Improve the Idea Process on IdeaStorm

How IdeaStorm Works:

Dell Comments | Dell Ideas | IdeaStorm Comments | IdeaStorm Ideas

250

Improve the Idea Process on IdeaStorm

250 points posted to Dell, IdeaStorm by jervis961 Jan 31

The current way this site works lacks proper feedback and process to show the customer that their ideas are important to Dell. The process also does not allow the ideas to gain proper exposure from visitors that is needed to propel the ideas to the popular ideas front page. Here are some suggestions for improvement.

1. All ideas should be read by a Dell representative and tagged as acknowledged within 3 days of being posted. I know this will be difficult on old ideas but if you go through and read them you will spot lots of duplicates to merge in the process.

2. Every time Dell has a meeting to discuss the top ideas they should change the tag to appropriately identify Dell's reaction to the idea. Currently there are several ideas on the front page without a status tag that should have been discussed by Dell already.

3. When users visit the site they should be taken to the recent ideas page to give those ideas more visability. I'm sure that Dell's own research shows that most users only visit the first page or two of the popular ideas tab which is unfair to all the other ideas submitted.

4. Don't just delete ideas and send off an email to the poster, allow them to defend themselves first. While it only takes a minute to read an idea, some users have spent a lot of time creating it. Dell should ask for clarification or post a comment on why they feels it should be deleted and the poster should be given 3 days to respond (unless there is a TOU violation involved).

5. Have an open mind and quit being a bunch of bean counters. We have read responses from Dell worried about profitability of ideas. While profit is the primary goal of the company, sometimes you have to take a chance. A truely innovative idea may not earn direct profits but may garner significant press and show Dell as the leader is should be rather than just another follower.

Feel free to post any other ways you feel the process can be improved inside the comments of this idea.

