The Dell Tech Support Story

Ok folks. So here it is. The long awaited summary of my experience using Dell Tech Support.

So lets back this train up to say…eh…last Wednesday (Dec. 12), ok? It was around 11:30pm and I was getting ready to shut my laptop down right before bed as per usual. However, Windows and Microsoft, in all of their wisdom, decided that they would download an automatic update and make me install it before my computer would turn off. ok…fair enough. I had done this many times before and no problems. A non-issue. I follow the steps, install, shut down, turn off and go to bed.

The next morning I start up my computer, all is fine, whatever whatever whatever. Friday I worked a full day (and then some) so I wasn’t at home and not near my laptop very long. When I was, i didn’t have any sound on. I worked again ALL day Saturday, so I was in the same situation. However, Sunday was the day of the blizzard of 2K7 and so I was snowed in at home. All day I had nothing to do, my plans got ruined, I was bored, so I spent my time on the computer. I also happened to upgrade my anti-virus program with a pretty substantial update. I went ahead and did it because I figured I needed the bigger and better version. But, soon after I noticed the sound on my laptop was skipping and stuttering. Not good. It started out with the AIM sounds and then it was like youtube vids and then music. So pretty much it all sucked, but I could still like deal with it…not a huge issue.

Monday came and the problem got worse. I could no longer make out any sounds and it was pretty much making me panic about the state of my laptop. It is like one of those feelings when you are overwhelmed and panicked at the thought of sending your laptop away for n extended amount of time to get it fixed and it may not come back in the same condition. So, in typical Drew fashion, I flipped out.

I spent all day Tuesday surfing the net and forums for any tips on how to fix my current ailment on my PC. nothing worked and a few things that I though may have worked sounded very complicated, so I opted to let it go for the time being. I started Wednesday by going to lunch with Kelly and we ran around afterwards for a brief while. It was 2:30 before I got back, and I had to leave for work in an hour. I thought, “what the hell…I will get on the Dell support website and see if I can chat with someone.” So I did. I logged on and entered my service tag number in hopes that my PC was still under tech support. I guess my step dad purchased the “tech support for life” program when he bought my laptop. Thank God.

I waited in the line for ever to get to someone. Finally connected to some random agent named TERRICA. I didn’t even know that was a name, and it probably was appropriate for her knowledge about my problem. Read on. who was more concerned with my e-mail address, telephone number, and name than my problem. It took roughly 45 mins to verify all of that information. Completely bunk. So I had to disconnect before we even go anywhere because I had to go to work. But, the agent did tell me (without doing any trouble shooting) that I just needed to replace the motherboard. Ummm…I am no computer expert or geek, but even I know that is a load of crap. I mean, come on.

So I went to work in a frenzy, thinking my laptop was just done with. I worried about it the whole evening at work and just wanted to get back on tech support to a different agent. This time I connected to Chinky140548. She is basically (and pardon my language) The Shit!!! She knows whats up and how to solve it. She asked me a few simple questions about my problem and got on the way to solving it. She needed to install this gadget that allowed her to take control of my computer from across the world. Yes, she is an outsourced person in India. But whatever. I didn’t care that she didn’t know how to speak English and that her typing was very broken. She knew how to solve my problem and thats all I needed.

So, I obliged, installed the computer, and then watched her click around on my computer faster than an indy 500 driver. I had to remain at the computer at all times to make sure she didn’t like snoop into my porn collection or something as per Dell policy. So she tried a million things and nothing worked. I was starting to get really worried. She knew what she was doing and still couldn’t fix it.

so this blog entry is getting really long…and you are probably done reading it if you have made it that far. But to sum up the story, we got disconnected, so she called me on the phone. It was akward being on the phone with her for like 40 mins!!!! But, we got re connected eventually…she tried a few more things and eventually fixed the problem. While she was at it, she also sped up my computer and tuned it up a bit. woo.

I was relieved, excited, and very happy. I spent nearly 6 hours on tech support and stayed up till 2 am to get it fixed, but all was good in the end. In the days following, I have gotten the rest of my computer back to normal, and I can listen to sound again!!! woo

Some highlights of the story:

-Chinky

-Her favorite word was “desktop screen”

-Broken English

-Funny accent (from India)

-Terrica was horrible (and I left her HORRIBLE feedback)

-My computer was fixed!

Ok, ok. so this story may hae been over hyped a little. but, it was hilarious at the time. I have told this story to a few people, so you can vouch for the comic relief of the whole set up. I enjoyed it. I was laughing. Just the whole premise was hilarious.

I hope you enjoyed. I was a little tired when I wrote this…so it didn’t turn out as great as I had origionally planned. Oh well.

I will try harder the next time. Keep stopping by, comment, add the RSS feed, bookmark, etc. Pass the word along to your friends about my blog. it is open to the public! woo.

I am sure you will hear some tidbits from me tomorrow!

Night,

D

update

I have recieved some feedback from some of my viewers already. Thanks for anyone who has left me a comment here or via my facebook. I appreciate it. The feedback is encouraging and inspires me to keep writing. I feel this is a great way to communicate with everyone, especially my friends. I encourage all of you to add this blog to your RSS feeds if you have one.

Also, from time to time, I would like to have a guest blogger (which wordpress professionally call contributors). If you are interested in just being able to blog every once in a while about a topic of your choosing, I would love to have you add to my blog . So, apply within if interested.

Coming up I will be adding some pictures and working on my bio page. I already added a layout that I find soothing and appropriate to myself. I do work this evening, however no TV shows to keep me away from the PC. So, I will hopefully be accomplishing a few more things on here tonight as I continue to play around and explore WordPress. I am getting the hang of it already…

So, check back later tonight for some sort of entry. Hopefully it will be my Dell Tech Support Saga, which I find incredibly hilarious. I hope you will to. And who knows…maybe I will upload a photo or two.

Later Gators!

D