Dell Addresses '22 Confessions of a Former Dell Sales Manager'

When a former Dell sales manager posted an aggressive and revealing blog post on Consumerist.com, their former employer was, as you might expect, less than enthused.

Dell was so unhappy, in fact, that it sent a letter to the website requesting that the blog be removed for allegedly containing confidential information. But after Consumerist.com refusal to comply, Dell has changed its tune and apologized for its cease-and-desist request.

The original post, entitled "22 Confessions of a Former Dell Sales Manager," offered advice to consumers purchasing a Dell. The blog offered various tips, including pricing-related hints. For example, the blog warned that "there are many different pricing packages for the same product throughout the various sections, typically three or more per segment." (Source: consumerist.com)

The same day that the candid blog was posted, Dell counsel Tracy Holland sent a letter to Consumerist.com. Holland's letter said that the post "contains information that is confidential and proprietary to Dell." Holland then requested that the post be removed by the end of the following day. (Source: consumerist.com)

But when that didn't happen, Dell quickly made a 180 degree turn around. Lionel Menchaca, Dell's digital media manager, then posted a blog that acknowledged the company's mishandling of the situation.

"We blew it... Instead of trying to control information that was made public, we should have simply corrected anything that was inaccurate. We didn't do that, and now we're paying for it," Menchaca admitted. (Source: news.com)

Consumerist.com centers on allowing consumers to share their company-related issues. Nonetheless, many were surprised that the website's refusal to give in to Dell's demands resulted in such a quick victory. The support of bloggers definitely helped; many offered to boycott Dell if they continued their demands.

So I guess the idea of community, be it physical or online, can be a powerful push for change. One win for the little guy!