Dell Support Chat Fail, Part IV

by   •   General
 

This post is over 15 years old and may contain information that is incorrect, outdated, or no longer relevant.
My views and opinions can change, and those that are expressed in this post may not necessarily reflect the ones I hold today.
 

I know this may sound ridiculous, but my laptop has still not been repaired. When the technician came last time and failed to repair my laptop, he said that he would order a new motherboard for me, but I didn’t receive any contact from Dell about it, so I decided to chat with them to make sure that it was done. Here are some interesting excerpts from my chat conversation that took almost one hour to finish.

(05:34:17PM) Adam: Could you check to make sure that a motherboard was properly ordered for my system? A technician came to replace an LCD about two weeks ago but we realized that my laptop’s display problem was not a problem with the LCD, and he said that he would order a new motherboard so we could replace that, but I don’t think he did.

After waiting several minutes of waiting and verifying what machine I had, the support technician said:

(05:44:02PM) Saurabh: Adam, I apologize the dispatch for the motherboard has not been created. Please donot worry I will make the dispatch for the LCD and the motherboard now so that you donot face any issues.

(05:44:16PM) Adam: No, I don’t need another LCD. I already got a new LCD and got it replaced, but that wasn’t the problem. I just need a new motherboard, and possibly the cable that connects the upper screen area to the motherboard.

After another several minutes, we verified my address and phone number, and the chat support representative put in the request for a technician to come repair my laptop again. After getting that set up, I asked another question:

(05:51:32PM) Adam: I have one more question. This is the seventh or eighth time I’ve contacted chat support about this problem, and a technician has already been to my apartment twice before to attempt to fix this problem, so this is clearly a recurring problem. What is your return policy on products that have problems like this? Would I be able to get a Dell store credit so I can purchase an entirely different machine if this third repair still does not fully resolve the problem?

This is where mass chaos began. Instead of answering my question, he did everything possible to avoid it.

(05:54:07PM) Saurabh: Adam, I sincerely apologize for the past inconvenience. Please donot worry and be assured the issue will be fixed this time by the parts replacement. We will send all the required parts through the technician so that you donot face any issues further.

(05:54:40PM) Adam: I know, but in the case that this third repair still does not resolve the problem, would a return or exchange for a different Dell machine be an option?

(05:58:16PM) Saurabh: Adam, we will make sure that the correct parts are sent to you for the replacement so that you donot face any issues further. You will not have to come back again for the same issue.

(05:58:32PM) Adam: … You’re not answering my question. The first representative that I talked with for the first repair said the same thing that you’re saying now.

(06:06:15PM) Saurabh: Adam, we cannot promise the system exchange right now till the parts replacement are done to fix the issue but please donot worry the issue will be fixed after the parts replacement

(06:07:11PM) Adam: First of all, stop saying that the issue will be fixed after the replacement, because we all expected it to be fixed after the first repair but it didn’t work, and now we’re on the third repair. What are the conditions that make a product refund or exchange an option?

(06:17:31PM) Saurabh: I apologize for the delay. I really understand your concerns and apologize for the inconveniences caused to you. Please donot worry we will make sure that the system is fixed this time and if in case you face nay issues we will surely do the needful.

This is where I gave up on him.

(06:17:57PM) Adam: Are you even reading my questions, or are you just using canned responses and sending me random answers?

(06:18:17PM) Adam: The stuff you say is completely irrelevant to what I ask about 80% of the time. If you don’t know the answer, you could’ve just said “I don’t know” about 20 minutes ago and we could’ve all saved time.

(06:18:47PM) Adam: This is ridiculous, you’re wasting my life.

(06:18:56PM) Adam: Thanks for setting up the appointment for me, no thanks for not answering my questions.

(06:19:03PM) Adam: Have a nice day.

(06:19:05PM) Session Ended

 

So Far in 2011…

Number of Taco Bell tacos eaten: 10

Number of times I did my own laundry: 1

 

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Greatest Hero of All Time

by   •   Daily Post
 

This post is over 15 years old and may contain information that is incorrect, outdated, or no longer relevant.
My views and opinions can change, and those that are expressed in this post may not necessarily reflect the ones I hold today.
 

