At least in my book….

Many of you have heard my Dell fiasco. But if you haven’t, here’s the gist of it. In November 2003, I bought two Dimension 2400 desktops; one for Lee and one for myself. They are pretty bareboned computers that cost about $500 a piece. Each computer came with a $100 rebate. So as soon as the computers arrived, I filled out all of the necessary paperwork and mailed in my rebate form. Within a few weeks I received a $100 rebate check. That’s all fine and dandy except I bought two of the exact same computer and was expecting two of the exact same rebates.

So I sent an email to customer service. The young man that answered my claim stated he was resubmitting my rebate request. I waited a few days and still no rebate. I sent another email and was told to be patient…that it takes up to six weeks for a rebate check to be sent.

Another six weeks went by and I sent another email to customer service. This time I got no response whatsoever.

A month or so later, I tried one more time. The customer service rep that answered that time stated she would resubmit my rebate request. Well we know where that got me last time. And this time was no different. I sent follow up emails to customer service and got no response.

Around April or so, I paid off the balance on my credit. The following month I got another bill from Dell stating I owed $15 in finance charges. Umm….NO! So I sent a strongly worded letter stating I had paid the balance in full before the due date and owed no such money. And I stated, “…in fact, you owe me $100 for a rebate which I have never received.”

About a month later, I received an email from Dell stating I was indeed correct. I did not owe the $15 and please except their apologies for the incorrect bill that was sent to me. No mention whatsoever about my missing rebate.

I had pretty much given up on ever seeing that rebate check in my lifetime.

Then in September, Lee contacted Dell customer service to request the bracket for a floppy drive. They said they would mail it right out. Lee wrote back and asked if he could please have two brackets since he had two computers. The customer service rep wrote back and stated “I only show the purchase of one computer.” WHAT?!?

So that, of course, got me all revved up again. I snapped off a somewhat nasty letter about how even back in 2003 those were only $500 computers and “I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that with a total over $1000 I bought two computers.” Lee also sent off a similar, yet not as abrasive, email to his customer service rep.

Lee got a response that they were once again going to re-submit the request for a rebate. Whoopee do da. That gets us nowhere people.

I got a response back that although they can no longer give me my rebate they will be more then happy to give me $125 worth of merchandise from the personal Dell website. I thought, finally I’m getting somewhere. It’s still not my rebate, but we’re closer then we’ve ever been before. So I jumped on it. I picked out a nice big piece of memory and sent back the part number for purchase.

And then I hear nothing. No more emails from customer service.

That was it. The last straw. I was about to lose it with Dell. So I decided to take a more direct approach. I emailed the CEO. I couldn’t find anywhere that listed the CEO’s website, but I did some research to try and find out some other employee emails at Dell. Based on those emails I took a stab in the dark and sent off an email to Kevin Rollins and chairman (and former CEO) Michael Dell.

I sent that email on Saturday. On Monday morning, a nice woman, named Dorothy, from the corporate office called me. She spoke to Lee and assured him that my rebate check would be in the mail. Yeah, I’ve heard that one before. Hell I’ve used that one before.

So imagine my surprise when just three weeks later…what’s that in my mail…oh heavenly Father…it’s a rebate check from Dell. I never ever thought I’d see that. I quickly deposited that puppy in the bank just in case it was some cruel sick joke.

But it wasn’t. It was real.

So today, around quarter to one this afternoon, I sent a follow up email to Kevin Rollins thanking him for his help in this matter. I stated

I just wanted to send a quick follow up. My husband spoke with Dorothy in the corporate office immediately following my initial email to you. She assured him that our final $100 rebate check would be mailed to us soon. I am happy to report that we received this check last week. I do not know Dorothy?s email address, but I want to extend a huge thank you to her. After 11 months, I finally received that check. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I hope to continue to do business with Dell for many years to come. Thanks again!

And I almost fell on the floor. When I got home from work I checked my email (like I always do) and Kevin had written back to me. Less then three hours after my email to him he responded with…

Thanks Christine, we are pleased the team addressed your issues and thank you for remaining a loyal Dell customer. We will recognize Dorothy for her excellent service and continue to work the issues that caused you this distress. Thanks for your patience.
All the best to you and your family,
Kevin

I am still in utter shock. I can’t believe that he took time out of his busy day to respond to my email. A CEO acknowledged the little people. It really is the little things that count. So that, Kevin (cause now we are on a first name basis), makes you the CEO of the year in my book!