About Direct2Dell
The Story Behind Direct2Dell
In 1984, Michael Dell – working from his dorm room – built a customized PC for a customer. It represented the first one-to-one contact by Dell and led to the birth of Dell’s direct model. Twenty two years later, we still find the best way to understand and serve our customers is to talk to them directly around the world. The only difference between 1984 and 2006 is that we now have millions of global customers in over 100 countries.
That's a huge difference in scale… but today’s technology makes it easier to communicate directly with millions of individuals, regardless of borders and time zones. Our Direct2Dell blog is a tool that allows all of us to share our comments, ideas and insights. Not exactly a dorm room, but an online meeting place where we welcome our customers around the globe…one at a time.
The Direct2Dell Doctrine
Rules of Engagement for Direct2Dell Readers
1. Direct2Dell is all about conversations. You are encouraged to speak in an honest, informal voice and to foster productive, candid dialogue that can help us learn from each other. We’ll listen, as well as post, and ensure we engage in two-way conversations. Our intent is to provide a timely and accessible alternative to more formal, one-way channels of communication.
2. Direct2Dell is for and about Dell customers. That means the dialogue on this blog should be about the products, services, and related technology we provide (or could provide) to our customers. On occasion, we'll also discuss broader industry issues that could impact how we serve our customers. We will not post any comments that don't fall under this area.
3. You should always be respectful, no matter what the situation. Civil dialogue is expected from all those involved in the blog conversations. We’ll not post any comments if they are spam, inappropriate, use profanity or are defamatory in any way.
Our Commitments
1. Direct2Dell will be written by a range of Dell employees. This is a place for us to be ourselves, to share who we are and what we think about issues important to our customers, business and the industry.
2. Direct2Dell is an extension of Dell’s direct model where we learn and improve by listening to customers. Comments are a great way for us to know what’s on the minds of our customers and partners. Of course, we may not always agree with the comments, but we will listen closely to see what we can learn and improve. Comments will be moderated—we will do our best to post your comments and respond, where appropriate, within 24 hours.
3. Think straight, talk straight. We will think before we post and strive to have good judgment in all blog interactions. We will not hesitate to take on tough, escalating issues, but we will do so in a measured, thoughtful fashion. Sometimes that takes a little more time.
4. Sometimes we may be quiet. There are some topics we just can’t discuss on Direct2Dell—just as we don’t in other communication channels. Posting on specific political issues, legal matters, sensitive financial matters and topics unrelated to our business or industry, for example, will not occur.
5. Our corporate values and policies will guide what we say. As per our Code of Conduct, we are committed to acting in a professional and ethical manner in all situations—whether it is with our business partners, our neighbors or customers. All of the postings on Direct2Dell will follow these same guidelines.
6. We are committed to your privacy. Your privacy will be respected. Any customer information collected on Direct2Dell will only be used to provide the service(s) or carry out the transaction(s) you have requested or authorized. Direct2Dell will operate in compliance with Dell’s Online Policies.
Dell reserves the right to amend or change this doctrine at any time. You are invited to check back periodically to ensure you are in compliance. Thanks for visiting Direct2Dell. (Updated: February 2007)