Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: Email to Michael Dell
Author: Fredrik Lundh Posted: 5/13/1999; 11:38:11 AM Topic: Bad experience with Dell service Msg #: 6175 (In response to 6154) Prev/Next: 6174 / 6176
www.delluded.comloved that one!
a few years ago, I vowed to never ever do business with Dell.
at that time, I was the product manager for a PC-based image analysis system. we used AST computers plus lots of custom hardware and software, and sold it as a turn-key system to medical and industrial research labs.
one day, a Dell salesman phoned me. he said he'd discovered that we had customers in common, said he was duly impressed by our system, and wondered if we might be interested to use Dell as a second PC source, for customers who preferred that (and as a cool reference for Dell).
after some 20 minutes of technical talk, we pretty much agreed that a certain Dell model would match the AST we were using, and that it most likely was compatible with our custom stuff.
half a second later, he turned nasty, and told me that he now had enough evidence to take legal action against the customer (and boy was I a dolt that had given him that info so easily!).
turned out Dell had a contract with this customer (a hospital), in which they had agreed to buy all PC workstations from Dell. they didn't see that turn-key laboratory system as just another PC, of course...
(as far as I know, he never sued them. the customer wasn't happy, though, so I suppose it cost Dell more than $300 and a few free shipments to keep that contract ;-)
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