Dell the Storm Maker
2/28/07 posted by David Naylor at 10:18 AM
So you may have heard that Dell set up a website called IdeaStorm on 16 Feb and it looks like that’s just what it has created. Unfortunately, just like the UK government’s recent online petition, you only get one side of the story. In this case, the storm came from the leading edge users who wanted Dell to ditch Windows and adopt Linux. Less radical but still a popular idea was replacing Internet Explorer with the leading alternative browser, Firefox.
Clearly, Michael Dell needs to think about the direction of the company. Embrace the tech heads with leading edge products (which they would find hard to support) or pander to the conservative mass market, Microsoft led world. Who did they think would respond on IdeaStorm?!
It’s just another example of an ill thought through customer feedback ‘campaign’ that generates a lot of the wrong publicity by giving Dell so much that they are unable to act on. It would be far better if they listen to everyone on a continuous basis – both staff and customers – about how they can improve the basics rather than looking the wow factor.
Read the full article in Business Week at http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2007/tc20070226_415604.htm?link_position=link1
Clearly, Michael Dell needs to think about the direction of the company. Embrace the tech heads with leading edge products (which they would find hard to support) or pander to the conservative mass market, Microsoft led world. Who did they think would respond on IdeaStorm?!
It’s just another example of an ill thought through customer feedback ‘campaign’ that generates a lot of the wrong publicity by giving Dell so much that they are unable to act on. It would be far better if they listen to everyone on a continuous basis – both staff and customers – about how they can improve the basics rather than looking the wow factor.
Read the full article in Business Week at http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2007/tc20070226_415604.htm?link_position=link1
Labels: Dell, Voice of the Customer
posted by David Naylor at
10:18 AM
2 Comments:
I think that IdeaStorm is a perfect solution for Dell. There are few companies out there that sell products who would be able to react quickly to community comments/suggestions. I don't think that Dell should abandon their current practice or their relationship with Microsoft. But this allows Dell to give the people what they want. If they sell more computers because of it, great for them.
Sure, Dell should not abandon its relationship with Microsoft. If they had asked their staff what customers ask for when they place an order by phone I'm sure they would already know that Linux would be on the list. But what tops the list? "My order was wrong", "my orders are always late", etc - all the basic stuff that they need to get right. Gathering customer feedback on a continous basis and ACTING on it continually to fix the stuff that matters to customers will bring greater long term success. Sure, an eye on the future is also required but this feedback process confuses the delivery of customer service basics with the development of innovative products.
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