I sent them snail mail outlining my disgust with the way they had treated me. On their "VA Difference" web site they say things like "Loyalty, it's hard to earn but easy to lose" and "If there ever comes a time when we're not being as Virgin America as we could be, we will work hard to remedy the situation and hopefully bring a smile back to your face."
They claim they will responds to concerns and/or requests within 30 days.
I have received no response to my letter. It's been more than 30 days. Their mailing address is 5 miles from my home address, so it seems unlikely the letter has spent a great deal of time in transit.
Therefore, I conclude:
1. They do not care.
2. They are liars.
3. They do not want my business.
If anyone from
Labels: airlines, assholes, Virgin America
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
My First, and Last Trip with Virgin America
Just three days after I booked a pair of tickets round-trip to LA from San Francisco, Virgin America decided they'd have a sale on fares. The tickets that cost $69 each went to $44 each. $25 difference, times 4 legs ends up $100, nothing to sneeze at.
Most of the major US carriers will issue a credit or a refund if a fare drops within 30 days of purchasing a ticket.
Not Virgin America.
The best they could offer was to charge me $40 per ticket to cancel and then rebook. Since the difference in price per ticket was only $25, this of course made no sense. Plus they'd charge a $5 fee per ticket to rebook over the phone.
So rather than, say, give me a $100 credit to my account, thereby almost assuring I'd use Virgin America again to redeem the credit (or voucher or whatever), instead, they decided to just flat out screw me, thereby assuring I will never book a flight with Virgin America, ever again.
Underneath their cutesy demeanor and mood lighting, Virgin America is just as much an impersonal, consumer-hostile, asshole airline as any other, if not even more so.
Nice move, assholes. Hope you're happy about screwing me out of $100.
Most of the major US carriers will issue a credit or a refund if a fare drops within 30 days of purchasing a ticket.
Not Virgin America.
The best they could offer was to charge me $40 per ticket to cancel and then rebook. Since the difference in price per ticket was only $25, this of course made no sense. Plus they'd charge a $5 fee per ticket to rebook over the phone.
So rather than, say, give me a $100 credit to my account, thereby almost assuring I'd use Virgin America again to redeem the credit (or voucher or whatever), instead, they decided to just flat out screw me, thereby assuring I will never book a flight with Virgin America, ever again.
Underneath their cutesy demeanor and mood lighting, Virgin America is just as much an impersonal, consumer-hostile, asshole airline as any other, if not even more so.
Nice move, assholes. Hope you're happy about screwing me out of $100.
Labels: airlines, assholes, Virgin America
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