 

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Topic #34: Who is your greatest hero of all time?

Most people would probably say their greatest hero of all time is Superman or Batman or some comic, or they may say that it’s a famous actor or other artist. When I think about their responses, they make no sense to me. I don’t understand how they would think a fake superhero is really their own greatest hero, because other than watching them in television shows for entertainment, these fake superheroes have never actually directly saved anybody’s life. As for actors and other performers, simply providing good entertainment doesn’t really mean they’re a hero.

Reading that, you can probably assume that the hero I am going to pick is someone real, and someone that actually benefits and saves many people on a daily basis. I can’t really pick one single greatest hero, but my greatest heroes are the people that work for law enforcement.

Without these people, the community would essentially be wild and unruly, and nobody would be able to lead a normal life as we know it. Without anyone there enforcing the law, there would be no real punishment for breaking the law. Most people don’t have a strong-enough sense of ethics to not break the law, and because there is no punishment, they see no reason to not break the law.

Law enforcement officials put their lives on the line on a daily basis to make sure everyone else can live a productive and fair life. The people that break the laws, and criminals in general, tend to be violent and/or mentally abnormal in one way or another, which makes them more volatile and more dangerous. The officials that place them under custody are risking bodily harm to do their jobs, and after they successfully arrest a criminal, they directly improve the tranquility of the community. Thus, I believe there is nobody more heroic than anyone involved with law enforcement.

 

So Far in 2011…

Number of Taco Bell tacos eaten: 10

Number of times I did my own laundry: 1

 

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NFL Superbowl XLV

by   •   General
 

This post is over 15 years old and may contain information that is incorrect, outdated, or no longer relevant.
My views and opinions can change, and those that are expressed in this post may not necessarily reflect the ones I hold today.
 

For those of you that don’t live in the United States of America (or for those Americans that live under a rock), the NFL Superbowl was on today, the Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. As you may or may not know, I’m currently a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is the home state of the Green Bay Packers.

Sure, it’s awesome and all that a local football team went to the Superbowl, the largest American football event in the nation. And sure, it’s awesome that they ended up winning. But the only problem is, Madison residents are too dedicated to American football that everyone went outside and started clogging up the streets.

If you don’t know already, I work at the Badger Herald, the newspaper for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We publish an issue on Monday, which means I have to go to work on Sunday night. Because the Badger Herald office is about 1.4 miles (2.2 kilometers) away from my apartment, I take the bus. If you’ve been keeping up with my YouTube vlogs lately, you know that I have tons of issues with getting to and back from the office, and with buses in general.

The bus system in Madison is also particularly unreliable, especially the free bus routes. I try my best to take paid bus routes because I have a bus pass that lets me ride all Madison Metro routes for free. The only problem is, sometimes the times don’t work out very well and I end up having to take the free routes.

These free routes are usually very off time – they can be ten minutes early one round, then suddenly be fifteen minutes late the next round. I had set a personal record for waiting for the bus a few months back, where I had to wait about 32 minutes for the bus to come. I had a feeling that the bus just skipped a round because it was too late or something. Today, I beat my personal record.

Remember the American football fanatics I mentioned a while ago? These fanatics flooded the streets and clogged up a very important street called State St. Just about every bus route that I take that leads to the office passes through State St. I wasn’t there to witness it myself, but apparently, State St. was so packed that people could barely get through, let alone vehicles or buses.

I had no idea this was the case and waited for the bus, expecting it to be on time.

Forty-three minutes later, the bus came.

The bus route that I was waiting for is essentially a bus that goes around repeatedly in a circle for several hours, with each round (or “circle”) taking 30 minutes to complete. My having to wait 43 minutes implies that the bus must have randomly just given up on a route.

I can sort of picture the bus driver looking at the crowd in State St., sighing with a depressed look on his face, and just stopping the bus to wait for people to go away.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Even while I’m at the office, I constantly check the Madison Metro website in case there are emergency route terminations. I noticed that the last round for the bus route I was riding was at 11:46 PM, which is two hours earlier than the normal last round. I suspected that they just decided to end the routes early because of the massive crowd in State St., so I quickly packed everything up and left work early so I could catch the bus back to my apartment.

