A long time....depending on your point of view :)
Well, although it's not the best way to come back to something like this, it just so happens that today I am in a ranting sort of mood....but not without good reason :)
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING RANT MAY BE VERY LONG AND CONTAIN STRONG POINTS OF VIEW THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SOME SMALL PETS.
SUBJECT: Dell Computer Systems
BACK-STORY:
My father has been in the car business for the last 24 years and recently decided that it was not for him. As his job did not require it, he is shall we say not up to speed on technology. The computer he currently has is an original Pentium and he's still using AOL (the source of an entirely different rant). Every time his computer displays an error message I can expect at least an hour phone call explaining to him that computers sometimes just have errors. His new chosen field is real estate sales, and needless to say his "computer" isn't quite up to the tasks that he is now going to require. Knowing that his son is quite familiar with all the "new-fangled" technology he asked me to find a laptop for him. The following is not pretty...
RANT:
After having bought a previous system through Dell (this was years ago before I discovered the joys of building my own), and having talked with a lot of my friends in the industry I had thought it would be a simple matter to order my Dad a laptop through their website. I also had the additional incentive of getting a discount through my work (which is now Electronic Arts I am VERY happy to say...long story Banshee), making this an obvious/easy choice for the purchase. This was my first mistake.
As always, the ordering is the easiest step (not to mention it's just plain fun to *trick out* a system when you are spending someone else's money). I upgraded most of the pieces on the system through their website yet did not order anything that seemed "extra special." In due time I received my confirmation email stating that the computer should ship on the 31st of last month and arrive on the 2nd. This was ok even if a little time consuming since I ordered the system on the 22nd. I spoke with my father about it and he made it clear that his number one priority was to get the system A.S.A.P. He agreed that a week and a half would be acceptable even though he wished he had it sooner. Everything at this point is just peachy.
The 31st rolls around and I am thinking to myself, “ok, it should ship today and Dad will have it on Monday and then I can go through the hell of trying to explain how to install software.” Midway through my day at work I receive another email from Dell. Expecting it to be a confirmation email to let me know that my order was shipped, I double-click the doom of my existence. The email states that due to a shortage on parts my Father’s system will not even be completed until the 14th, with the ship date to be “some time after that.” A blood vessel in my head bursts, but fortunately it is only a tiny one and there’s plenty more. I hit slight panic mode, knowing that my father is not going to be pleased with the news, but I attempt to remain calm as I dial up Dell’s support line to find out what the problem is and what I can do about it.
After explaining the situation to two employees of the Silicon Supergiant, I wind up with “my sales representative.” A very nice man whose name I will forever wish I had written down, he assures me that from everything he can see on the account the laptop is shipping on time that very day. He instructs me to completely ignore that frightening email and smile because life is good once again. Oh, and I think I forgot to mention this before, but to understand my father you have to realize that he is calling me every single day at right about the time I wake up in the morning to see where his laptop is even knowing that it is not supposed to arrive for several more days. Understanding his psychosis, I call him up after hanging up with the “wonderful” dell employee and explain to him what happened and assure him that his laptop will be there on time.
Monday comes and goes.
My father calls me up of course about five minutes after the FedEx truck was “supposed" to come by his house. No laptop. I tell him not to worry and I will call them and get to the bottom of the situation. Thus begins my next round of endless wasted minutes of my life.
The next few days are a blur of various Dell employees apologizing to me in their most sincere voice while they try to figure out just where this laptop is and why it’s not resting comfortably on my Dad’s lap. Along with their apologies they offer to take some money off of the laptop in exchange for my patience and continued monetary funding of their company. Every morning I console my Dad letting him know that I am doing everything I can and that his wonderful new piece of home operating heaven should be there any day. Unfortunately he is now calling me at least twice a day to get a “status update.”
To save a lot of trouble along with a lot of inappropriate words, I will now fast forward to the present day. I have at this point been lied to by at least 3 managers, including one who gave me his direct extension for me to only find out the very next day that he was no longer with the company. They canceled my original order citing that something must have been wrong with it and it would be easier to resubmit. The new order (surprise of all surprises) is having the exact same trouble as the old one did. As you can see by the date it is now the 19th of the month and I still have no system and even higher up managers who are “supposed to be calling me back within 24 hours.” My father calls at least 3 times a day.
