danmar

More Consistent Pricing Please and Some Transparency

Dell Web Site submitted by irascian 02/18/07

Prices vary wildly across the Dell site meaning the user has to put in way too much hard work to get the best available price.

2 weeks ago I ordered a Dell Latitude 820 and decided it would be a good time to order a 24" widescreen monitor. As an option I was offered it as something close to £700 + VAT. Purely by accident I stopped the item mid-order because Dell never offer me the option of a second power supply for the laptop that was my main order when I order online (or a second battery - those of us who travel want spares at our home/work location and enough portable juice to carry on working)

Anyway in going in to look at the monitor separately I saw that not only was the recommended price for the monitor LOWER than when I'd been offered it as a bundled option, but also was "on sale" at a price reduction of a couple of hundred pounds. I shouldn't have to hunt around for the best price. I should just be told before I go and look at another manufacturer's offerings. In this particular case I wanted two monitors so the savings were substantial, but I really had to hunt for them.

I also hate the subterfuge used by sales staff to hide pricing and sell stuff they get better commision on. During negotiations of a deal for two monitors/docking stations etc I was offered a "free upgrade from Vista Business to Vista Ultimate" and the seller kept trying to offer me a special price on a PowerVault storage unit I had no interest in. When the "free upgrade to Vista Ultimate" came through the total price had jumped up since my first quote - it wasn't a free upgrade at all. The seller then pesuaded me the increase was acceptable because he was sending me a "free" PowerVault storage unit and like most when I was told I'd got a special free unit I figured I'd done well.

Then the invoice arrived showing I'd been charged £252.38 for a low capacity backup unit I'd never wanted and never ordered, only taken because I was told it was free. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell what the prices on the other items that made up my order really were because they were all lumped together in one sum, but I wouldn't have paid £10 for the measly 40GB backup unit I received let alone £252.38 and if there had been a price discount available instead I'd have taken that. Alternatively for the price differences available I MIGHT have been persuaded to pay the small price differential between the useless 40GB PowerVault unit and the much more useful 120GB one.

In short, I feel I was totally conned with talk of a "free" unit that clearly isn't reflected in the two separate invoices I received.

Dell need to get their act together, display consistent prices for items across their web site AND tell sales staff to be honest when putting together proposals about what is free and what isn't 1 Comment »

Get rid of BIOS, use EFI

New Product Ideas, Desktops and Laptops submitted by joeaguy 02/19/07

Why are PC makers so slow to swith from BIOS to EFI? Apple did it with their Intel macs, and there are tons of reports that Windows runs faster on a Mac under BootCamp than with equivalent PC hardware. There is something to be said for their simpler EFI based hardware architecture helping speed. If Microsoft is the big hold up here, surely PC makers can put some pressure on. The PC needs to shed all of the old tech that is still in the spec. 36 Comments »

Use Ship Method Customer Pays For

Service and Support submitted by rockettech 04/25/07

There seems to be a new trend in buying online products- Tiered shipping options with tiered pricing but the same shipping method (UPS Ground). I've been the victim of this little trick from more than one vendor, more than once. Why try to bilk a few more dollars out of customers by decieving them? If you offer expedited shipping, send it via an expedited method- don't ship via a method that should get it there in time. I hate paying a premium price and it still gets sent UPS Ground! Does this bug anyone else? Comment »

Simplify, Simplify!!

Sales Strategies, Simplify IT submitted by beefman 02/23/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**

Purchasing from Dell at present is immensely confusing. From home buyers to corporate purchases, simply purchasing a computer is a struggle when one is trying to achieve the best value. In the drive to serve every segment of the market, Dell has become balkanized and fragmented.

Dell made their name on ease of transaction and simplicity. Now, Dell's pricing structure is so complex it makes airline fares look simple! Then, when it comes time to order, finding the right person to speak to can be a chore as well. I have been able to make much better deals when talking to a sales rep than when ordering online. Why? Dell should be driving customers to the lowest cost method of order acceptance and making that process as easy and painless as possible.

