Dell Is Innovative, If Nothing Else
- 4
- Add a Comment
Clearly, Dell is not planning on fizzling out without one heck of a fight. I found this link on Computrout’s site today. It appears that Dell is looking to use “Star power” to your friends and family on purchasing you, a holiday product. It’s a clever idea, sort of like Fundable.org, but with Dell products, celebs and Flash.
Now maybe I am all wet here, but I simply cannot see how effective this is going to be. Sure, it has some really inventive novelty to it. But I have two big problems with this:
- I have asking for gifts. I mean, this is hardly a gift registry we are talking about here.
- Doesn’t this feel a little bit like digital panhandling here, just with B actors?
What do you think? If you were in the market for a Dell product, is this a route you would be taking for the holiday season? I cannot help but feel this is a little over the top, be it clever. Am I wrong on this?
4 Comments
Steven C, Leach
November 17th, 2007
at 6:52pm
I don’t know about anybody else, but I consider Dell Over priced, and unsupported. After working on several of my friends Dell computers over the years, so I have never bought a Dell. I prefer white box systems that have leading technology, at reasonable prices. Dell has neither, unless you are willing to pay a handsome premium. I can price a signifantly better gaming system from Magic Micro, or through price watch.com than Dell has any hope of putting together. I putting together a vostro, and they don’t even offer NVidia 8500 GT let alone 8800 or equivalent cards.
Ray Gallatin
November 18th, 2007
at 5:58am
As a repair tech for over 20 years, I can say Dell is nothing but a four letter word around my shop. Like Steven above I have had the same experiences only by the hundreds. I agree white box I will build you any computer you want for less than the comparable Dell (if they even make it) and I will support it! So where do these folks that buy Dells get the idea that they are the best computers? I have often wondered why an organization of REAL computer builders and sellers dont get together and pool resources to educate the public on the difference between buying a Dell or ohter factory manufactured computer, and a REAL computer provided at your local PC shop with local support??? Sure Dell has the advertising power, but so would we in numbers!
Michael Cole
November 19th, 2007
at 9:39am
Wow! How far from reality are these so called stars? How much is this adding to the price of a Dell? These people are so full of themselves, I’m really disappointed in Ice-T! Sold out to the establishment, too bad.
RichardatDELL
November 19th, 2007
at 3:30pm
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the feedback on the marketing initiative. Appreciate your perspective and point of view. Its a bit like a wish list on Amazon where friends and family might go to pick out something you want…and I guess only time will tell if its effective. Nevertheless wanted to let you know we heard you. Should you want you can always share ideas with us over at Dell’s Ideastorm too.
As for Dell not fizzling out without a fight, I think its fair to point out that on that front there is a whole lot more than simply this marketing tactic. For example, and to Steven and Ray’s points, we have made a significant investment in improving our technical support, retraining staff, increasing expertise of support agents and deploying new tools. We are also experimenting with some personalized support tools.
In addition, we are moving to make better products and address various product/quality issues you raise. We are also also breaking some new ground with the XPS line including the new m1330 and the XPS One.
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsdt_one?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~tab=bundlestab.
More change is in the offing and we are working hard to listen learn and do better. We certainly are not perfect, nor where we want to be…but we are hard at it.
Thanks for letting us know what you think we need to work on.