Dell’s computers suck, so does their service… and now, so does their “viral” marketing
This looks like something my friends at JibJab might have whipped up for Dell, and if so, shame on them. This really sucks.
Sorry for the poor language, Mom. You didn’t bring me up to talk that way….
Nevertheless, that’s the way I feel.
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JibJab had nothing to do with it — we swear!
Thank God! You’ve restored my faith in my good friends at JibJab…
So who’s the culprit who knocked off your style?
Hi Andrew,
Dropped by to let you know that we at Dell appreciate your comments and feedback about the “viral” marketing video you referenced. I also, of course, noted the headline and your links to our laptop battery recall.
Perhaps I can offer a little context about the video first and then leave a couple other thoughts on the other matters. If you want to pursue further, please let me know?
To put the video in perspective, it was created for an audience of 10,000 people who came to hear Michael Dell speak about standards in business computing. Rather than just another speech from the podium, we thought a little fun, maybe even personality, was in order, especially since industry-standards computing can be a rather mundane topic — even though those standards are crucial to enabling us to be connected here, or to share photos between friends and family, or to work together using technology versus not being able to share information and connect with each other.
The audience at the event were laughing and enjoying the spirit of the challenge. Look at this as a fun way to get some attention for what can seem like a tedious topic while challenging the norm and nudging the tech sector into new ways of thinking about innovation.
So why youtube? well, many people on the web are tech savvy and/or from the tech business, so it made sense we make it available.
Having put the video in some context, we still appreciate your feedback and thanks for the views.
On batteries, very briefly, I wanted to remind you we were the first to discover the issue with Sony batteries and to start the recall, likely because of our direct connection to customers, rather than the delay experienced when working through third parties. Second, when we first identified the problem we thought it was limited to a particular shipment of sony batteries. Subsequent to that we discovered broader implications and moved quickly in the interest of our customers. We have received praise from organizations like the Fire Marshalls and others for acting promptly on this matter.
Finally, I want to point out that we have invested an additional $150 million to correct issues that people experienced with our customer service and support. We have deployed new technologies (DellConnect), we have hired additional technical staff, trained and retrained people and fixed some of our own internal systems and processes. Are we perfect? NO. Are we where we want to be? Not yet! Have we begun to see a turn around in both internal and external data? Yes. Are we focused? You are darn right we are…including our new Dell 2.0 being driven by these sorts of issues and concerns.
Appreciate your time and consideration…sorry for taking up so much space, but wanted to touch base and connect
Hi Richard at Dell,
You must have your radars finely tuned to find a lowly blogger like me commenting on your products, service and viral ads! Nevertheless, it shows me that Dell must now be actually listening to their customers — even their former ones (my daughter’s Dell laptop blew up after about a year of use… horrible service in response… she has an Apple iMac now).
I’m working for a small company that was Dell-only when I walked in the door last spring, and today the owner spent the better part of the afternoon at the Apple Store in Cambridge picking out new Mac Powerbooks for everybody in the office!
Dell is the company with the most to lose from Apple’s new Windows XP compatibility, so it’s a good time for guys like you to be reaching out with your side of the story. Hopefully, they have a whole army of RichardatDells evangelizing for them.
I hope you stop letting the beancounters run your company and let the customers guide you. You won’t go wrong!
Thanks for the note and the time you took to respond.
Hi Andrew,
thanks for feedback. I understood from reading several of your blog entries that you had moved on. Nevertheless, I wanted you to know because of people like you, we are focused. Corrections and new directions are underway.
I might also say, its more than “beancounters”. Perhaps think about it this way….just 22 years old, we are still growing up and growth is not always linear with no problems. Think of your or your daughter’s growth…always a couple curves along the way. At 22 we experienced phenomenal growth and perhaps were unprepared for how we took off. But, Dell has a track record of always learning and doing better.
By the way, I like to think I do more than evangelizing. perhap it is really some explaining where we are at, although more importantly listening and working with colleagues to make corrections.
Again, apologies for our mistakes with you. Sorry to hear about your choices. Thanks again for feedback
I just finished going round and round and ROUND with Dell! I am not able to burn cds any longer although they play–Dell went back and forth with me so many times that it drove me to the brink of madness! I’m no racist, but could somebody please speak CLEAR English? When they finally DID dispatch a tech he told me he could not come to my home “after hours” nor on the weekend. WHAT KIND OF “SERVICE” is this???? I am a single working mother–and now I have to take off of work for THIS? Ridiculous. All I can say is the way the young kids express themselves nowadays: Dell SUCKS!!!