"Sometimes you have to get their notice first," said the old farmer, who had just exhausted his mule in the forehead with a two-by-four. The mule, a little stunned, however quit being bad-tempered and started pulling the cultivate.
Perhaps Dell has some mule blood in it.
Dell is discovering what green marketeers determine in about their forth year of their careers - namely that service is a product. Like all products, quality and suitability to the needs of the customers determines success. Given that technology is multifaceted and that no knowledge user can last long without hold up, it becomes a dangerous differentiator for long-term financial achievement.
(A snide aside: If you want a painfully good example of lousy customer service, just talk to anyone that uses web hosting from 1and1.com, a company that routinely explores the depths of customer disregard. The horror stories about 1and1.com technical support would make Steven King flinch.)
Your customers are at their most vulnerable state, and often suffering from some degree of frustration, when they call for support. Support then becomes as important (if not more important) than the core product itself.
