Dell Says Talk to Us

I have been critical of Dell in the past, but recently reported that Michael Dell's return as CEO may mean a turnaround for this computer giant. Well, only a few weeks have passed and Michael Dell is already making a difference.

He began by talking with his employees, the best place to start. The message: We need to get back to doing what we do best, listening and responding to our customers. Now Dell wants to have a conversation with you, a two-way conversation. With the launch of Ideastorm and StudioDell (click to see and hear Michael Dell), the people have a voice.

For those of us urging big business to trust consumers and to give them a voice, this seems significant and could lead to other large corporations doing the same.

Here are the details in an e-mail I received from their Public Affairs Department. A disclaimer: I do not own or use any Dell products; Dell is but one of the companies that I report on.

Dear Lewis

Since our paths crossed in the blogosphere we have undertaken several new initiatives to foster the  direct connection between Dell and our customers. Because of our direct relationships with customers, Michael wanted to roll out some additional ways for customers to share their ideas directly with us and the entire community of Dell users around the world.

As a result, today we are introducing two new ways for customers to share ideas and experiences directly with peers and with us. Dell’s IdeaStorm and StudioDell were announced during a presentation by Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO, at a statewide education summit in Texas.

As Michael pointed out at the conference today, “We are at our best when we are hearing directly from our customers. We listen, learn and then improve and innovate based on what our customers want. It’s one of the real advantages of being a direct company.” He views both IdeaStorm and StudioDell as ways for customers to help shape Dell’s future.

That’s why I would like to invite you to get involved in these new online initiatives or simply drop by and check out some of the user-generated content. 

To offer you a little more background you can visit the Dell blog, where our post will go live at 1:30pm CST (Friday, Feb. 16).

I have also outlined a little more detail here.

Ideastorm: Ideastorm will be an online community that brings customers closer to the creative side of technology by allowing you to share ideas and interact with other customers and Dell managers and executives. You will have the opportunity to suggest new products or services you would like to see Dell develop or tell the world how you feel about major trends in technology and society. Dell’s commitment is to listen and to use the input and ideas from customers to improve our products and services, and the way we do business. You will be able to check back over time to see how Dell brings customer ideas to life.

StudioDell: StudioDell has been in existence for several weeks. Today we are adding a new video upload feature on StudioDell in the section called “Your Stories.” Similar to YouTube, you can submit videos showing how you are using Dell technology and services for whatever you love to do.  StudioDell has channels for consumers, small business and for IT professionals. We hope our customers will join to learn about technology tips and share their stories.

Thanks for the consideration and hope to hear or see you at IdeaStorm or StudioDell

thanks,
richard binhammer
Dell, Public Affairs