Dell Starts Corporate Blog, But Fails to Address Critical Issues

Dell, yes, as in Dell Hell, has launched a corporate weblog called one2one. According to PR Week, the Dell blog will be authored by multiple employees.  It includes video and text, del.icio.us and digg seeding tools but no full-text feeds.

More importantly, Dell really failed to get the blog going the way that they could have. This was a golden opportunity for the company. They could use the blog to engage the community in a genuine conversation on the critical issues that have dogged them for years now as well as the good things they are doing. (Recent pictures of a Dell computer blowing up at a conference in Japan were recently the rage in the blogosphere and now the media.) However, they chose not to.

Also absent is any mention of Jeff Jarvis and his difficulties with the company. We're still talking about this. At a minimum, if Dell were serious about using their blog as "an online meeting place where we welcome our customers around the globe…one at a time" (their words, not mine), then it would have been great if they started with one of their most outspoken critics.  A blog interview with Jarvis would have said reams about their willingness to be open to criticism. Instead, the Dell blog reads like a corporate brochure.

Dell could still turn it around if they hurry, but I fear this lack of candor will really set them back. When I read the one2one doctrine, their heart seems like it's in the right place. Their actions don't speak that way. Perhaps it might have been better for them to have stayed silent. Cmon Dell. We know you're bigger than this. Join us. Be real. Walk the talk.

Technorati Tags: Dell, Dell Hell, Jeff Jarvis

Comments

[Shel Holtz]

Boy, no good deed goes unpunished! They're blogging, they're accepting negative comments...let 'em get their feet wet! They've also indicated that Channel 9 was their inspiration, so this is -- so far, at least -- a forum for their engineers to talk to customers about what they're working on. Complaining that they're not addressing customer service on their product-focused blog is like complaining that a science fiction movie wasn't a romance instead. I give Dell huge props for leaping into this knowing what kind of mood many customers are in; they're obviously willing to take the heat.

[johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)]

Like Shel, I'm also giving lots of props to Dell for getting their feet wet here. Is it perfect? No. Is it progress? YES! This open communication thing is more about making progress than it is about being perfect. And Dell is making progress.

[Jonathan Greene]

I actually think it's quite good for a corporate blog, though how could they possibly miss a post on their exploding laptop??

[Jeremy Pepper]

Slightly hypocritical. Join the blogosphere, join the blogosphere - oh, wait, you didn't join it the "right" way. Or, at least the way I wanted you to join.

Did you talk to Dell to find out why they haven't addressed the Dell Hell on their blog (besides it being somewhat an old story, and no one really cares anymore but people desperate to show their importance in blogs)?

Each story has three sides. We all know the Dell Hell side, but none really know the Dell side or the third side.

[Steve Rubel]

Gang, I hear you. I give them points for trying too, but it's an awful lot of candy canes and lollipops. A little acknowledgment would go a long way.

[Kingsley]

Essentially, you want them to say they suck, and they didn't. Unfortunately, acknowledgment (of negative feedback) is seldom acknowledged by the blogosphere. It makes a lot of PR sense to be a blog boor so you can get bloggers to diss you and make the front page of TechMeme.

[Paul]

Glad to know about it.

[Amanda Chapel]

Steve,

You redefine hypocrisy. You folks are so completely full of shit... all the way to the bank and back.

http://www.strumpette.com/archives/143-PR-Mega-Firms-CEO-Caught-in-Big-Lie.html

- Amanda

[Gary Lerhaupt]

Maybe I'm biased since I used to work at Dell, but give em a break! They muster the internal effort to get a company wide blog going, and the first thing you want them to do is put Jeff Jarvis on it? And as I left a similar comment on BuzzMachine, its important to also point out that some within Dell have been blogging since 2004 (http://linux.dell.com/blog). So from low level linux geeks, to now a company wide effort ... this is good progress. Let's see what comes of it...

[Christopher]

Steve,
I just submitted a comment to one of the posts on the dell one2one site regarding the XPS 700. In short, the XPS 700 the new flagship model has been seriously delayed and Dell's own community forum is rife with speculation and unsatisfied customers venting frustration, so i submitted the following comment to a post on the XPS 700....here's to hoping for the best:

"
Ken,
Let me first thank you and the other members of the Dell engineering team for chosing a blog as an avenue of communications with your customers, suppliers, peers, and others. I think we all have a pretty good idea of how effective a tool a blog can be...so lets put these feedback loops to work.

I realize that this may not be the proper forum to vent frustration about the current XPS 700 delay, I'd invite you to post your thoughts on what's going on with the XPS 700 right now and offer your customers some insight as to why everything seems to be up in the air with the XPS 700. If you take a look at the Dell Community forums right now, specifically the XPS 700 - General Hardware forum, you'll see a thread about 280 posts long speculating on the causes behind the delay (everything from an aluminum shortage, to Nvidia shortages, to speculation on compatibility with the upcoming 'Conroe' processor...and on the list goes)
I do hope that you're aware of all of the commentary and not-so-idle speculation going on in the forum, if not, its disheartening to see that such a loud and (admittedly garbled) message isn't making its way to you.

