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The original was posted on /r/sysadmin by /u/MathematicianDue4049 on 2024-01-22 14:03:04+00:00.
I have been dealing with a mostly Dell shop for 15 years. I am used to their poor ability to actually get the right parts to the right place in the suggested time frame. (4 Hour or Next Business Day). Lots of wrong parts etc. But this last support ticket has really got me questioning how Dell operates in 2024. I needed a PCIe riser and PCIe cables that go from the riser to the motherboard. Dell agreed and dispatched the parts on my R940xa $150K server for next business day delivery. Of course they same two days later and were the wrong parts (I got power cables). What is eating me is after another 2 hour call with support they can't seem to find the part number i need. They have been asking me to look at service manuals and circle the parts i need, which i did. I don't want to take the system offline to get the part numbers from the existing cables, and then again a few days later to replace them. They have been sending me e-bay listings for Dell parts asking my thoughts on the parts and if its what i need. They spent all of Saturday researching the part i need and their conclusion is i need a mini SAS cable. No i actually need the cables that carry the PCIe data from the motherboard to the PCIe Riser. My issue is PCIe, nothing else, not SAS not power, etc.
It just seems crazy to me that they have no inventory of what parts are for the\my system, or even a good inventory and photo gallery with detailed descriptions of every part number. How am i supposed to have confidence in a company that is sending me e-bay links asking me if this is my part and if i think it would work. This is no bash on the engineer on the phone, they apparently have to work with what ever Dell gives them or resort to e-bay, but come on.