The multilayered, multitiered pricing structure has to be the first thing to go. Get rid of the thousands of discount codes that are handed out on a by the minute basis. Make pricing simple, repeatable and logical. Discount by customer on an account basis. Why should you be extending discounts and rewarding a bottom-feeder who only waits for below-cost red-ink loss leaders and never buys otherwise? Reward good customers, and set pricing such that even without a discount, Dell products are an excellent value. All the segmentation DOES NOT result in better service to customers and only adds cost.

On that note: DON'T hand off accounts. My biggest frustration with Dell was building a relationship and then being handed off to someone else to work with. It seemed that this was done on a regular basis to stimulate business. Not smart. I have had the same rep at CDW for 8 years. They're my primary vendor and I won't go anywhere else. If they sold Dell, I'd buy it there. Why? My sales rep and the quality of service.

You NEVER want customers having buyers remorse or thinking they could've got a better deal. The sales/pricing structure in place pretty much assures that, in addition to making the purchase process more difficult than it should be. Sweep it away, get back to roots of offering rock solid leading edge technology at a rock bottom price.


We’re making every effort to simplify the purchase process for Dell products and services. The recent launch of Dell ProSupport was driven by feedback from customers like you, and it’s an important step in the right direction.

13 Comments »

Bring support back.........

Service and Support submitted by onthemovefit 02/17/07

Dell used to have the best support, so good you advertised being the consumers choice. Now, at least for home based support, Dell's support is terrible. Business support still seems to do a good job. It's time for Dell to get back to basics.

As an Software Developer for 15yrs I always used Dell's products. First Dell computer was a Pentium II Workstation. I also would recommend Dell products to anyone who would listen. This has now stopped. The last person I recommended to Dell had such terrible support (from india) I doubt they'd ever buy a Dell again. I've even considered looking elsewhere for my next laptop and PC. Comment »

Bigger power supplies on mainstream desktops

Dell Web Site, Gaming, Desktops and Laptops submitted by lordcobol 04/23/07

The 305 watt supplies on models like Dim E520 don't leave room for much room to upgrade to power-hungry video cards. And the 375 watt supply in the XPS 410 & Dim 9200 isn't much better. Dell must want gamers go all the way to the 710 with its 750 watts, but gamers who know they won't need TWO high-end cards, and want a PC that will actually fit in their homes, have to look to the competition (including one company that offers a choice of 300-something or 500 watt supplies in all their build-to-order mainstream desktops).

Also, show power supply info in the comparison pages. 4 Comments »

Remove: "Dell recommends Windows Vista™..." from any publication

Advertising and Marketing submitted by tho.meier 02/21/07

It would be nice to see advertising without any Micro$oft, from Dell. I think there is enough advertising for MS from MS it self.

Somthing linke: "Dell supports muli-OS" would look good! Od: "Dell gives you the real choice" 61 Comments »

Clean up messages that is negative for a long time

IdeaStorm submitted by mauricio_martins 04/22/07

There are tons of messages that was not promoted and have large negative numbers. Some are really trashes, others unfortunately are bad or strange ideas.

Ideastorm should send these messages to the trash (PROMOTE a clean up) after some time in that situation. For example 15 days.

The importance of this is to create a filter to only to leave relevant messages in the forum. 10 Comments »

Want to choose OS!

Linux, Operating Systems submitted by lenny 02/20/07

I will probably buy a Notebook this year - I guess this Spring - and I would prefer NOT to get Vista on that Notebook. I think, XP Pro does the Work just rigth and I am not the slighest interested in getting Vista with that Notebook, just to make M$ and/or Dell satisfied. Comment »

Automatic Dell Update Notifications.

