Dell Customer Support

[rant]
I sent my laptop off to have the LCD replace under warranty last Thursday. I have checked the airborne website and it was delivered within 14 hours after pickup. I had to send it in once before for a cable replacement that connects the LCD to the motherboard (2 years ago) and it literally took 2 business days to get it back (it went in on a Friday and I had it back on a Monday). This time, however, I have not heard from them yet (it's been 5 business days). This isn't the problem. I can understand taking 5 or more days to replace a screen and the time also depends on the amount of work they have backed up. The problem I have is when I try to call to check on the status of the order I get stuck in an automated loop that transfers me from automated system to automated system. I have been on the phone for the past 30-45 minutes waiting to talk to someone and everytime I'm transferred from one automated system to another, it tells me I am being transferred to a "customer representative". I know I heard that phrase at least 6 or 7 times.

I finally got fed up with it and called another number (the first number I called was the home & office customer care number), the dimension technical support line (It's the general number from this page), and finally talked to a live person. He tells me that he's in the dimension support department and he can't help me. Ok, so he's going to transfer me to the laptop support department where someone can help me. Great! NO, I just get sent back to the same automated loop I have been in for 30 minutes already.

Their support is great when you actually get someone on the phone but this is ridiculous. I just wanted to know the status of my service order. I don't want to talk to your computer for 30 minutes!
[/rant]

Odd. You know my dad has had particularly good service through Dell. They replaced his laptop screen in short order. They even sent someone out to do it at the office.

And I have too, usually but being stuck in a loop of automated support is just plain unacceptable to me.

This is the first complaint I've ever had with Dell Support.

I ordered a new Dell laptop today (after an acident with a glass of champagne and my 5 year old NEC laptop), so I hope their customer service hasn't gone down the pan...

I don't think it's gone down the pan. Their support in general has been outstanding to me until this last call. I've called to have a cable replaced and a dvd drive replaced. In both instinces it's been great.

Maybe I found a hole in the support with the service returns?

I had a Dell desktop from the summer before my freshman year of college till the summer before senior year. I called tech support a few times while I had it, though I couldn't near the end since only about 1/4 of it was from Dell at that point

However, I was thoroughly impressed when, upon one instance in which they couldn't solve my problem over the phone, a technician came out to my dorm room, free of charge (under warranty).

Of course, I would have been more impressed if the problem had been solved

Come to think of it, I'll blame DNNA, though they're about 5 steps removed. I never did get that damn Diamond Viper card to work properly