Dell complaints

[Dude-5]

I work as an L1 at a Dell outsourcer, ACS. The team I'm on supports CCS (large corporate) and SMB (small/medium business... although usually they just bought it through a business and use it as a home system). I don't do telephone support--I'm on chats. Systems can be anything from Dimension, OptiPlex, Inspiron, or Latitude lines.

We are required to be on at least 2 chats at all times, and typically it is 3. Of course, we can't tell the customer that, even when they wonder why we take a little time to reply to them. We have to use DSN on every case, and if it means part replacement, we have to have it come down to the part we need (although using DSN is very seldom a helpful thing, and slows down most routine things).

When I say "required", I mean it. If there is not enough volume for everyone to be on 2, they send people home until it is. And the team I'm on has to close the queue (midnight), so we can't leave--we just have to take all the chats when the queue is backed up to a level they like.

Of course you still have the usual customer problems, the know-it-all, the person who wants you to fix all their software glitches, the person whose out of contract but wants full troubleshooting (which we have to give them), etc. But you also get it from the management, who feel that anyone who doesn't complete a minimum of 30 chats per day is in need of corrective action. Of course, I haven't seen a manager yet who has more that a tiny clue how to do the job of their subordinates (even on a single chat).

We're constantly having more added on to us as well. Recently, we've gone from straight chatting, to a combination of chatting and DellConnects (target being 20%). Of course, when you are dealing with no POST issues, it's kinda hard to connect to the system. And yes, we still have to be on multiple chats when DellConnected to a customer.

Well, at least the pay is good, right? No. Eight dollars an hour for most, for a seasoned agent, maybe $8.50.