Dell-Please Stop Being So Kind to Me
This is a great example of how companies try to nickel and dime you and in the process shoots themselves in the foot.
Recently I went online to pay a Dell invoice through Dell Financial Services. I noticed that by default, Dell does not credit your payment the day they receives it. It credits it the next business day if it was made before 5:00 pm. After 5:00 pm it gets credited the day after that.
So, if you make you payment the day it’s due, you’re automatically late. However, Dell offers you a “convenience fee” of $9.95 to have your payment credited on the day you make it. By, making your payment on the day it’s due you’re late or they’ll “allow” you not to be late for just a $9.95 fee.
There’s a saying “to step over a dollar to pick up a penny”. This is exactly what Dell is doing. We all know there is no logical reason your payment can’t be credited the day it’s paid, even if it’s paid on the due date. Dell knows that many people wait until the last possible moment to make their payments, so they see a way to take advantage of their customer to make a few dollars.
Don’t you think customers who get a “convenience” like this are more likely to buy their next computer elsewhere especially if they had any other bad customer service experience with Dell? This is more than likely since Dell is well known for their less than stellar technical support and their reliance on tech support personnel who use the Rosetta Stone learning language software. This $9.95 “pocket change” fee that Dell collects is not going to offset the future profits they’d make by selling the customer more product and the loss of profits that bad-mouthing will incur.
When you’re in business, you always need to look at the big picture before instituting a new policy. You have to consider how this policy that might bring you in additional dollars now will impact your future profits. Many businesses fail to look at the big picture. They see immediate dollar signs and suddenly their long term vision is non-existent.
Remember, customers have short-term memories when you do something that pleases them. They develop long-term memories and will never forget the one time they think you took advantage of them. Don’t let short-sighted vision have you “stepping over dollars to pick up pennies”. Every business decision you make should be evaluated as to how it will impact your company in the future.
Subscribe to our RSS feed via email. You’ll receive an email automatically every time a new post is added! Subscribe to Best Business Tips & Software by Email
One Response to “ Dell-Please Stop Being So Kind to Me ”
Trackbacks
Leave a Reply
RSS Subscribe
My credit card company, HSBC, does this as well. They say “Up to 48 hours, not including weekends and holidays”. Also not including cloudy days, dog days, and any particular days they decide on.