Friday, August 20, 2010

Flip off Friday 8/20/2010


To my gas range: FLIP OFF. I know I read on last week's Flip Off about some one's oven not working, and now of course, because of the wonderful luck I am having this week, mine also stopped working. The top burners work but not the oven. It just gave out, checked out and went on vacation without so much as a warning.

To my Home Phone: FLIP OFF. My home phone has decided to randomly not to charge. So after being on the base overnight and you pick it up to make a call, the battery isn't charged and the phone doesn't work, because it too has decided to check out.


To Dell: FLIP OFF. I know they say stuff happens in three's and this is a big one. And I also know I read about someone having computer problems, so I must be officially hexed! I have computer problems so bad that I am writing this post with a pencil and if it finds it's way to a computer by Friday, it will either be a miracle or my dad typing in what I am relaying over the phone! (I would use my laptop, but my 3 year old broke it when she dropped it down the steps. No, I didn't know she was carrying it.) But back to my 3 month old computer, after I called Dell and was hung up on, put on hold and transferred more times then I care to bore you with in this post, I learned we have a problem with our computer severe enough to have it reset, back to the original settings when I first opened it only 3 months ago, because that is the only solution. All stemming from a problem created when another Dell tech support person installed a driver on my computer to try to fix the problem with my mouse, which in turn messed up my operating systems.

What's more frustrating then having the problem, is that I can't get anyone to help me.

The first tech F'd up my computer.

The second tech hung up on me.

The third tech told me he would call me back to start the reset after I backed up my computer files and he never did. And when I called to file a complaint with whom I thought was the customer service manager, she dumped me back to tech support without explaining anything to them about my problems, who in turn, you'll never guess, offered to transfer me, again.

I'm done with technology. I'm going to live in a dirt hut with candles, a wood pit as my stove, and soup can lines as my main form of communication. I'd probably be better off without the Internet anyway.

Ahhh....much better.

Thanks Kludgy Mom! And thanks to Pumpkin and Piglet who is hosting the Friday Flip offs this week!

I needed that.

Here is an update with my Dell problem, after sending a letter to executive tech support and the Dell corporate, yes, I took it that far, (I also threatened to post the letter I wrote to Dell on my blog), anyway, I have received  help from a executive customer support person named Sathish. If it weren't for him I would probably insist on driving down to Texas and dropping my computer at the front door of their corporation and telling them to Flip Off. Anyway.. turns out the previous tech people didn't know what they are doing and my problem is an easy fix. Thank you Sathish!!! He is sending me some replacement hardware and will follow up with me Tuesday.

11 comments:

  1. Wow, Dell sure messed you about! That is such bad customer service but I'm glad you're on your way to getting it sorted out. Technology is great but it's such a pain when it goes wrong!

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  2. Macintosh :) then kiss problems byebye.

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  3. Computers are such a pain in the arse. I feel you on that one. I got my laptop 3 years ago (it's an HP). Within one week I had to reformat the hard drive because it simply went wonky and I couldn't even use it. It took several phone calls, several hours of telling the tech support people in India to slow down enough when they talk so that I could understand them, and several choice curse words about HP for producing a $1200 computer that stopped functioning in less than a week, before I could use my laptop again. OY!

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  4. Mmmmm, don't you just love explaining your story to techs over and over and over again. Flip OFF

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  5. I was going to say, resetting a laptop back to factory settings isn't that hard. I'm an idiot who took a few computer classes and I could do it, so why Dell dropped the ball on that is beyond me. I am sure you talked to 10 people in India too. That's my all time favorite! I'm always like, "can I talk to someone who speaks English?" I think most of them are well spoken, but occasionally you get one that is real hard to comprehend.

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  6. Okay, now I feel bad. It was me who talked about my stupid oven not working on last weeks Friday Flip-Offs. Ooopppss?!
    But, I feel your pain that is for sure. Thanks for stopping by my site, sorry to hear about your Aunt. BTW, we contemplated wrapping my daughter in bubble wrap to prevent injuries. Ha!

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  7. Wow, I didn't realize Dell sucked! I hate customer service numbers. I'm usually on hold until my neck cramps up, the children become so loud I have to hang up, or I place the phone on speaker and I forget all about it.

    Hope your computer problems are over.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. Hey Danielle, those are definitely some things to flip off about! Maybe you need a new battery for your phone. That stinks about the oven and the computer-that really stinks! I hope your weekend is better! Have a great day!

    Mama Hen

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  9. Life in a mud hut sounds good to me! Oh, wait, been there, done that. :) I really would do it all over again for all the reasons you had to flip off this week. -Eastlyn
    p.s. I wanted to flip off family members who never offer to drive or at least offer a few bucks to gas up your vehicle when they have you running them all over creation. And flip off folks who stick their hands in your bag of chips without asking. Grrrr! I know those are so petty compared to computer problems, but my one little nerve was frayed this weekend!

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  10. I had a dell laptop and the CD drive never worked - I spent *hours* on hold and never got it fixed, so I just wrote it off as a bad job and gave up :( Never going to buy from them again...

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  11. Hopefully after such exasperating flip offs, blue skies and happy days are here again.

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