Consumer

• Issue Fix: XPS M1330 CD Eject Freezes System

  Thu. May. 08, 2008
  by Bill Bivin, Laptop Liaison

  Thanks to Notebook Review user nexas for pointing out an issue with the XPS M1330. When a user presses the eject button on the optical drive, the system may hang for a few seconds.

  Dell Community Forum users like Vishnu M. issue reported this issue. We've identified the issue and corrected it with the latest BIOS revision posted yesterday, version A10, which will correct the symptoms.

  Again, users that have encountered this issue can click here to download the BIOS.

  There have also been reports of this issue on the XPS M1530. The next BIOS revision is being tested now, and will also correct the symptoms. That revision is slated for web posting in June.

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• More on Upcoming Premium Services for Dell Consumers

  Wed. May. 07, 2008
  by Lionel Menchaca, Chief Blogger

  Since I blogged about some of what’s coming from a customer service perspective, I’ve received inquiries and questions from folks. And last week, I saw Ben Worthen’s post questioning the strategy behind our forthcoming premium services for home users. In a nutshell, I agree with the comment that Dell's Harjit Kaur left on Ben’s post.

  It’s not about where folks are located. The point of the forthcoming service is that it’s a dedicated team of people who will provide support to all family members and the Dell products they own which are still under warranty. For families that call in for support more than average, having a centralized support team that can handle a variety of issues generally means less explanation of the issue and less transfers to other departments. The fact is that it is a different (and more expensive) service model than we’ve ever offered to all customers. That’s one of the reasons why we piloted it in New York first. It’s  a new way of providing support that has proven to be effective.  For many customers though, this service may be overkill. That’s why we’re making it an optional one. 

  In the future, we'll also have some new retail integration services for consumers. Those services will cover both Dell and other-branded components and devices.  It will encompass things like TV installation, home theater setup, technology integration and more. In other words, making Dell systems work with all kinds of digital home devices. Maybe that means I won't have to program my Dad's all-in-one remote after all.

  It's also worth noting that any customer worldwide can reach out to us on our sites like the Dell Community Forum, Direct2Dell and IdeaStorm, or they can also reach out to us in their own blogs, or other social media tools they use. In terms of social media, we make an effort to support customers based on where they are located. Lots more to talk about there soon.

  Bottom line, as all of these services (and new service models) evolve, I'll make sure we share more information here and on other Dell blogs in the growing Direct2Dell family.

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• Dell's XPS 730 Gaming Desktop Details Over at Your Blog

  Thu. May. 01, 2008
  by Lionel Menchaca, Chief Blogger

  Update: This time on the Direct2Dell homepage.

   If you're interested in the latest information on the XPS 730, see Anne's post on at Your Blog. If you are a gamer, there's probably some stuff you'll want to see.

  It's got three videos: one that gives an overview of the system, a second all about overclocking and a third that highlights the new H2C cooling system.

  Enough babbling from me... if gaming's your thing, hop on over.

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• Conversations About Personal Technology: Your Blog

  Thu. May. 01, 2008
  by Lionel Menchaca, Chief Blogger

  Today, we're unveiling a new blog. This one's about personal technology. It's more focused on categories of interest rather than Dell-specific things.  We hope that it's a mashup that's a little bit Community + Lifehacker + ReadWriteWeb + Gamespy. Take a look at John Pope's intro post for more context.

  It's clear to us that our customers don't think in terms of brand names or initiatives that are important to us. Instead, most folks tend to think in terms of what they want to use a machine for: surfing the Web, streaming HD content, sending e-mails, playing games, creating movies, etc. 

  If you care to check out the blog, go to: www.direct2dell.com/yourblog

  We will have blog posts from Dell employees who have something to say about certain topic areas, but the folks behind it really hope that you use it to shape discussions you want to have with us. That's why we featured the Idea Submission section at the top right corner of the page. Beyond that, we hope that some of you out there would like to author a blog post or two.

  I expect there will be some overlap between Your Blog and Direct2Dell. You will see product details that apply to certain topic areas there. Blog posts about technical support will continue to reside here on Direct2Dell, since so much of its heritage is based on customer service.

  You can find Your Blog here and you can also subscribe to the RSS feed here.

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• Have a Question? Our Community May Have an Answer!

  Mon. Apr. 28, 2008
  by Natalie Davis, Manager—Global Ops Community Team

  

   

  Next time you are over at the Dell Forums searching for answers, look for the image like the check mark on the left. It's telling you that there is an solution for that issue. It's part of something we launched in February called Accepted Solution.