That’s all I can write for now, the number of un-popped blood vessels in my head have been drastically reduced and I am not sure that I can afford to lose any more. Maybe I’ll write more on this tomorrow…
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING RANT MAY BE VERY LONG AND CONTAIN STRONG POINTS OF VIEW THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SOME SMALL PETS.
SUBJECT: Dell Computer Systems
BACK-STORY:
My father has been in the car business for the last 24 years and recently decided that it was not for him. As his job did not require it, he is shall we say not up to speed on technology. The computer he currently has is an original Pentium and he's still using AOL (the source of an entirely different rant). Every time his computer displays an error message I can expect at least an hour phone call explaining to him that computers sometimes just have errors. His new chosen field is real estate sales, and needless to say his "computer" isn't quite up to the tasks that he is now going to require. Knowing that his son is quite familiar with all the "new-fangled" technology he asked me to find a laptop for him. The following is not pretty...
RANT:
After having bought a previous system through Dell (this was years ago before I discovered the joys of building my own), and having talked with a lot of my friends in the industry I had thought it would be a simple matter to order my Dad a laptop through their website. I also had the additional incentive of getting a discount through my work (which is now Electronic Arts I am VERY happy to say...long story Banshee), making this an obvious/easy choice for the purchase. This was my first mistake.
As always, the ordering is the easiest step (not to mention it's just plain fun to *trick out* a system when you are spending someone else's money). I upgraded most of the pieces on the system through their website yet did not order anything that seemed "extra special." In due time I received my confirmation email stating that the computer should ship on the 31st of last month and arrive on the 2nd. This was ok even if a little time consuming since I ordered the system on the 22nd. I spoke with my father about it and he made it clear that his number one priority was to get the system A.S.A.P. He agreed that a week and a half would be acceptable even though he wished he had it sooner. Everything at this point is just peachy.
The 31st rolls around and I am thinking to myself, “ok, it should ship today and Dad will have it on Monday and then I can go through the hell of trying to explain how to install software.” Midway through my day at work I receive another email from Dell. Expecting it to be a confirmation email to let me know that my order was shipped, I double-click the doom of my existence. The email states that due to a shortage on parts my Father’s system will not even be completed until the 14th, with the ship date to be “some time after that.” A blood vessel in my head bursts, but fortunately it is only a tiny one and there’s plenty more. I hit slight panic mode, knowing that my father is not going to be pleased with the news, but I attempt to remain calm as I dial up Dell’s support line to find out what the problem is and what I can do about it.
After explaining the situation to two employees of the Silicon Supergiant, I wind up with “my sales representative.” A very nice man whose name I will forever wish I had written down, he assures me that from everything he can see on the account the laptop is shipping on time that very day. He instructs me to completely ignore that frightening email and smile because life is good once again. Oh, and I think I forgot to mention this before, but to understand my father you have to realize that he is calling me every single day at right about the time I wake up in the morning to see where his laptop is even knowing that it is not supposed to arrive for several more days. Understanding his psychosis, I call him up after hanging up with the “wonderful” dell employee and explain to him what happened and assure him that his laptop will be there on time.
Monday comes and goes.
My father calls me up of course about five minutes after the FedEx truck was “supposed" to come by his house. No laptop. I tell him not to worry and I will call them and get to the bottom of the situation. Thus begins my next round of endless wasted minutes of my life.
The next few days are a blur of various Dell employees apologizing to me in their most sincere voice while they try to figure out just where this laptop is and why it’s not resting comfortably on my Dad’s lap. Along with their apologies they offer to take some money off of the laptop in exchange for my patience and continued monetary funding of their company. Every morning I console my Dad letting him know that I am doing everything I can and that his wonderful new piece of home operating heaven should be there any day. Unfortunately he is now calling me at least twice a day to get a “status update.”
To save a lot of trouble along with a lot of inappropriate words, I will now fast forward to the present day. I have at this point been lied to by at least 3 managers, including one who gave me his direct extension for me to only find out the very next day that he was no longer with the company. They canceled my original order citing that something must have been wrong with it and it would be easier to resubmit. The new order (surprise of all surprises) is having the exact same trouble as the old one did. As you can see by the date it is now the 19th of the month and I still have no system and even higher up managers who are “supposed to be calling me back within 24 hours.” My father calls at least 3 times a day.
That’s all I can write for now, the number of un-popped blood vessels in my head have been drastically reduced and I am not sure that I can afford to lose any more. Maybe I’ll write more on this tomorrow…