Anyone who has owned a Dell product over the last several years would applaud the company’s announcement today.  A new customer relations site called IdeaStorm is now operating, allowing customers to submit requests, criticisms, and commentary with the Dell community. 

The site will feature a voting system for the submissions, similar in structure to Digg’s, which the company openly admits, calling the new site, “a combination of message board and Digg.com.”

TechCrunch points out, however, that IdeaStorm does not arrive without a question mark.  Marshall Kirkpatrick, the article’s author, writes, “the second most popular submission as I write this is a call for a separate, internal IdeaStorm site for Dell employees.   That makes me question how enthusiastic Dell’s employees will be about IdeaStorm.”

Regardless, it’s a savvy move for a company that has gained a reputation for poor customer service, and is undergoing a major overhaul in key personnel.  In an industry so dependent on customer loyalty, it will be crucial for Dell to listen closely to the people who take the time to offer comments, suggestions, and critiques.  Community building has worked favorably for Apple, among others, which boasts one of the most intense cult following of any corporation.

Scott Goldberg