Proposed changes for the Dell.com site
Dell Web Site submitted by jervis961
11/08/07
Today there was a posting on Direct2Dell that the new home page has been tabled as it was found to be more confusing to the customer based on beta testing.
http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/11/08/32993.aspx
Here is a comment I just submitted there and wanted to get you opinions on. It is much easier to get a conversation going here without the moderation so here we go...
Laura,
Sorry to hear that the new home page didn’t pass beta as it was a nice enhancement if you ask me. Perhaps this would be a good time to bring an issue back up for debate that has been asked for many times on IdeaStorm.
Here are a few links to ideas that should be considered:
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/74790 Organize sales pages by need.
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/61742/ONE_SHOPPING_CART_PLEASE_dellcom
http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/61894 6 major issues to be fixed by Dell(see item 5).
SECTION 1 - main page by need no longer use separate sites.
Overall I think people are confused by the multiple sites they have to access to find the system they want. I can understand having specialized systems for different applications but sometimes these systems appeal to more than just your target audience. The current set up has the same systems on different sites at different prices which forces a savvy customer to configure the system several times to find the best deal from your company. The problem isn’t with the home page as much as it is with the entire Dell.com site. A customer wants to go to the home page and find simple choices: Notebook, Desktop, Servers, Electronics, Support and Dell community. When you click on a choice (Notebook) a new page explaining the difference between the models should appear. Inspiron, XPS, Vostro, Latitude and Precision would all be available via one site so the customer can choose which is the correct choice based on their needs, wants and financial constraints. There would be no need to configure several times to find the best price as there would only be one site, one price.
SECTION 2 - Better help me choose sections
Another issue that customers have with the Dell.com site and computer shopping in general is finding help making a choice between configurations. Finding a knowledgeable salesperson is hard enough in a brick and mortar store and it doesn’t exist online. People want to be able to click on the help me choose buttons and find the information they are looking for but that currently isn’t happening on the Dell site. If you look at the XPS M1330 sound options and click the help me choose button it discusses regular sound vs software based upgrades vs DESKTOP sound. How does knowing about desktop sound options help me choose the correct option on a notebook? The ExpressCard Sound Blaster X-Fi® Xtreme Audio Sound Card option does not explain if it powers the internal speakers or if I have to use headphones. I would have to go off the Dell website to do research to find out that it is a plug in and would not fit my needs. The help me sections need to be based on the product you are looking at instead of being a cut n paste thing. I have also noticed the same issues when looking at notebook displays and being fed information on desktop monitors instead. This can be frustrating to a customer and reflects poorly on the company.
IN CLOSING
I look forward to improvements to the Dell.com site and wish you good luck with the holiday shopping season. I have also posted most of these comments into a new idea to get the reaction of the community.
UPDATED: to add sections to help those who don't want to read so much. :)
110
Dell XPS Club
Dell Community, XPS products submitted by av1945
11/06/07
Why not have an XPS Club for XPS owners where they can enter compitions to win Dell stuff, answer questionaires, product updates, wallpapers and more. Sony has a 'Club Vaio', why not a 'Club XPS'
170
Linux Drivers for All Dell Devices
Linux, Monitors and Displays submitted by grifter
10/24/07 **REVIEWED**
If Dell truly wishes to promote their Ubuntu line of computers then they should make sure that all of their devices work properly with the OS. For instance, the SP2008WFP monitor, while it does display everything fine, does not have drives for Linux systems of any kind. This is most certainly a hamper for any Ubuntu users to want to buy a Dell peripheral.
Please see john_h and matt_d's comments
3590
Laptops need to be more Upgradeable
Sales Strategies, Laptops submitted by dwood
10/26/07
Ive always had this idea about laptops being customizable.
Let's say Joe is going into college and only want to buy a 15.4" Inspiron notebook.
Lets say it works, does its job for two years, and for any reason whatsoever the screen on the laptop breaks (being unrepairable). Joe doesn't have $500 to buy a new one and a desktop wont work out for his classes hes taking. He then has to either 1) Beg for money from family members, 2) Skip school and work until he earns enough money enough for the new laptop that fits his needs, falling far, far behind in school, practically ruining that term's gpa .
What if Joe needed a larger screen than before? Or smaller, to save batteries?
This is only one instance when being able to easily replace your laptop screen would have been a better choice.
More graphics cards in laptops should be removable for replacing with ones that also fit the "line" of the notebook, in case a person wanted to play better quality games or movies, without replacing the whole entire laptop.
What if Joe needs a better Cd drive, and doesnt want an external one?
More things in all laptops everywhere need to be replaceable. I dont want to replace my laptop just because the screen broke. I don't go around looking for new computers that have monitors every time mine breaks, I buy a new one. Why cant we just do that with a laptop?
