When Customers are Genius - Dell and Starbucks Cases
I have a post lately about how two companies, Dell and Starbucks, listen to their customers by creating a website and let customers be the power users who give them honest feedbacks about their businesses. We will visit the two hubs of two companies where their customers mingle and help these two companies become great.
Dell - http://www.ideastorm.com/
The website is created to empower customers. They can submit, vote, discuss, and see which ideas are implemented. I strongly recommend people love Dell or hate Dell take a look to see how they use customers' mind and make customer services better. Moreover, customers get rewarded by virtual points, number of ideas, and how many votes that people support their ideas. I think those people will get something like a gift card from Dell. Customers are also recognized by a board of Top Recent Contributors.
So far, what I've seen they get:
This makes me think a lot about how customers really care about a product or a company if they give them a tool to be listened. Can you believe those people giving Dell all their ideas for FREE? Yes. People care when they are listend.
I took one ideas from the website so we can see how one customer can add value to your company.
I see the voting system is a good mechanism to select which ideas are worth to implement first. Customers see problems and ideas, and one deciding factor is taking care the one matters first by their votes. Moreover, keeping your words matter. It will be frustrated for customers if they give you the idea and you are not listening. Dell works hard to keep his work and I would like to invite you to the implementation of the idea above to this link:
Wow! So selling computer can be related to any good causes, from ending AIDS in Africa to eliminating breast cancer. Thanks God that we have Dell. Way to go, Dell! Man, It is so fun if you go through all of these discussion. You will see some Dell fanatic hardcore people are discussing and giving Dell some great ideas, like this one:
The best "wing man" of a company is always the customer. Once again, people are dying to be listened and they will give you great ideas if you are a great listener.
Starbucks - http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/apex/ideahome
What I like about the Starbucks Ideas comapred to the Idea Storm of Dell is it is so easy on ice and so much better to navigate and vote. Let's take a look at how many ideas that people devoted to Starbucks:
PRODUCT IDEAS
EXPERIENCE IDEAS
INVOLVEMENT IDEAS
It is looked like Services are much more connected than Tech in general. I clicked on the Coffee & Espresso Drink and immediately impressed by a great idea:
Why I like this idea? This is a way to make cross sale and also make your trip to Starbucks store much more exploring. We are always stick on one drink, kind of forever, we just like it and it is like our habit. Forever for one Latte, one Cappuccino, one Machiato or Halzenut Machiato (my favorite drink). If this idea is implemented and Starbucks take it serious to educate customer about the taste of coffee, what made it so special in each drink, etc ... People will take their coffee more serious and they will possess the position of coffee expert in customers' minds.
In General
What I feel about these two sites are they take their customers so so SERIOUS. There are no better inventors or who can give you better ideas than your customers. Both Dell and Starbucks have turned their customers into the core of their competency to compete with other guys in their industries.
Bonus: Somehow, when I read through the book, Mr. Schultz mentioned a company called Salesforces who have cooperated with both Dell and Starbucks to create those two awesome website services and ideas. So I make a search on YouTube and find this. I hope this adds value to you:
Bonus: Somehow, when I read through the book, Mr. Schultz mentioned a company called Salesforces who have cooperated with both Dell and Starbucks to create those two awesome website services and ideas. So I make a search on YouTube and find this. I hope this adds value to you:
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