My sad/funny tale with Dell's incompetent Tech Support
Part 1: Laptop Initial Arrival
A little over a month ago a snagged an awesome deal on a brand new 1080p XPS 15 i7 with 16gb of ram and a 512gb ssd with 3 year warranty for $1200 from Dell Outlet. I was very excited by the price and specs for my new machine and figured I was tech savvy enough to figure out fixes for most of the driver issues. Upon arrival I had numerous random bluescreens due to the Toshiba SSD which I finally was able to fix by using OCZ drivers (https://ocz.com/us/download/) for the RD400/400A which also support the Toshiba XG3 (the model dells uses). Hopefully this might be helpful for anyone else that might be having a similar problem with the Toshiba SSD!
Other than driver issues, everything worked well but I had a couple dead pixels which I couldn't fix myself no matter how many unstuck tricks I tried. Not wanting to pay for a new lcd to install myself when I had what I figured was a good warranty, I set out to get it fixed by Dell. After a chat with dell which involved them remoting into my computer and running some lcd diagnostics (do you think you are going to see a dead pixel remotely Dell???), they finally believed me and sent out a technician to replace my lcd.
Part 2: Dell Support Arrives
The technician arrived at my house a couple days later with a new lcd and started the install process when he hit a snag, he could't figure out how to get the hinge cover off in order to move the antenna off of the old screen to install it on the new screen. My mistake was assuming a Dell Technician would know what he was doing or at least be smart enough to look up dells website that clearly explains how to take off the hinge cover: XPS 15 Service Manual. Sadly his instinct was to try to pry the cover off with a screwdriver until he snapped it in half. He put the broken part back on as a temporary fix promising to return with the new part, leaving my computer like this: Broken Hinge Cover.
Part 3: The Never-ending Part Dispatch
The technician tried a couple times to order a replacement hinge cover before giving up due to some issue he was having and asked me to call Dell myself to ask for the part. I called Dell and iterated multiple times that I only need the plastic hinge cover. The person on the phone assured me that they were familiar with the device and knew which part I needed. The next day I get an email from Dell support and immediately checked the dispatch log. I quickly realized the part was incorrect and tried to notify dell:
Dell to Me
Dear CowMix88,
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Dell. The following information relates to your recent interaction with Dell Technical Support. Service Request Number *********. We have raised the request for onsite service for hinges and LCD screen replacement. We truly regret for the inconvenience caused to you.
Respectfully, Dell Technical Support
Me to Dell
Hello ******,
Thank you for your help unfortunately those parts are incorrect. I do not need a replacement hinges or LCD screen, I need a replacement antenna cover.
Its the long black piece listed in the service manual here: http://www.dell.com/support/manuals/us/en/19/XPS-15-9550/XPS-15-9550-v1/Procedure?guid=GUID-A8377F5B-D34E-4898-A4F8-FC8C47A285BF&lang=en-us
I've also attached a picture of the piece broken by the technician,
Thanks,
CowMix88
Dell to Me
Hello CowMix88,
Thank you for replying to our email. The antenna is located on the backcover of the LCD screen.
Respectfully,
Dell Technical Support
Me to Dell
The lcd screen replacement that came in the original dispatch request which has the same exact part number as the part coming in the new dispatch request did not include the antenna or the antenna cover. The technician broke the cover trying to move the antenna from the old screen to the new replacement screen. Are you 100% sure the new lcd screen includes the antenna cover? I do not need or want to replace the entire screen. The plastic antenna cover is all I need.
Dell to Me
Dear CowMix88,
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Dell. The following information relates to your recent interaction with Dell Technical Support. Service Request Number *********. Thank you for replying to our email. Our record shows that parts has already been shipped to the technician. You will receive a call from technician today. Onsite technician will place the order for parts if he finds any missing parts in the package.
Respectfully,
Dell Technical Support
I get a call from a new technician the next day to schedule an installation time and thankfully he believes me when I inform him that the part is incorrect. He calls Dell himself and they got hard at work at shipping the antenna assembly which includes everything but the black plastic cover! After another call to dell, I check the dispatch log and it finally looks like they are sending the correct part. Unfortunately it finally arrived today and.... So close dell!
tl;dr Dell technician broke my hinge cover while replacing my LCD and Dell's can't seem to figure out how to send a new one
Posted Aug 29, 2016, 11:53 PM UTC