Thank you for reading
Dwood
550
Update Graphics Card Drivers
submitted by dusters16
11/10/07
(I know this has been brought up already, but there hasn't been one that has been put to action yet.)
I have two ideas for keeping graphics/video card drivers consistently updated.
A.) Develop a team/division in the company that specifies in consistantly updates/revisions of drivers for graphics/video cards.
or....
B.) Do NOT modify the grahiics/video card and drivers and just refer the customer that they need to go to the company's website that corresponds with their graphics/video card. ( I personally like this one)
Here's my story about this.
I have an XPS Gen 2 Notebook with the 6800 Ultra Go (at its time it was reviewed as "The Ultimate Gaming Laptop"). I have been doing ok for awhile until recently. I have tried to play certain games that say I meet, at least, their minimum requirements. I install the game and am full of excitement to play. I go to start the program only for it to say it will not play do to the fact that my graphics/video driver is to old and that I have to update it in order to play. Wow, what a waste of time and money.
I have been eyeing the new 1730 in amazement and just drooling over it. The major negative point, which sticks out like a dent on a brand new car, is the fact that Dell does not update their graphics/video drivers consistently, which majorly hinders "gaming" in everyway.
So I would like to actually have this specific, or at least another, " Idea " to be actually put in motion and get implemented into the ways that Dell operates. Then I will get that 1730, but until then, I will not buy a Dell as my next choice for a "Gaming" machine.
290
Dell Not fulfill with your promotion
submitted by leonxyk
11/11/07
Hello Michael S. Dell. I did use all options before writte here. This information is in your email.
I buy a laptop inspiron model 1420. This model include a mouse Wirless Bluetooth for promotion special for these day 09 octuber of 2007. Dell not did send this because now you said what is not is free.
I has observe what when Dell have a promotion this is in red color. When I did buy, the promotion were a mouse wirless as show in file attached. Now you said what this mouse not is free and what me not aggregate in the purchase.
I did add the mouse because said "Mouse inalambrico con bloutooth incluido" the traslation in english is : "mouse wirless with Bluetooth included". " expire friday 12 Octuber". Me buy day 09 of octuber.
Mr. Dell, I did send this file to sale representative Bolivia Fonseca who was very attentive, She was who do the quotation not me, she oblivion the mouse in billing though this were free for these day.
Mr. Michaal Dell, I buy Dell because I think that are very good marks, but this week I has been surprised with the answer the departament customer service. I don't reclaim or demand the cost for a mouse, I am reclaim the word of Dell. You Did offer a gif free these day not me.
How you said now what the mouse not is free if It have letters reds as promotion. You see file, is very evident.
You count, what is the cost for a mouse? I think what approximately $20. What time me take in writte this letther?, when take you in read this?. What times me writte and your customer representative?. All it cost is more the $20.
You answer what were the promotion for these day because your customer representative never answer my question. I always has see a promotion all this weeks in www.dell.com.ve .
My english not is perfect but if
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1937990607&size=o
150
Less plastic please on the XPS M1330 and other things
XPS products submitted by rach
11/09/07
I bought an XPS M1330 and got it delivered in September. My computer is 2 months old and now the painted silver parts around the frame are starting to discolour and showing black underneath it. I am not happy about this. I would like to see more magnesium on the next XPS 13.3 inch please. I would like to see an AL keyboard like on the Apple MacBook Pro.
Also while i am here lol if Dell could allow us to fully utilise the 256 of dedicated VRAM that the 8400GS card allows i would appreciate this as well. The Sony SZ offers a 64MB dedicated card and hybrid graphics. By offering more dedicated VRAM on the XPS products would be one way as well to help differentiate the XPS M1330 from such competitiors.
I would also like to see Dell offering 64 bit Vista/XP on the Dell XPS M1330. Right now users have to try and install this themselves if they want to fully utilise 4GB of ram.
I would also to see higher capacity 6 cell batteries as well. It seems to me that these Dell 6 cell batteries degrade to fast so i would like Dell to address this as well.
I also wouldn't mind to see swithcable graphics on the next XPS M1330 also.
Apart from that i am really happy.
370
Idea Teams
IdeaStorm submitted by dwood
11/10/07
We should be allowed to start "teams" of users that work together to form ideas that members can actively send ideas back and forth for editing and revision, or members send ideas only viewable by that team in order to get more refined ideas so that they can be better than 'rough' ideas that leave all of the kinks worked out (not in code, but in options in that idea)
one example of a "rough" idea would be this one.
170
Dell: Dude! You're getting Dell Instant On OS!