  The concept is based on a simple premise... that customers who create a forum thread about a specific issue are the best ones to tell the community which post fixed their problem. Said another way, an original poster of a thread can now select the specific post within their thread that answered their question.

  Here's how it works:

  • Login to the Dell Forum (if you don't register, you can still browse)
  • Click on a thread that contains the kinds of details you're looking for (like Desktops and General Hardware)
  • Look for the threads with a green check mark labeled Solved!

  

  Note: Clicking on the picture above will take you to a larger version of it.

  If you click on one of those threads, you will see the comment that started the thread.  When a customer identifies a post as a solution, the thread gets a special logo in the top right corner that looks like the logo below. Clicking on it will take you right to the solution post.

   

  It also marks the specific comment that fixes the issue with an Accepted Solution icon and turns that comment green like this one below:

   

  This provides a visual way to search through the millions of threads on our forums for an answer to a question, by allowing users with the same question to quickly identify answers already provided by other users. If you spend time on forums like we do, you know that threads can get quite long and quickly! From the usual conversation back and forth to the many steps it often takes to arrive at a good solution, this feature helps users help each other ‘cut to the chase’!

  It's taken off faster than we expected: we recently reached over 5,000 accepted solutions, and are averaging about 60 new accepted solutions added each day. Over half a million views of accepted solutions, our database of questions and answers is growing! We are excited and pleased to see so many members of our community using this feature and helping not just the first user with the question they have, but potentially millions of other users who have the same question in the future.

  So next time you have a question, whether it’s technical or you’re not sure what to buy, check out the forum. There may already be an accepted solution waiting for you. Starting there will probably save you some time and effort.

  For more details on how the Accepted Solution functionality works, take a look at the FAQ.

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• XPS M1330 and M1530 Laptops Now in PINK

  Mon. Apr. 28, 2008
  by Lionel Menchaca, Chief Blogger

  

  Whether we're talking fashion, home decor, or laptops, it's pretty clear that people like pink. Since we unveiled our color Inspiron laptops last June, pink is the second most popular color. And lots of our customers have made it clear that they want to see pink on more laptops.

  That's why we introduced pink as an option for XPS M1330 and XPS 1530 customers worldwide beginning recently. For more details, check out www.dell.com/thinkpink, or watch this YouTube clip.

  

  Note: Clicking on the above picture will take you to the XPS M1330 configurator for customers in the United States.

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• What's Next for Dell Customer Service

  Mon. Apr. 21, 2008
  by Lionel Menchaca, Chief Blogger

  Earlier today, a Dell press release discussed new services we're planning to offer Dell home users. I wanted to take a few minutes to focus on the Premium service piece.

  The core idea of the upcoming fee-based service is to provide customers in the United States access to a dedicated support team to provide support for all Dell-branded products that are still under warranty in that customer's household. These dedicated service teams will operate in North America and have the flexibility to address a comprehensive range of issues across Dell's product line.

  This all started back in May last year when Dell asked for feedback on how we could improve service to our customers. From that feedback three clear ideas emerged:

  • Geeks to Grandmas: Service Customization
  • Hello Again: Dedicated Teams
  • I'll Pay for It: Price Packages by Service Level

  The Premium service that Dell will offer is most closely related to the Hello Again dedicated team idea. But our teams built this program based on a lot of the feedback we got from discussions in IdeaStorm. Comments like these from jorge, glent, and claypidgeon are all a sample of what I'm talking about.

  Based on the strong feedback we received in IdeaStorm and beyond,  we kicked off a pilot program for customers in New York City last year. The feedback from that program was strongly positive—customers who were part of the pilot rated the service they received as 91% positive. Many of those customers appreciated the results they got from the team-based approach, and just about all the customers we supported during the process urged us to make it a permanent offering and to broaden it to more customers. That's what we're working to do.

  Dell's goal with this forthcoming fee-based service is to provide customers with a team of people focused on resolving the issues that you encounter with your Dell systems and peripherals. Stay tuned for more details in the next several weeks.

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• A Capital Recycling Event

  Fri. Apr. 18, 2008
  by Joe Strathmann, Sr. Mgr.—Asset Recovery Services

  This Sunday, Dell employees will join volunteers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in hosting a consumer computer recycling event on the Washington mall.  For those in the Washington, D.C. metro area reading this, the event will be held at Freedom Plaza from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on April 20th.

  The National Recycling Coalition and TechTurn are also supporting the event, which is being held in honor of Earth Day.