On the way back, I noticed that State St. was almost entirely empty of football fans. When I got back to my apartment, I checked the website and noticed that the remainder of the rounds were put back in service.

Apparently they thought it would be a good idea to update the website ten minutes after I left.

 

So Far in 2011…

Number of Taco Bell tacos eaten: 10

Number of times I did my own laundry: 1

 

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The Perfect Job

by   •   Daily Post
 

This post is over 15 years old and may contain information that is incorrect, outdated, or no longer relevant.
My views and opinions can change, and those that are expressed in this post may not necessarily reflect the ones I hold today.
 

 

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Topic #33: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? What is the worst job you’ve ever had? What did you learn from it?

If I could have any job in the world (and actually be good at it), I would pick an online entertainer, for many different reasons.

Many people waste significant portions of their lives and spend significant resources commuting to work. If I were to work online, I wouldn’t have to waste anything traveling anywhere to do my work. If I need to do something directly related to the Internet, I could go to a in-home office or a den to access my computer. If I need to actually produce content, I could go anywhere that has convenient access to produce content.

Once I actually start doing my work, I can essentially pick what I want to do on a daily basis. Most people have a set schedule for what they need to accomplish on a daily basis. Although I like structure and organization, I don’t like repetition and redundancy. If one day I want to put written work online, then I can sit down in front of my computer with a snack and start typing. If another day I want to put media work online, I can pull out a camera or camcorder and start shooting or filming. Even within the things I choose, I have more choices – I can pick the topic that I want to write about, and I can pick the style of video that I want to make. Once I decide what type of video to make, I can pick how much visual effects and editing I want to put into the video.

Another issue many people have is waking up in the morning to get to work on time. A lot of office jobs begin early in the morning, forcing people to wake up at 6 or 7 in the morning. If I were to work online, I wouldn’t have to wake up at any specific time, and I wouldn’t have to start working until I wanted to, or until I encounter something that would be interesting to put online. I generally tend to have more energy during the evening or night, so I can adjust my sleeping schedule to match my energy levels and optimize the work that I do.

Many people that work in offices or own businesses have to stay in one general area because of where their work is. If someone wanted to move to California, but their office job is in Chicago, they wouldn’t be able to live where they wanted to. However, if they worked as an online entertainer, they could essentially go anywhere they want and take a vacation whenever they want, as long as they bring their laptop or camcorder with them. Taking many vacations would actually be beneficial to their job as an online entertainer, as their fans would enjoy the variation and be able to experience different areas of the world with the entertainer.

Looking back at the prompt, I don’t think there actually is a worst job that I have ever had. All of the jobs that I had were either related to my family, were taken via a special invitation, or were done because I had a strong interest in what the job was about. I have never had to take a job simply because I had to make money; I am currently in university, and have received financial support from my parents for my entire life. There may be things within the jobs I have that aren’t the best, but I have still enjoyed the job as a whole.

 

So Far in 2011…

Number of Taco Bell tacos eaten: 10

Number of times I did my own laundry: 0

 

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Optimism or Pessimism

by   •   Daily Post
 

This post is over 15 years old and may contain information that is incorrect, outdated, or no longer relevant.
My views and opinions can change, and those that are expressed in this post may not necessarily reflect the ones I hold today.
 

Fun fact of the day: I walked into the same wrong classroom for my criminal justice discussion three weeks in a row, today being my third week. I’m pretty sure you can see by now that me sucking at learning from my mistakes is a recurring theme…

 

The Daily Post at WordPress.com

Topic #32: Are you an optimist, a pessimist, or something else?

Although I don’t necessarily always have a grave attitude toward everything in my life, I would still consider myself a pessimist. I found over the years of my life that being a pessimist tends to keep me more satisfied in the long run and has many other more positive effects than being an optimist would have.