I'm patiently awaiting my own XPS 700 and, like others am curious to know about Conroe compatibility (or whether or not i'll be able to change my order once you make an official announcemnet...) I respect Dell's priveledge to determine its own marketing and sales strategies, but as a Dell customer of 8 or 9 years now, I must admit I'm growing a little weary of the nebulous and inconsistent responses regarding the delay. As a point of fact, there are 6 different ways for a customer to receive an expected shipping date, and for some customers, all six give different dates...this is worrisome, to say the least. (1. one date in the Confirmation email; 2,3. two different dates on the online tracking site, 4. one date from sales reps, 5 one date from the customer service rep; and 6. a different date from the community forum moderator). "

[Dell who?]

Who cares about Dell?

Nothing they make is worth the box it comes in.

They make the biggest steaming piles of dung in the world.

Just say no to Dell.

[Christopher]

Steve,
Both you and Jeff Jarvis appear to have been right. I've sent off two comments (that I believe are fairly balanced) to posts on the Dell blog and neither one has been put up on the site... very frustrating.

[John Cass]

Steve, hey give these guys a chance with their new corporate blog. By the way, this blog is not Dell's first dip into the blogosphere. The company has been blogging for quite some time now, just in their Linux division.

However, if its true the company is not posting comments. Then yes there is a problem. let's give them a chance to get up and running.

[Shel Holtz]

Christopher, I'm sure they're moderating comments, as does GM, to ensure four-letter words don't sneak by. I'll bet your comments show up shortly. Assuming they had no four-letter words. ;-)

[Shel Holtz]

In fact, Christopher, if you're the "Chris" who posted a comment about wanting to see a different product demo, it's up and there's a reply from a Dell VP.

[Mike Abundo]

I dunno about you guys, but my comments there aren't getting approved.

[goli@]

lol

[Chris]

The blog has been live for just a short while. How about giving them some time to address the critical issues....

[Harsha Raghavan]

I don't see why Dell should interview Jeff, me or anyone else. Bloggers respect views of popular blogs but don't need or have a pack leader. We've got other media for that

This is Dell's experiment. If Dell does not allow people to post comments then thats another issue. Give them time. Still, I don't want a pack leader - I am my own master online.

[Harsha Raghavan]

I don't see why Dell should interview Jeff, me or anyone else. Bloggers respect views of popular blogs but don't need or want a pack leader. We've got other media for that.

This is Dell's experiment. They have to figure it out to get it right. Remember, the power behind that blog are folks just like you and me. And I am my own master online.

[breakingranks]

Dell doesn't deserve any props for this lipservice to transparency. They are cherry-picking the comments for some designed appearance of transparency. I left two critical but non-trollish comments on the "We're Listening" thread. Both we're screened. Evidently Dell is only listen to the bloggers they perceive to be important, like Jeff Jarvis or yourself.

I just left a comment on the "No Magic Wands" thread. Still screened.

[Mike Abundo]

breakingranks: Good to hear I'm not alone here.

[Peter]

Maybe someone pointed it out before, but they HAVE addressed the exploding notebook incident:
http://www.dellone2one.com/one2one/archive/2006/07/13/431.aspx

It was linked off of the main page as "Most Viewed".

[Peter]

Sorry about that, MY BAD. I saw this entry at the top of my RSS reader and didn't bother to look at the date. Boy, do I have egg on my face...

[joe summerlin]

I agree that Dell should take on its hardest critics and criticisms on their new blog.

I believe that all companies who fall prey to this new, public slander and extortion scheme, band together and file class action lawsuits against those individuals who aggregiously use the power of blogging for evil. See my blog for an example.

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when dell considers getting rid of criminals like Don Carty, then i will think about buying another dell computer.

[anonomous]

yes as you are already downing dell for their faults heres a new one to ponder on.. As of march 5 2006 dell will be pulling all of their new US based ACS tech support and will be sending it back to Manila, where it came from originally. And will become XPS tech support.. If you recall the reason dell in the first place moved their tech support to the US was because of the langauge difficulties.. meaning people would be needing help and call dell for support and get the non english speaking people that you couldnt understand a word that came out of their mouth.. well now dell says they sold too many XPS systems and they need more tech to handle the overflowing calls for support . so they have decided that the ACS will go back to the screwed up non english speaking tech support that everyone surely loves to death... I dont get it after spending all the money for advertizing and hiring new employees and training them for ACS support they all of the sudden drop the whole thing and basically are telling the people with the dimension and inspiron computers to go to hell and deal with the tech support in Manila..(if you understand that kind of langauge), and if you dont understand their tongue i guess your out of luck from dell.. they are more concerned about the high volume sells and tech support needed for the more expensive high tech computers that by the way start at over 1200 dollars and go all the way up to and over 5000.. now what the hell is wrong with this picture,, lets say 1 million xps sold verses the 250 million customers that own the affordable dimension and inspiron computers already ... dell sucks

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[Gary Nixon]

Well I’m all for brutal honesty especially in business but you have to remember that Dell is first and foremost a large corporate entity that will protect its assets at all costs, even if that means avoiding certain topics on their blog. I have never had any problems with Dell and have been pleased with the 3 computers I’ve bought from them though I’ve heard other have had less successful business with the company. Dell’s blog though or rather its treatment of it should come as a surprise to no one.