  Dell hosts one-day recycling events like this from periodically to help raise consumer awareness about the importance of recycling used electronics.  We encourage customers anywhere to use our recycling programs available any day of the year, those include:

  • Free consumer recycling for any Dell branded product at any time
  • Free recycling of other branded products with purchase of new Dell products
  • Product recovery services available to our business and public institution customers providing value recovery, responsible recycling and robust reporting
  • Free donation programs available to any consumer for working, used computer products of any brand which will place the donated equipment with non-profit organizations in the donor’s community.

  It’s important to point out that our recycling partners around the globe who receive this equipment are operating under strict Dell global standards governing their workplace and environmental performance – requirements we require by contract and enforce through third-party audits. Chief among those requirements is a prohibition on export of any waste.

  I know Sunday will be a great event and thank you to the volunteers who are spending time to help D.C.-area customers do the right thing with their used electronics. As always, I look forward to any comments and questions about our recycling programs.

  And an early wish for a Happy Earth Day to all.

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• More Retail Expansion in China

  Thu. Apr. 17, 2008
  by Lionel Menchaca, Chief Blogger

  Earlier today, Dell announced some new retail developments in China: we plan to sell laptops and desktops through Suning. We're also broadening our relationship with Gome, and adding more retail partners in China beyond that. With these, Dell products will now be available in more than 12,000 stores worldwide.

  Customers at Suning stores will be able to purchase our products in 300 of their stores initially, with more coming in the future. Besides displays, printers and toner, Suning customers can purchase the following products:

  • XPS 1330 laptop
  • XPS 1530 laptop
  • Inspiron 1420 laptop
  • Inspiron 1526 laptop
  • Inspiron 530s desktop
  • Inspiron 531s desktop

  The expansion with Gome that begins happening this month, will bring our products to nearly 900 of their locations. Dell products available in Gome stores include:

  • XPS 1330 laptop
  • XPS 1530 laptop
  • Inspiron 1420 laptop
  • Inspiron 1525 laptop
  • XPS One all-in-one
  • Inspiron 530 desktop
  • XPS 720 performance desktop

  Additionally, Dell will also sell systems in Hontu stores and through several other retailers like Wuxing, Meicheng, Heng Chang and Heyong stores. For more details, Chinese speakers can click on theDirect2Dell Chinese post here.

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• Dell Notebook Support - what our customers really think...

  Fri. Apr. 11, 2008
  by Michael Rufer, Communications—Dell Germany

  Note from Lionel: Due to a publishing error, this post that originally appeared at 3am was supposed to appear on the Direct2Dell homepage. Fixing that now.

  "Dell is the company which deals with customer requests best"..."Dell shows its competitors how to repair notebooks and how to satisfy customers". Aren't these amazing quotes? Must come from a Dell executive or a PR guy, you think? In fact, these are from c't, one of the Germany’s leading computer magazines for IT professionals; from its recent article "A Question of Trust."

  How has c’t come to this conclusion? Actually, this is based on hard facts. Every year, c't conducts a comprehensive survey among its readers to find out how satisfied notebook users are with the service and support received from the key computer manufacturers in Germany.

  As every year, we look forward to seeing this impartial analysis of our customers’ feedback. While last year's results were very good, this year was even better - no, actually it was excellent with customers ranking Dell as No.1; with 90% of customers being satisfied with our service and support overall. If you take a look at our Latitude and Vostro support, the scores are even higher with no less than 95% of satisfied customers.

  At the end of the day a big part of selecting a technology vendor is about confidence in their products and services, so, we’re also pleased to see that the c’t customers ranked Dell as No. 1 when it comes to trust and brand loyalty. Against the long-term downward trend in the industry, Dell - along with Sony - has been able to improve loyalty scores step by step since 2003 and according to this survey and Dell is clearly leading the way today in Germany.

  As you can imagine, such great scores don't appear from nowhere. In fact, they are a result of our continuous investments and focus on customer satisfaction and the ongoing improvement of our services organization. Let me be clear, we are not pretending to be perfect, simply to say that our long-term efforts are paying out now. We have a great team in place looking after our customers every day - and it is our customers who clearly appreciate our efforts.

  Note: If you speak German, please check out these two short videos, especially the second one which summarizes the c't survey. It mentions Dell as the great example for excellent service right at the beginning, followed by (at 2:30) a top ten ranking with Dell being no.1 again. The video speaks for itself I guess, and you get the message even if you don't speak German.

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