Dell Web Site, Service and Support submitted by davidshq 02/16/07

It would be really nice if Dell had an automatic update program for servers, desktops, and notebooks. It should be highly configurable but notify a user when a new firmware or driver upgrade was available. This would help users keep their systems patched. How many grandmas and grandpas are going to go looking for new drivers or firmware for their SATA hard drive? 11 Comments »

Make Dell desktop systems "QUIET"

Desktops submitted by jtome 04/20/07

I currently own a Dell XPS tower. It works great, but while doing professional design work it gets hot and starts making an awful amount of noise. I've tried turning on the AC during the summer, this helps but the system even gets hot in the winter time! I have another smaller Dell desktop in the other room which does not make noise, but it is not as powerful. I've upgraded my XPS system to have a TV Tuner and watch live TV. This works great but after a few hours of watching the fans are running hard.

I've used Apple Mac Pro systems which are more powerful than my 3.2Ghz XPS system and they are super quiet. I've even gone into computer labs which have all XP Intel extreme systems and another lab with all Mac pro systems and the noise difference is astonishing. You could hear pins dropping in the Mac Pro lab while they have to have the AC on 24/7 in the XP Lab to keep the buzzing noises down.

I've had clients over my house before to record audio for a video I was editing, and I had to ask them to be patient while I powered down my XPS system to cool off !! 6 Comments »

Offer A Free Downgrade From Vista To XP

Operating Systems submitted by huper 04/24/07

I for one have had it with Windows Vista. I find this software so full of bugs that I am spending more time transferring log files to Microsoft than getting actual work done. They are certainly not paying me for my time to repair their flaky software! When I got my Dimension E520 it came loaded with a 2.8Ghz Duo Dual Core Intel Processor, 2GB of RAM, 256MB on an NVIDIA card & 2 - 250GB hard drives. Surely this system would be powerful & I could focus on writing & getting work done quickly. But no, the slow speed of this operating system taxes the hard drives & CPU so they are regularly running at 75% & 89%. I have tried changing the swap file to use a different drive, removed non essential services as well as swapping out memory from one slot to another. I have used every OS both client & server since DOS 1.0 & this is by far the worst! (Except maybe BOB or ME). Dell wants to give users an upgrade to Windows Vista within a certain time frame. How about offering a downgrade to XP for people who don't want Vista? Otherwise I will be checking into which Linux version will best run on this hardware.
MCSE since 1996 & now an extremely disgruntled Windows Vista hostage! I will happily surrender my Windows Vista disk for one with XP it!! 18 Comments »

Notebooks - better quality, better options, better design

Sales Strategies submitted by dspector 02/17/07

I have been in the market for a laptop for almost 6 months now. I have avoided buying one as I havent found one that actually fit my needs perfectly.

14.1" widescreen notebook are arguably the perfect balance between the small, yet mobile, 13.3 or 12.1" screen, and their mid range 15.4". For those of us who want a laptop that is portable yet viewable, 14.1" is the ideal candidate.

Now if we take the 14.1" even further as a multimedia portable machine, it should incluce all the bells and whisles like memory card readers, svideo (d620 doesnt have) and even a webcam. And it should all be packaged in a thin and light casing that is still durable and stylish.

That is my recommendation to dell. Comment »

Clearly mark all cables and powergenerators

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.) submitted by lysglimt 04/20/07

I have been with Dell for 10 years and have bought dozens of machines.
I have a room full of Dell stuff.
Whenever I need say a extra Laptop power converter I look in the room first.
But all the stuff is not marked, so I have to spend a lot of time finding out what is what.
Please just label everything, what it is. With a number I can look up online and order more , see it it fits new equipemt etc. 5 Comments »

Transreflective LCDs for Laptops

Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops submitted by theimpostor 02/19/07

Dell should consider introducing trans-reflective LCDs to its laptops. These screens allow the use of LCD screens in conditions with bright ambient light conditions such as outdoors in direct sunlight. In these conditions the backlight is not required further reducing battery consumption. Such screens are available but only a few specialist laptop manufacturers use them. If Dell were to adopt such technology they would become more economical to produce and cause a significant step forward in laptop display development.

The Dell Axim X51v PDA in fact has a transreflective display. It would be great to see this technology in laptops made by Dell.

This site gives some more information about transreflective displays http://www.irontech.com/industrial_LCD_displays_for_sunlight.html.

