Think about it. BMW positions themselves as the “ultimate driving machine.” Performance is the benefit and the entire customer expereince is built around supporting this performance benefit. If a customer wants luxury over performance, then BMW isn’t shy about steering you towards Lexus. But if you are looking for performance, you’ll getan expereince from BMW so influences your buying decision. And, at times, even convert some of the luxury folks who relaize that they really wanted performanceonce they test drove a new BMW 335xi.

I have to agree with your opinion of Dell’s website…

I recently purchased a PC from them for my mother, and it was a very arduous and painful task, and that’s coming from someone who has sold PCs for a living AND is a highly experience Internet power-user/web marketer.

I found that I had to keep clicking around to other links to TRY and find the answers to my questions (all to no avail), and in the end had to bite the bullet and ring them, which in and of itself, was an equally disappointing experience.

They collect your contact details at all points, and then I had their sales consultant ringing me & emailing me, trying to get me to make the purchase, which was REALLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYY annoying!

So, your wife’s car buying experience would have been a delight if it had happened to me with Dell.

In the end, the only reason I decided to buy from them (because the sales consultant had cheesed me off so much) was to demand as large a discount from them as I could. To my surprise, it worked, so that was a worthwhile lesson I learned from shopping with Dell… NEVER buy straight off the net – ring & negotiate a better price, once you know what you want.

If I had direct access to Michael Dell, I would have a few suggestions for him to ensure the entire process was improved. As it stands at the moment, I give Dell a 3/10 for the entire experience, even though Mum is happy with the computer & the price was good.

Sellers forget what it’s like to be a buyer ALL the time, and that’s what shoots them in the foot. I have worked in sales for years, and I hate the whole pushy obnoxious lack-of-information attitude that most sales people have (or worse – are forced into by their employer!!!!!!!!!)

OK, that’s my 2c worth Great article & thanks.

Eran

I guess the “customer expereince” is in the eye of the beholder. Impress one; frustrate another. So do you accept this as the reality or do you try to improve the expereince for all customer types? I believe more sales occur with the latter.