The reality is that ALL customer service sucks. Well, most of it anyway. I've gotten the COMPLETE runaround from Apple recently just trying to get them to acknowledge that a product I ordered with AppleCare in fact had AppleCare (they still won't even though they are on the same receipt purchase directly from Apple--different departments who refuse to talk and have effectively stolen my $59). Companies that used to be tops, like NewEgg, are NOT anymore. Why do I have to pay shipping in two directions to RMA a DEFECTIVE item? Dey sell me broke crap...make da broke crap work. Don't get me started on Sprint or AT&T or, gasp, Verizon (I'm sure Rogers is equally sad). Buy local you say? Yeah. At least down here in the Southeast US, we've got nothing but uneducated, attitude flouting, tongue clicking folks who like to use their position of quasi-authority to pump up their egos. Basically the job for police academy rejects.
Dell's problem is with the outsourcing and the completely unethical way they try and reduce returns. Obviously the companies are are paid based on this metric and are trained in every possible means of discouraging returns--delay, sell, lie. It is evil and needs to be fixed, no doubt.
But I believe that there is a much deeper societal problem that is killing any kind of service mentality--which is sad since Western countries are moving towards largely service economies. I don't know if or how it can be fixed, but it is unquestionably in need of fixing.
Yes, I'm bitter much.