zanlok Jan 31	This list is a great consolidation of things that people have been bringing up over the past 6 months. Thank you for posting such a well-structured idea. Dell, ideas do take time to think about and write down into a package that we can market to the community. Acknowledging things and not deleting without cause or defense should be priorities. # 6. I also propose that the 'popular ideas' home page be changed with a random listing of fresh ideas on which we have not yet voted. (No, this is NOT just like the recent ideas page - we still need that one, too, to see what's new.) This improves not just the idea process, but the process or counting votes across all the ideas and not just a select few. Right now it is basically a game of king of the hill. More exposure for other ideas that are just starting out, but that might become very popular over time.
jervis961 Jan 31	In the past I had suggested taking ideas off the popular idea page after Dell discusses them and move them to a new area to allow more ideas to the top. Since they only discuss the top 20-25 ideas they must not have much to talk about.
jervis961 Jan 31	#7 The comments tab should show the ideas being commented on in the same format as the other tabs. This would allow the recent comments tab to work as a hot ideas section and give a way to get more attention to older ideas.
phubert Jan 31	Sounds good, jervis! Thanks for taking the time to put this together! ** I DO especially like #4.
zanlok Jan 31	I just took a hit from #4, so that one is on my short list as well.
jervis961 Jan 31	Only took me about 5 minutes to type up, I could have done some hyperlinks but didn't want to distract myself. Mayby I'll do an update later.
sugarbear Jan 31	Nice jervis961.
zanlok Jan 31	#8 Have the search work in the same way that jervis described #7, and also let us know (highlighting?) which areas matched our search term(s).
zanlok Jan 31	#9 Also, about the search, I don't like it when only the comments matched. Maybe allow a filter selection so search through ideas only, comments only, or both. And there should be an indicator on the listing of the ideas (described in #7) that only the comments matched. If you are searching through comments, perhaps display the first matching comment or two underneath the idea listed. (I'll edit this if it seems unclear.)
badblood Jan 31	following current practices this idea should be deleted.
zanlok Feb 1	definitely. there's obviously too many comments here.. I'm probably not helping with this chatty little remark of mine, either
dawn_l Feb 1	Afternoon all- I know Caroline mentioned my joining the IS team several weeks ago. So you might ask… where ya been? Well , I have been off working on the items outlined in the idea above. My role on this team is to build world-class processes to ensure this site is completely successful. I am working on several key things to get this done. 1. Technology: We have been working hard with Salesforce.com to work through the long list of improvements that Caroline has documented over the past year. Salesforce.com has a renewed commitment from their development team to meet our needs. In addition, we are working on creating the robust reporting that will enable us to better manage the volume of ideas and feedback that come in on IS. 2. Staffing and Participation: We have heard your concerns that the Dell representation on IS is not meeting needs. To improve this, you have seen new faces and will continue to see new faces in the coming months. The “full timers” - Jackie, Kara and I - will continue as well. 3. Process Improvement: We are working hard on building stronger processes to ensure we are getting timely responses to the community. This is just a first step in the process improvement space… I will comment more as we get moving. Jervis, as you can see, we are absolutely focused on making many of the improvements you outlined. I appreciate you taking the time to compose a list that helps us refine our energies! Dawn
zanlok Feb 1	Cool! But, some additional input.. 1. look through the whole recent batch of suggestions (a dozen or more in 2 weeks!) 2. be careful about letting full-timers INTERFERE.. don't prevent ideas (ahem! - or comments) 3. the ratings and groupings ideas (see #1) would help with that Thanks and keep it up :)
phubert Feb 1	And, thank you for your participation and communication!
zanlok Feb 1	Hey, now. there was a thanks in there. I just wanted another mile after that first inch :)
jervis961 Feb 1	Sorry couldn't help myself from posting the picture. Thanks for posting Dawn but how far out are we from seeing some substantial improvement? 3-6 months? 6 months to a year? I don't put too much faith in SalesForce getting things done but Dell has shown soem initiative lately.
sugarbear Feb 1	Thank you Dawn for the info. Jervis don`t explode! 0:)
jervis961 Feb 1	Sugarbear there are updates on the blog about a site update. I also updated the Dell ultraportable idea and thread since more info leaked out.
sugarbear Feb 1	Thanks jervis, I hadn`t read the blog yet tonight.
badblood Feb 4	all these comments should be deleted. The idea should be deleted too.
jervis961 Feb 4	Why stop there? Delete my account too. :D j/k
badblood Feb 4	jervis is right. We should delete ideastorm, everything. We should send all users and moderators to re-education camps and give them a Dell t'shirt.
jorge Feb 4	So, for #1. I find it, how do I put it, borderline you do not consider the "full-timers" Dell Reps. (don't worry I feel the same way) #2. The Dell meetings don't cover the ideas, as much as they cover how bad they're being portrayed by the slew of ideas aimed at them, in a bad light. PR is running around but not the ideas. #3. The site as we have several if not a slew of ideas on is badly layed out, there needs to be a intro to it with more explanation on the purpose and goal, thats more in your face than a small hidden link with is partially invisible, unless you end up with a TOU and they direct you there which is most likely too late. #4. This is a source of TOU's right and left and they still don't get it. #5. Profits are the bottom line, and if anything they should concentrate on the money ideas, which they're not, too many pre-signed contracts with third parties are interfering with that, (ref. all my kickbacks comments) #6. A random idea button would be great, but would also scare the living bejevus out of Dell, imagine if they land on "that" idea. #7. Should be an easy add on, but not to be implemented as we want it. #8 & 9. I can't comment on that as they remove any comment I post on "search", just search for it.... All & All, we've been throwing the rocks at the window but the windows just stay there broken with not sign of life.
zanlok Feb 4	so, like all truly insane people, we week throwing more rocks.. yay!!
phubert Feb 4	"All & All, we've been throwing the rocks at the window but the windows just stay there broken with not sign of life." Well, it does seem that Dell tends to move glacially... and the corporate structure hasn't yet looked like Frost's "ten thousand silver lizards" to us...
zanlok Feb 4	well, they are going to glacially melt away under the heat of HP / Apple unless they continue trends like Crystal, One, 1730, Vostro, etc and market the products people most want. too many companies are eating their lunch with better service ratings and cheaper prices for midrange hardware.
sugarbear Feb 4	Crystal is nice looking. At the current price it won`t be a big seller, only a few can afford to buy it.
badblood Feb 4	sugarbear is your comment in code or something...are you trying to disguise your inherent chattiness. Well it won't work. Dell is onto us. All chatting must be deleted. DELETE< DELETE<DELETE.
zanlok Feb 4	I dunno. There is something inexplicably random going on, too. I've been getting away with a lot of chit with my chat lately, if you know what I mean.
badblood Feb 5	it's all out of control if you ask me. I mean you can't just come along to a site that's been running for a year and set authoritarian ground rules without the slightest consideration for the users. I mean if the users are not with you will end up with no site anyways. the old admins set up lots of little rules, like they would contact you prior to merging comments or ideas. That seems pretty fair to me. OMG, I am. like, so confused.
zanlok Feb 5	your daughters must be older than mine.. they aren't doing the "omg"s and "like"s all that much yet.. but I'm happy to wait or dodge that whole brand of silliness for several more years :)
dawn_l Feb 7	Jervis- I do have high hopes for what we can accomplish in the coming weeks and months. In addition to new resources and focus from Salesforce, we have new team members here to help on the back end. (crossing fingers) Dawn
jervis961 Feb 7	I do feel Dell wants to change but I'm not holding my breath waiting for SalesFarce to get things fixed. I'm trying to be patient.
jervis961 Feb 7	Tell them not to break anything else while they are changing things. I keep getting update notifications on my own comments then they all dissappear when I click one of the links. It is getting very annoying.
zanlok Feb 7	<< comments disappear sometimes, too oh, wait, that could be the mods and not the fault of the SalesForce stuff, huh?
badblood Feb 7	yah that's the mods deleting stuff, changing words, censoring....
jervis961 Feb 8	No I'm going from no new comments listed to several new comments and back to none within seconds. Then if I click on the popular ideas tab all the comment notifications come back and then go away when I click on a link. Very strange and they are always the ideas I just finished commenting on.
zanlok Feb 8	my guess is user error. yeah. definitely isn't the site. couldn't happen.

Please log in to post a comment

recently demoted by:

How IdeaStorm Works:

Categories

Status

IdeaStorm Team