Dell's customer relationship management (CRM) strategy

Résumé du document

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of the most efficient systems which could be implanted in a company for its success. CRM is a process, a data mining, a technology and a philosophy base on the customer which aims to strengthen the relationship between the customers and the company, to make them loyal to the brand. It allows companies to have important information regarding the customers, so the company can personalize its products in relation with the customers' expectation and needs, with low costs. Dell uses the CRM to optimize it clients' management. The CRM is the strategy employed to go from a product oriented-company to a customer-oriented company, which is all based on customer satisfaction. If the CRM process is well implanted in a company, it gives a lot of assets like the cancellation of the activities with no added value, the customers' loyalty which could result in an increase of the sales in the company and also an increase of the profit in a long term view (Karine, 2008).

Since its creation, Dell's power lies in the close and direct relationship with its customers. Michell Dell really worked right from the beginning to establish the company in the computer business. Over time, he realized that this approach to the customer is the strength of his company. In this report, we will try to present Dell to better understand its success and how it manages to do that. We will also analyze its products and make a quick comparison with Apple to see the differences between the two leaders of the computer market and we will finally focus on the understanding of its CRM strategy which is the operational excellence. In the final section, we will present a brief conclusion of our findings.

Extraits

[...] To reinforce the customer-company relation, DELL created an interaction by phone or mail between the customer and the manufacturer, which create a trust link between the company and the customer. To add value to that connection, DELL had to completely satisfy the customer, that's why DELL invented a supply chain management which allowed the company to know exactly where the products are at and if it is available. That system permits to DELL to deliver the computers in a very short time, which results with the customer's satisfaction. [...]

[...] This leads to the customer loyalty and satisfaction, thanks to their operational excellence (Y. Mahfouz, 2006). DELL's system is to thank its customers, with the use of promotions, surveys rewarded also with promotions, electronic messages for customers, exploitation of partnerships (www.dell.com). They also created a web TV, completely free and accessible on inscription. The goal of this web TV is to keep contact with customers thanks to technological problematic answered by experts to help customers. It also focuses on the computer market and on DELL's new products. [...]

[...] Celeron and works greats. Inspiron15 (unknown): Great quality, useful, easy to use and bang for your buck (Dell 2010). Taken as a whole, Dell has delivered above satisfactory craftsmanship. There will always be the trial and error of computers that can change a customer's mind on purchasing future products. However, if Dell could achieve the goal of having a perfect sale every time (even though that is the goal), there would be nothing to learn from and critique to perform better. [...]

[...] Thanks to the customers' ideas, DELL created a data of favoured clients. DELL clients and members can take part to the development of the products to explain what they want to be in the next versions of computers. The trust given to the clients is a good way to make them loyal and to develop the innovation. With the employee system, they can have a good collaboration between all the stores and employees of the world which leads to the cohesion of the company and so a share of the same values and ideas to the worldwide customers (www.salesforce.com). [...]

[...] The strength of Michell Dell's company is the internal organisation; to be able to pay attention to the employees' recommendations, to spread the ethic of the company across the world; but also the external system; the close relationship with the customer, to be able of making them concerned and involved in the company's evolution. REFERENCES (Karine, 2008): “Optimiser la valeur de vos relations clients avec le http://www.karinemiron.com/optimiser- la-valeur-de-vos-relations-clients-avec-le-crm DELL Website: http://www.dell.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell http://printerinkcartridges.printcountry.com/printer-company-histories- press-releases/the-history-of-dell/ DELL Website: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/about_dell/company/history/hi story?c=us&l=en Consumer Report Reviews on Computers. www.consumerreport.com March 2010. Consumer Search Dell Reviews. http://www.consumersearch.com/search/reviews/dell+computers March 2010. Dell Prices and Reviews. www.dell.com (desktops/laptops) March 2010. Elmer-Dewitt, P Apple vs. Dell. CNNMoney.com March 2010. [...]