zim2dive

I ordered an Axim x50v back around xmas.. arrived ~Jan 5th.

As detailed in other forums

http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=61141

I'm having Bluetooth issues.

So I started by emailing Dell tech support using the links on the Dell support page, Tues Jan 11.

Subject: Re: #Dell Axim#DHS##29# eTrack#=Q6K6C291YM1AM1A16 - Dell
Axim (KMM9834798I21063L0KM)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 04:13:08 -0600 (CST)
Service Tag: 99JZ951

I explained the problem and after going thru the required (but useless) motions of doing a HW reset, etc etc, the problem persisted and they said they'd ship a new unit... over night, which arrived on the 14th... the 2nd unit had the same problem (as I expected since I think this is a driver issue)... so I replied to the email series again at which point I was told

"In order to resolve this issue, please contact Dell technical support at
1-800-624-9896 and ask them to transfer your call to PDA support
department. The technicians are trained on all Axim configuration and
the settings that need to be made on Axim units."

Not sure why in this day and age, a company that makes computers can't xfer this problem to "PDA support" and have them call me... but ok

so on Jan 17 ~ 12:15 EST I call.. and it offers me to enter my service tag.. but, ok, maybe being too literal here, the service tag I have has #s and letters in it... do I just punch in the letters as #s (ie. A,B,C == 1?), so instead I wait... and wait... and finally am connected to general someone who then has to transfer me to a PDA hold queue.. and wait and wait.. 35 minutes later I get connected to "Gracie" who pays no attention to the train of email detail already established, and wants to send me yet another unit... which I decline. She finally agrees to have upper level support call me back, asks when is good (I reply ~6pm the same day, knowing I'll be home and available all evening), and then literally spends 5 minutes hounding me about how I will rate the call when I get the support survey. I don't think she's getting a 9.

So... at 9:30pm I finally call again.. and hold and hold.. this call takes an hour. I reach another guy, who seems genuinely apologetic, but the one (!!?!?!) guy that was supposed to call me was already gone for the day... now assuming that this support was outsourced, then the "upper" level guy is at the same outsourced center b/c this guy could "see" that he was gone.

I'm 90% sure this is a driver level problem. This is not something that they can walk me thru and it will be ok. To get fixed, I need to get the info to someone in Dell that can actually DO something with it... but of course I have no idea how many layers of "support" I am going to have to go thru. And I'm not sure its worth my time (2 hours on hold yesterday). I do embedded development for a living. Its fair to say I know when something is user error and when its a design issue. Heck, if I'm right, I'm doing Dell a fvor by helping them identify a bug that the average user could not, they'd just keep sending them replacement units til the poor sod gave up.

Anyway, still waiting for my call. At this rate I may just return the unit and be done with it. 1st Dell product ever purchased, and possibly my last. For Dell's sake they'll need to keep the quality up, b/c the support so far is useless and a huge drain on a customer's time. There is no reason for me to have to call and wait on a phone, just so they can offer to have someone call me back. That same conclusion should and could have been reached and initiated from the email support.

Mike

zim2dive

Doubt it was related to this post, but did get my call back... lugged everything to work so I could follow the steps and recreate the error.

Said they would escalate yet again, might be 2-3 days before I hear back, but was given a 1-800 # and extension, so presumably I can avoid the horrendous on hold times if I need to call again.

Thankfully no replacement unit was offered ;) nor did he try to fix the problem... ie. it was acknowledged as legit.

Maybe the beginnings of hope. Maybe the info will get to somewhere it will get used.

We'll see in 2-3 days.

Mike

zim2dive

copied from the Bluetooth thread, but here for completeness.

Well the latest call is disappointing. "Gerry" called today. The update was not as informative as one could hope, but it appears that I as the customer cannot get close enough to the actual debug people to matter, and neither can Gerry.

He has to go thru his supervisor, to go to a "research team", and the word back thru them is less than clear (and who knows if language is an issue)... the story varied by exactly how much I pushed for clarity. It seems they acknowledge that there is an issue with the IBM Thinkpad T42, but at first the blame seemed to fall on IBM, with no intent on Dell's part to do anything, then when pressed, it was insisted that with time Dell fixes all things :) so of course this would work... eventually (for sufficiently large quantities of eventually :) )...

I'm ok with the idea that this is a problem that might take time to fix (as an embedded designer I'm well aware of that principle), but I'm feeling very uncertain from my call as to whether Dell considers it an issue for them to fix and will actively work on it, or if it wil lbe written off as a problem that the incompatible manufactures (Apple. IBM, Compaq and LOL even Dell) have to fix (see list of systems with reported problems previous in the thread)

He of course then launched into his "what score will you give me" bit.... this part just begins to be rediculous... I believe this guy is trying his best, and where I can I will give _him_ a good score, but overall the tech support system seems fatally flawed to actually effecting a fix (I mean isn't that why its there???), so any part of the survey which seems to be Dell the Company is gonna get some rock bottom scores.

I guess its time to investigate return options, there seems to be a 21 day limit or some such.

If the lines of communication were just clear enough that I could get a commitment that this will be fixed, I'd happily wait, but so far the net effect of the support has been a large group hug that we're all wonderful people and care about the problem, but nothing about actually fixing it :) Gotta love the effect of metrics on tech support. It totally kills the real goal.

Mike

jaded_law

Originally Posted by zim2dive

If the lines of communication were just clear enough that I could get a commitment that this will be fixed, I'd happily wait, but so far the net effect of the support has been a large group hug that we're all wonderful people and care about the problem, but nothing about actually fixing it :) Gotta love the effect of metrics on tech support. It totally kills the real goal. Mike

Nicely documented. Most of us have encountered Dell's frustrating service, but few of us could communicate it more effectively!

As one of the "poor sod" who doesn't have enough technical knowledge to know better or to explain herself better, you are right, I eventually give in and accept the product for what it is, and try to work around it (with the help of a site like this one).