Dell Customer Advisory Panel – Austin, TX

Dell recently did a very impressive thing: they invited influential bloggers who had ranted about their products and services online to come to their headquarters and have a real conversation about what they’re doing wrong and how they can do it better. It’s not easy to get feedback on things that matter the most to us – and these “ranters” didn’t mince words – but it says a lot about the dedication of Dell’s team to figuring out who the company should be in the future and how they can best serve their customers. The event lasted 2 days, and they did get relief from the initial barrage of critiques when they hosted people on the second day who were actually happy with Dell. But I’m seeing many more of these interactive, face-to-face, collaborative sessions because of the rapid shift to the “social” marketplace. Businesses have to be responsive to stay alive…and that includes my own.