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Joined on 11/13/2007 Posts: 40
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Share Your Stories About IT Complexity

13 November , 01:19 PM

Everyone in technology knows that IT is too complex.  By announcing its Simplify IT initiatives, Dell has certainly gone on record saying we're doing something about it. 

While IT complexity is a serious subject, actual stories are often pretty funny.  I don't know about you, but I've seen plenty of examples that are so tragic they are actually hilarious.  Like unclear and acronym-filled user's manuals, stupid things end-users day and do, idiotic management decisions, and bizarre stories.  Here is one I heard recently.  One company needed to update their server image, but didn't have any automated tools to do so.  They spent weeks updating one server at a time - with a CD.  The IT people actually TRIED to get sick, by eating pizza that was a couple days old, just so they could go home.  There are a lot more like this.

The conversations need to happen, but people can have a little fun doing it.  (Who says IT people don't have a sense of humor?)  So that is why Dell has become the charter sponsor of The IT Room (http://www.theitroom.com/), sort of a "Digital Dilbert for the IT Crowd" and a place to share horror stories and rant and rave.   This gives people a place to join the fight against IT complexity. 

We were approached by a company, MotivFilms, to participate with other technology companies in this project and immediately jumped at the chance to participate. Dell doesn't own this project—we're just one voice in this conversation. But since we do have a thing or two to say about simplifying IT, we'll participate in the discussion.

Dell will continue to support the dialogue around IT complexity, and will continue to sponsor The IT Room along with the other advertisers.  We're wholeheartedly supporting the idea because it generates the right kind of conversations. So join us the fight against IT complexity!  Start by mocking it.

 

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Rahul Singh
18 Feb 2008 07:04 AM
I think all this talk is very good but one thing Michael Dell has to understand that execution is at the heart of the success of any enterprise. I would like to relate this to an experience that I had when I ordered a dell Vostro 1200. I ordered the laptop on the web and I got a reference number with terms and condition of 15 - 20 days delivery. On the 3rd day a person from Bangalore called Bhupesh called me and said I want to reconfirm your order. Mind it I had given all the details of my credit card on the web with the customization details. Anyway I confirmed it again. Later after half an hour he called me and said my bank has declined. I promised to check with the bank and the salesperson (I learned it later that it is of extreme importance to remember the sales person name - online reference number is of NO value at all. I checked with my bank (Citibank) and the bank said that the person has made a technical mistake in executing the order and thereby bank has declined. So now after the clarification I waited for the sales person's call for 5 days and I didn't get any call.  I wrote a mail to dell email mentioned by I got an automatic acknowledgement and nothing else. Finally I somehow got there Bangalore call centre number and I called. First time after pressing the IVR menu the call got disconnected. I am also with lot of patience. I called again. Then it went into a barrage of football passes. Every time someone will listen to me and ask 5 questions and after that confidentially say that I will forward it to the right person. Alas the right person was never the right person. And again I have to field the same question what is your order number- I don't have an order number I have an online reference number - oh this is of no use. (I don't know why this is issued in the first place). I have of-course not remembered the name of the sales person. (I don't know why one should remember the name of the sales person in middle of an important meeting). You won't believe I have been forwarded to 10 people and every time I have to repeat my sob story to get some sympathies but no solution from self order to small business to sales person to someone else. Finally the person said thank you for your call. We are not able to help you someone will call you. I had called earlier with the same promise but nobody had called. So I insisted that I want to speak to a supervisor. And thankfully after all this I was forwarded to an account manager. Again that was not end of my miseries. Anyway after explaining my situation 11th time she took my credit card details again and promised to call me after 10 minutes. By the way this time she gave me her numbers and the name of the original sales person who was assigned to my order and had vanished. The point is - I thought self service model is the hassle free model and I don't have to go through the ordeal of speaking to 10 people but eventually it was exactly opposite and I guess Dell is losing money hand over fist because of these extra costs. But I also believe that this is the malaise that is plaguing dell lately and affecting the quality as well. I had been a dell user for last 4 times but I think that next time I would be better off by buying other laptops. Finally the final piece this account manager called my said that she is from consumer group and cannot take orders on behalf of business so she would pass on my details to her colleagues and they will call me and place my order. So much for Dell efficiencies. My card details are now with a person who can misuse it and I am without the orders.

