I’m really starting to think they are just playing “You’re on candid camera” (or candid microphone) with me.
I have an itty bitty SX280 Ultra that came with a 40gb drive. I want more storage and was hoping that, even with the tiny footprint, I could add a 2nd drive in there. Dell’s site makes it super easy to get support for your particular system. You just log in while you are on that computer and it identifies the computer and the service tag and gives you links to everything about your computer. So rather than shut the p.c. down and open the chassis, I thought I’d just ping the online chat and ask if I could fit another drive in there or not. Stupid me.
Here are a few highlights of the conversation. Note the times.
01/30/2007 08:57:16AM Agent (): “Thank you for contacting Dell Technical Support. My name is xxx and my rep ID number is xxxxxx. How may I assist you today?”
01/30/2007 08:58:04AM Julia Lerman: “I didn’t want to take my computer apart to answer this question – it’s an SX280 ultra. Is there room INSIDE for a 2nd hard drive?”
01/30/2007 08:58:31AM Agent (): “Thank you for the information. I’ll be glad to assist you. Please give me 2 to 3 minutes to pull up your account information.”
01/30/2007 08:58:41AM Agent (): “I would also request you not to hit F5 key or refresh the screen anytime during the chat as that will disconnect you from me.”
01/30/2007 08:58:44AM Agent (): “Also, may I have your telephone number, along with the area code to update our records?”
01/30/2007 09:01:14AM Agent (): “May, I also have your alternate number in case we are not able to get you over the main number?”
01/30/2007 09:01:27AM Julia Lerman: “use the number I gave you”
01/30/2007 09:01:29AM Julia Lerman: “thanks”
01/30/2007 09:01:32AM Julia Lerman: “it will work”
01/30/2007 09:02:14AM Agent (): “If I understand the issue you need information if you can install a second hard drive on the system you are using?”
So it’s been 5 minutes of bullshit and now he’s getting to my question.
Then after another 1 1/2 minutes….
01/30/2007 09:03:31AM Agent (): “I apologize for the inconvenience; you have reached Dell Hardware Technical Support for Desktop systems and your query is regarding a Optiplex.”01/30/2007 09:03:55AM Julia Lerman: “this is a desktop system”
01/30/2007 09:04:09AM Julia Lerman: “and this is the support that I was pointed to for this particular system”
01/30/2007 09:07:20AM Agent (): “You will need to call at 1-800-822-8965 for the support with the system model you are using.”
01/30/2007 09:07:28AM Agent (): “I apologize for the inconvenience caused.”
01/30/2007 09:07:59AM Julia Lerman: “Okay – but please be aware that I logged into the website, it identified my system and the service tag, it gave me a link to support which sent me to you.”
and so on and so forth
here’s where the conversation ended, with my question still unanswered.
01/30/2007 01/30/2007 09:17:30AM Julia Lerman: “bye” Julia Lerman: “bye”Twenty freakin’ wasted minutes. This was not the fault of the agent, but of Dell’s support system.
So I disconnected and in 2 minutes I had my computer shut down, the chassis off and saw that no, there is no room for another hard drive.
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