In Defense of Dell

A number of bloggers have written about what they refer to as "Dell Hell", detailing their negative experiences with the number one PC manufacturer. It is not my desire to suggest that "Dell Hell" does not exist or to point to these bloggers as being whiners. In fact, I've had some negative experiences with Dell, myself. However, I would like to call your attention to a few positive things about Dell.

Recent blog posts have involved experiences with Dell from a consumer standpoint. My perspective is different, as I work at a large University medical facility. Our facility has purchased thousands of PCs from Dell over the last few years. Each machine is purchased with a 3-year warranty. I'm a PC Tech and I deal with Dell directly and indirectly each week.

Here are a few positive things about Dell...

1) Dell provides prompt delivery of warranty replacement parts. Dell can ship parts to our facility in one day. One day. Sometimes times parts arrive the same day. How can they do this? They partner with delivery companies. The delivery company keeps a supply of commonly requested Dell PC parts (hard drives, CD-ROM drives, etc) on hand at their local sorting facility. This means that many parts ship from a local facility, not from Texas.

2) Dell is willing and able to provide support for their products. All PC manufacturers ship defective hardware to customers. All of them. It happens. Bad parts get out, they slip through the QC process. Damage can occur during shipping. No manufacturer has a zero defect record. So, if all PC manufacturers ship defective hardware, why choose Dell? Dell is willing able to stand behind their equipment. They will correct problems. This can often be done by shipping a replacement part. Sometimes they'll have to dispatch a contracted technician to visit you. Their techs are usually prompt, competent and courteous.

3) Dell has an excellent support website. You can use the Service Tag (Serial) number of your unit and look up countless details on their site. Your warranty information is available. The original system configuration data is available. Driver downloads and user manuals are available. Troubleshooting procedures are available. True, these items may never be needed if your PC performs without incident. However, if you run into trouble or if you want to upgrade your PC, these details can be priceless. If you can't find what you're looking for, you can call them on the phone at any time of the day or night.

4) Now for a few technical items that will probably not interest most consumers. The machines all ship with an OS disc. That's right, an actual Windows CD. Not a restore disc, which will only give you limited reinstall options. The peripherals are color-coded. The peripherals are high-quality. Many case designs allow for swapping components without the need for a screwdriver. Extra drive rails are provided within the case. Dell PCs have a BIOS options that are easy to navigate and use. BIOS upgrades are easy to apply.

A PC warranty is not a promise to come to your home and hold your hand or a promise to FedEx you a new laptop if you aren't completely satisfied. If your business is so critical that you need such a level of service you should probably get backup equipment. Even the very best customer service is challenged by unrealistically high customer expectation. Additionally, no warranty is a replacement for in-house technicians equipped with a supply of new parts. A warranty will not conjure a supreme PC tech genie out of a bottle to miraculously cure your computer problem. What can a warranty do for you? A warranty will, however, prevent you from paying $1,200 to replace motherboard that has gone bad on a laptop that is only 11 months old. A warranty will prevent you from paying $800 to replace a bad LCD laptop screen.

I will not argue that Dell is the best. However, I will argue that they are by no means the worst. Further, having worked with them for the past two years to obtain parts and service has allowed me to form what I consider to be an informed opinion about their customer service. Therefore, I argue that Dell's merchandise and customer service is not only adequate, but on many occasions, excellent.