The Visible Marketer: Dell’s CRM model stresses transparent processes

When I was young I had a Visible Man Kit, a plastic skeleton with molded body organs and transparent plastic skin. The Visible Man’s skin cover had a snap-off breast plate, allowing me to remove and play with various organs (I usually had them menace legions of plastic soldiers). Any science knowledge gleaned was purely coincidental.

I’ve since developed more respect for transparent systems, such as the one used by Dell Computer Corp., Round Rock, TX. The heart of Dell’s transparent online system is “Premier Pages,” custom-designed Web pages containing purchase data (date, product, quantity and shipping info) as well as a paperless ordering process, with the customer’s existing technology configurations already captured. Even pricing data on each page reflects individually negotiated discounts.

The pages also provide order tracking, and – for those occasions when only human contact will do – account manager contact data and help-desk functions.

“The idea behind Premier Pages was less to gain information about customers – we already know about them – and more to create a real win-win situation,” says Dell senior manager for database marketing Tracy Troyer.

“Our customers have access to 95% of the tools tech support has,” Troyer says. “They can solve a lot of the frequently asked problems with their systems, such as spare parts availability. That enables Dell to save costs.”

While Dell still uses this data as the foundation for its customer programs – the company’s “Buyerwatch” alerts them to sales and upgrades, for instance – customers can monitor their own replacement and upgrade needs, serving as their own Dell fulfillment managers. Furthermore, customers are able to capture purchasing and supply reports and incorporate them into their inventory and accounting systems.

Through Premier Pages, Dell is able to address customers in the SOHO market with services and care usually lavished on larger corporate clients. But customers across all levels of business have responded positively: This past January there were 15,000 Premier Pages in existence. At deadline that number had nearly doubled.

This is not surprising, considering that Dell never saw itself as merely a direct marketer.

“The company was founded on ideals of CRM,” says Dell’s database marketing director Carter Forringer. “It started when the first customers ordered their first PCs. We build each PC when somebody orders it. This means we have a direct relationship with the customer.”