If someone is an optimist, they expect the best to happen all the time. But as we all know, the best things don’t necessarily always happen to everyone all the time. These optimists are prone to failure at one point in their lives, and when they do fail, they will be put down because they don’t get as much as they expect to get out of the situation. Even when something average happens (as in, not the best thing that could happen, but also not the worst thing that could happen), optimists are prone to still feeling bad because they still could not accomplish everything to their expectations.

On the other hand, if someone is a pessimist, they always prepare for the worst to happen. Sometimes, the worst does happen, but as we all know, the worst things don’t necessarily happen to everyone all the time. Sometimes, this pessimist might get the best result possible out of a situation, which would make the pessimist ecstatic. Even when something average happens (as in, not the best thing that could happen, but also not the worst thing that could happen), the pessimist would still be expecting the worst, and the average result would still be better than the worst. Thus, overall, optimists are more prone to negative results than pessimists are.

Some people argue that being optimistic psychologically helps you be more happy. However, I believe that it is more of an issue of how individuals want to approach life. If they want to have a false sense of happiness all the time, even though they might not always be satisfied in the long run, then they should be an optimist. Instead, if a more realistic and logical approach to life is preferred, they should be a pessimist. I don’t even consider pessimism a negative thing, as preparing for the unexpected makes me feel more secure about many things, which translates to a sense of tranquility and happiness.

 

So Far in 2011…

Number of Taco Bell tacos eaten: 10

Number of times I did my own laundry: 0

 

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Important Technologies

by   •   Daily Post
 

This post is over 15 years old and may contain information that is incorrect, outdated, or no longer relevant.
My views and opinions can change, and those that are expressed in this post may not necessarily reflect the ones I hold today.
 

 

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Topic #31: What’s one piece of technology you can’t live without? What technology do you wish would disappear from the world?

The answer to this question is a little obvious in my situation, but the one piece of technology that I can’t live without is probably the Internet.

The Internet has become one of the biggest parts of my life – I use it everyday for all different kinds of reasons, ranging from educational purposes to entertainment purposes to communication purposes. A big part of my university is online; I have to use the Internet to enroll for classes, get up-to-date information about the classes I’m taking, and download documents and other resources needed to succeed in those courses. The Internet is also influential indirectly, as I use it frequently to find other sources to do research to either complete the required coursework or learn more about the topics we’re covering.

A lot of people around my age spend a lot of time watching television, but I almost never do. When I was at my home town, I would occasionally be exposed to some television because my parents frequently and loved to watch television. However, now that I am in my own apartment at university, I don’t have a television in my room and I have no reason to have one. The only exposure I have to television is when I’m walking past my apartment’s lobby area where there’s a television on, or in my workplace. As a result, the time spent watching television for me has been cut down to several seconds a day.

As a substitute, I use the Internet for my entertainment. My direct replacement for television is online video websites like YouTube. I also have indirect substitutes like reading the news instead of watching it, and reading other comedic content online instead of watching comedy shows or dramas.

Finally, the Internet is one of the frequent methods I use to communicate with others. I generally tend to stay in my apartment when I’m not walking to class, in class, or at work. As a result, my person-to-person socialization time has been cut down drastically. Instead, I use email, instant messaging, and text messaging to talk with friends, co-workers, and other people that may choose to contact me for any reason. I also don’t like talking on my cell phone, and only take calls from family members or for urgent issues. Instead of text messaging from my phone, I text message from my computer or my iPod Touch via an Internet connection, which makes the Internet more important again.

I don’t think there’s a particular piece of technology that I wish would disappear from the world. My original intention was to say any advanced weaponry like guns, because if they were never invented, people would not use them at all and many innocent lives would be spared. Some people might argue that if guns weren’t invented, the police and other law enforcement officials would have a difficult time maintaining order, but if criminals didn’t have access to guns, police would not have to worry about using guns of their own.

But when I thought about it some more, I realized that in situations where many unarmed people join up to form a riot or rebellion, police need the extra help from advanced weapons. Even if many people are unarmed, if they are attacking in massive numbers, it is difficult to contain them. Thus, I decided that all the technology that we have now should stay as a symbol of our historical advancements through time.

 

So Far in 2011…

Number of Taco Bell tacos eaten: 10

Number of times I did my own laundry: 0

 

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