 
 
Patricia
08 Jan 2008 07:29 PM
I keep getting this message from Dell telling me that I need to upgrade my Dell help thingy, then it tells me it will take three to five hours, my question is this, DO I NEED TO UPDATE THE DELL HELP what is it good for? 
 
Patricia
08 Jan 2008 07:26 PM

For anyone that is looking for Dell Corp Office, it is in Round Rock Texas and do not be fooled by that customer service number that man was going to give you IT IS OVERSEAS IN THE PHILLIPINES OR INDIA OR SOMEWHERE. Go online look for THE BBB IN OR AROUND ROUNDROCK TEXAS AS I DID AND REPORT WHAT IS GOING ON. You will get a reply FROM THE US BELIEVE ME
 
Mara Trudeau
26 Nov 2007 11:46 AM
I'm very frustrated with your whole company.  Your tech support is a joke and they never fixed the problem.  I ended up getting a new computer that is not a dell.  Your customer service is just as bad.  All of this was for a computer that was under warranty until February.  I do not want another dell computer nor do I want a credit to dell, I just want my money back for a computer that never worked right from the beginning.
 
Lionel_Menchaca
26 Nov 2007 11:46 AM
Mara: Sorry I missed following up on this. If you are still trying to get this issue resolved, please e-mail me directly at: lionel_menchaca@dell.com.

 
J.S.Douglas
15 Nov 2007 12:18 AM

"Start by mocking it." ?? 

Well you asked for it !

Jorge,

 You might consider taking a look at the n-Series Dell systems at :

 http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/optix_n?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

 Tamara,

 I noticed your frustration when calling our overseas support queues. Which queue was this ? Also note that we do have Gold Technica Support located here in the North America. More info online at :

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/services/client_support/gts?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

JSD
 
IdeaStormer Jorge
13 Nov 2007 05:32 PM

Almost forgot, how about letting IT purchase No-OS on the systems we buy? We due to policy requirements cannot use your pre-installed OS's no matter which one. Yes, we have automated ways of deploying many systems much like Dell with our own custom tweeks, bells and whistles. I mean you want to simplify IT right? We don't use your pre-installed OS's yet you want to continue to pre-install an OS wasting energy in the process, oh but you're also on the Green bandwagon, so why are you wasting that energy?

 

Or do you think your hardware is nothing with out a pre-installed OS? 
 
IdeaStormer Jorge
13 Nov 2007 05:26 PM
Typical, Dell is intent on doing absolutely nothing to improve IT so it instead goes and spends money on comedy to make it seem it is. How about first allowing your customers the ability to use the sensors on the motherboard by freeing them up in BIOS, which you have so kindly to improve IT locked us out of? Don't you want us to monitor our systems environmental sensors so we know when a system is having issues before it dies? Of course not, that would mean we would save a system before we'd need to buy another one. THANKS!
 
aikiwolfie
13 Nov 2007 03:43 PM
Does this mean when I need to extend a warranty you'll concentrate on the warranty and not try to push me printer I don't need and don't want? Employing a sales team whos accent I can understand also helps.
 
Tamara MConnell
13 Nov 2007 02:27 PM

Do I need to call a congressmean to talk to womeone in your

American office?  Do you have an office in the USa?
 
Lionel_Menchaca
13 Nov 2007 02:27 PM

Tamara: I work here in Round Rock Texas. Can you please e-mail me directly to tell me a bit about what's going on?

I'll be happy to have someone from Customer Service contact you directly.