- Dell On Call
Dell On Call is a limited and fee-based service that covers certain computer issues as an extension to Dell's normal limited hardware warranties (Said warranties only cover pre-installed physical hardware, drivers and the Operating system, the most expensive components of the computer). It was started on November 15, 2005, by Dell as a replacement to Dell HelpDesk plans sold until that date.
Dell on Call is only for American and Canadian Home and Small Business customers, as large businesses tend to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on in-house staff dedicated to taking care of the covered issues. Representatives are trained to do their best to please customers by not only resolving issues that customers have, but also giving lessons about what went wrong, how to find a solution to the issue and how to prevent it from happening again. There are several different levels of contracts and pricing schemes that suit people's needs differently.
Plans supported by Dell On Call
* [http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=983-0358 Single PoN (Point of Need) Contract] : Entitles the Customer to a single incident.
*Yearly PoS (Point of Sale) Contract: Entitles the Customer to four incidents over the course of one year.
* [http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?TabPage=producthighlights&sku=982-9429&c=us&l=en&cs=04 1 Year Upgrade] : Adds three incidents for those who purchased the PoN contract or simply purchases four incidents outright.
*30 Day Trial: Unlimited incident support for 30 days. Sold with new PCs only.
*1-, 2- and 3-year HelpDesk plans: These were sold to businesses prior to Dell on Call's establishment. Theoretically the three-year contract may be supported until November 15, 2008, however, it is no longer possible to buy one of these plans.
*It is now possible to purchase a 13-month combination upon point of sale. 30 days unlimited plus a year of five incidents.
Dell On Call representatives are based within the United States, as well as
Pasay City andQuezon City in thePhilippines ,Ottawa, Ontario ,Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario , andMumbai ,India ,Chennai ,India . These locations are Dell-operated facilities in the Americas and are not outsource partners with the exception of the Dell On Call teams based in Sault Ste. Marie, and Mumbai. (Dell On Call operation in Sault Ste. Marie has been discontinued as of October 15, 2007 and Edmonton as of May 2008.)The Dell On Call service is a supplement to the core helpdesk.
In-scope for Dell On Call
Due to a major scope of support change, Windows XP and all pre-installed applications are now in the scope of support for the Core tech support line
The scope of support for DOC still includes:
*Spyware and virus removal:
**Getting rid of annoying pop ups
**Improving the performance of the computer
**Activating parental control features
**Arranging Internet security to block pop ups
*Instructions and use of various Dell products Dell DJ
*Installation and setup of third party products such as digital cameras, mp3 players, printers, mice and keyboards
*Support for mostWindows XP issues
*Windows XP andWindows Vista only
*Troubleshooting and setup for home networking
*Basic use of Microsoft Office andAdobe Acrobat Reader
*Basics of accessing theInternet and Email
*Basics of media player software such asWindows Media Player andRoxio Easy CD Creator Out-of-scope for Dell On Call
*Hardware issues
* [http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/networking?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz&~ck=mn Enterprise networking]
*Sales and business issues
*Computers not from Dell
*Operating Systems Older Than Windows XPources
* [http://www.prdomain.com/companies/d/dell_computers/news_releases/200511nov/pr_dell_nr_20051115b.htm Expanded Dell On Call services team trained to help consumers...] PRdomain.com
* [http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/11/16DELL.html Dell offers new consumer support] Statesman.com
* [http://www.twice.com/article/CA6285734.html Dell Introduces New Fee-Based Tech Support] Twice.com
* [http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/051115/20051115005217.html?.v=1 Expanded Dell On Call Services Team Trained to Help Consumers Get Most Out of Technology Experience] Yahoo.com
* [http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/services/con_dellcall_helpdesk.pdf Dell on Call] Contract Resource PDF
* [http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/services/en/soft_pref_support_list?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~lt=popup Dell on Call] Supported Product OverviewExternal links
* [http://www.dell.com/smb/DOCPhoneSupport/ Dell On Call Product Page]
* [http://www.dell.com/Delloncall/ Dell on Call Information Page]
* [http://www.dell.com/ Dell, Inc Website.]
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