Dell Customer Service feedback for 3 laptops

Since we mainly hear about negative experiences with the Dell Customer Service which is a biased feedback, in order to get an idea of the frequency a user may expect to have problems here is my very little "statistical" log with three different Dell laptops.

(1) 2003 - Inspiron 8600
Problem(s) encounted: YES (hardware)

Shipping:
Shipped a few days before the EDD: OK.

Customer Service:
After one week the CD/DVD drive stopped working. All in all I had a good experience with the support: after a quick diagnostic by phone (which was basically re-doing what I already checked) a representative came the next week to my office and replaced the drive.

Moreover the keyboard was not perfectly fixed to the frame which was a bit disturbing when the computer was still cold (could be fixed with some adhesive tape).
Later I discovered a defect with the VGA output (no red output color).
However in both cases I didn't bother to call the Customer Service.
Note as well that back then this laptop was Dell's flagship (around 4 KUSD).

Shortly after expiry of warranty (3 years) several things went wrong (each of them could be fixed without support from Dell):
- 2007: the harddisk broke down -> harddisk was replaced
- 2007: two keys would always come off the keyboard because of their damaged plastic hook -> some glue helped them to stay fixed
- 2008: power supply failure (damaged cord due to normal use over the years) -> could be fixed DIY
- 2008: the plastic frame of the screen close to both hinges got cracked -> nothing that prevents the laptop from working
- 2009: the graphic card (Radeon 9600 Pro) burnt out -> was replaced for less than 100 USD by a used 9600 Pro card

The laptop still works perfectly after a *very extensive* use over the years (was my main laptop until 2009): it now has 6 years and with optimized XP + new HD + 2GB RAM it runs as fast as an actual good budget laptop. However as described above a rather heavy maintenance was required.


(2) 2006 - Inspiron 1520
Problem(s) encounted: NO

Shipping:
Shipped a few days after ordering and about 2 weeks before the EDD: OK.

Customer Service:
Didn't have to call. No problem at all until now (but very moderate use of this laptop).


(3) 2009 - Vostro 1720
Problem(s) encounted: YES (delivery date, minor)

Shipping:
A few days before the first EDD, EDD was increased by two weeks. Shipped a few days before second EDD.
UPS made a small routing mistake by first sending the package in the destination country, then it left and travelled in a few cities abroad before coming back.
All in all the laptop shipped about one month after order date (so no big deal).

Customer Service:
Didn't have to call yet. No problem after one month of use.

 

Interesting..Ok..are you going to keep us updated the Vostro then?

Cin...

 

Keep in mind that most people who post in forums often have complaints or need troubleshooting advice. Those whom have a fully functional unit are rarely seen participating in a public forum.

From my experience, I've recently purchased 2 Dell laptops (E6400 and M2400), both came with minor issues (wobbly battery, missing OS restore disk, permanent marker stain on screen cover), but Dell was kind enough to make all the necessary adjustments to fix these faults with haste. I received parts the very next day after I placed my call.