Dell's big new idea is something called IdeaStorm; essentially a web site that allows customers to give suggestions or vent their spleen.
Dell is definitely on the money with this one because it's high time firms created online locations for customers to give feedback.
What's special about Ideastorm is that it steals from the Web 2.0 world by using Digg-like features of recommendation. If you are not familiar with this concept imagine a group of people constantly voting on ideas presented so that the best ideas float to the top - thats how Digg.com news works, with the most popular news stories appearing higher up the news ranking. YouTube also works on the basis of allowing videos to be listed according to popularity (video views).
The service also lets users upload videos showing how they are using Dell kit.
But it remains to be seen whether Dell will censor entries. A friend of mine recently had enormous hassles with Dell when his battery failed for no reason. Would they accept a video of his complaint? It was only when I told him to contact Personal Computer Magazine that he started to get some respite. Could a customer web site like this ever be as effective as a quick call to a journalist with a bit of clout? Michael Dell (pictured) has recently re-taken the helm of the company.
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