Sometimes glossy, high-contrast screens such as the Dell TrueLife screens are referred to as transreflective but they are not. 2 Comments »

End PC Payola | Pioneer a PC Builder Code of Conduct

Service and Support, Desktops and Laptops submitted by dhart 02/20/07

Dell's image was damaged by the $1bn Intel kickback scandal. Many in the computer industry believe that Microsoft's grip on Dell and other PC Builders is airtight due to secret deals and marketing kickbaks. Consumers appreciate lower prices on new Dell PCs thanks in part to bundled 3rd party software, however we are not permitted to choose the software that is pre-installed, and kickback deals are not transparent.

In the music recording and radio broadcasting industries, similar shady practices are called payola. Please, end PC payola, and give control back to your customers.

We encourage Dell to pioneer a voluntary PC Builder Code of Conduct, and regain the public trust.

CHOICE is what consumers want on their new PCs, not annoying surprise payola circus-ware (the typical smattering of confusing 3rd party popup-infested software found on most new Dell PCs). Transparency at Dell is necessary for true consumer choice. For example, transparency can be improved by providing the choice of pre-installing quality free and open source software (developed with near 100% transparency). Cast your vote to have the OPTION of buying a new Dell PC pre-installed with Linux and other free software like OpenOffice.org. 82 Comments »

ReactOS

Operating Systems submitted by fireball 03/07/07

There have been a number of ideas for offerings computers with some flavour of Linux preinstalled, and that's great. But, there are customers, who would still want to have benefits of Windows (still the majority of software applications are targeted at Win32 API and .NET Framework, not to speak about drivers for various consumer devices).

Would DELL be interested in supporting a project aimed at creating a compatible implementation of Windows (the same architecture, API and ABI), but under a GPL license?

This would sound crazy if it's to be done from scratch, but we already spent quite some time for development and even came up with a few releases (they are more like proof of concept, not usable at the moment for preinstalling on PCs).
If you like to read more - http://www.reactos.org

Thanks. 120 Comments »

Carbon Neutral

Environment, Sales Strategies submitted by smotchberry 02/17/07 **IMPLEMENTED**

Dell should adopt a Carbon Neutral program for its products or at least make it an option for consumers in their ordering process. People seem to have the impression that Apple is doing a lot for the environment, when the reality is - Dell's doing more and can do even more!
Check out the Idea in Action on Dell's goal for carbon neutrality.




11 Comments »

Customer Experience

Service and Support submitted by laknar1 04/30/07

I was reading a book called "Mavericks @ Work" where it featured companies which were making rave reviews for innovation and customization.
One of the companies, discussed was a bank with a very smart yet differential customer service. Eg: If a customer calls up the toll free number and reaches the wrong department, the customer service office does not put him on hold and then try searching for the particular department;Instead, he speaks to him over the phone, keeps the customer online and tries connecting with the specific department , explain the problem of the customer and only disconnects, when he is 100% sure that the customer has been connected to the correct, relevant and specific department. Till then he is connected online over phone!!!!

very Smart and very Powerful!!! Given Dell's Direct Model and the multiple issues Customer faces from payments to tech support, this may be worth a thought to give it a try!!!! Since Dell anyways wants to take it to the next level with the customers. Wouldnt it be a good idea to probably try out this initiative with your call centers and support teams as a pilot? Atleast you are connected with the customers.

Think abt it!!!! Comment »

Dell Aero Monitors for MS Vista

Monitors and Displays, Operating Systems submitted by jaybarrios 04/27/07

Just want to share my ideas about our hardware designs that adopt the current trend of technology.
I’m talking about Windows VISTA the new operating system from Microsoft, what if we have such design that really matches the system that is running on DELL’s hard wares.

Here are some of my concept designs that I made:



I’m not so sure about the branding but I think it’s cool to name this as Dell AERO monitor “designed to further enhance the Windows VISTA AERO experience”



The transparent framing makes it more distinct for customers that DELL is their 1st choice of hardware to run their Windows VISTA operating system. 8 Comments »