Operating Systems submitted by jorge
11/06/07
This is the next step Dell, get on the bandwagon now!
Elaboration: Dell use or create your own Instant-On-OS, much like or just like Phoenix Technology's HyperSpace or SplashTop! You can make the decision but get one of those on board now!
More Elaboration: its for any OS so no matter which fence you sit on you'll get faster boot times! How can you beat that!
End Elaboration----Instant On OS
This is not only the fastest to boot OS but will also make you green, environmentally and financially! On top of that you can also include the bloated Microsoft OS on a hard drive (soon to be phased out, the hard drive that is, before you MS fans get tweeked).
So add this to all your motherboards as an option when configuring a system to order, also leave the hooks in there so anyone who's shortsighted now can still add it later, at a cost of course.
More stuff! Make the Instant OS to allow writing to a hard drive, usb flash memory or usb/firewire attached drive! Also, with the ability to update it and customize it to the users apps. Without these two add-ons its just a waste of resources. So this idea will only apply if its allows for writing to media (all) and being able to update it.
370
Sell the Vostro line @ Staples.
Sales Strategies, Small Business, Vostro products submitted by benjesuit
11/09/07
I was in staples today and noticed that the Inspirons with AMD processors were on display. Nice units BTW. Much nicer than what you see in the pictures online.
Staples is a business supply store. It would seem appropriate to sell Vostro's there also. Staples can handle the warranty repair issues the same way they purport to handle the Inspiron issues.
230
Purpose-Built Computers (Appliances)
Simplify IT submitted by jordann
11/09/07 **REVIEWED**
Deliver to the customer servers that are already configured for their intended use.
For example, if they need a VOIP gateway, deliver a Red Hat Enterprise Linux server with Asterisk pre-installed and configured.
Certify these appliances with application developers prior to shipment.
Please see matt_d's comment
180
Laptop as a portable KVM
Laptops submitted by akili
06/20/07
Many times I have wished I could use a laptop as a troubleshooting device for a server or any other headless PC - using the VGA port on the laptop to use just the LCD portion as the display.
In this suggestion, I'd like to go a step farther - include two way USB or PS/2 interfaces, so a laptop can literally be used as a portable troubleshooting tool, allowing the internal mouse and keyboard to be used to control the remote system.
If such a mode could be enabled without having to shut down the current OS the system is running, such as by putting it into some sort of sleep mode first, all the better.
I think this would be quite valued by technicians and administrators, based upon past commentary I've seen lamenting the lack of this feature even in modern notebooks.
540
Stop Calling Me During Business Hours
Sales Strategies submitted by aikiwolfie
11/10/07
There are two thing i want to ask for in this idea.
1) Stop calling me during business hours. Every single time I need to contact Dell you always call during business hours when I can't take the call. I could be sacked for taking calls on my mobile while I'm at work. It's not allowed!
2)Make the process of extending a warranty less painful. It should be an on-line process with no telephone call required. Nobody called when I bought the PC?
Recently I tried to extend the warranty on my Dell XPS 700. For some bizarre reason this can't be done on-line. It has to be done by a sales person over the phone. It could be because i refuse to use IE or it could be I was using Firefox + Ubuntu.
From the sales agents accent I'm guessing he was calling from India. I personally found him very difficult to understand and he found my accent similarly difficult to understand. I do speak fluent English as my first language. But I happen to be Scottish and even the English don't understand us.
When the sales agent called I had just left work. It was 3:15pm. I was on a crowded commuter train and had to ask for a call back.
I'm still waiting for the call back.
The sales agent also started waffling something about a photo printer. I don't need a Dell photo printer. I just need an extended warranty!
200
No Limits! Make **all** choices available **anywhere** in the world
Sales Strategies submitted by mrw
09/16/07
First example: The Germans are second class customers, because they don't get the same choices for Ubuntu Laptops as in the USA. We here in Switzerland are even third class customers, because we do not get an Ubuntu Laptop at all.
Other example: The choices I can make for a notebook depends on how I walked through your shop! Sometimes for the same Model, I can chose a low end Harddisk, sometimes not. That's absolutely ridiculous! Please allow any possible hardware combination!
Allow to select any matching hard disk in any laptop (or desktop)! Allow to setup any kind of memory, especially e.g. one(!) 2GB module instead of two 1GB modules, give the choice for between either a mirroring display or an anti-glare display for any available display size and resolution. If technically possible, allow to choose between NVidia and ATI, and allow to chose the Memory of the card. Allow to completely deselect the operating system and all kind of installed software.
First: Make all offers available anywhere in the world!
Second: Do not limit the possible combinations!
Shouldn't the customer be king? Let us all choices!
3990
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