416. Online Reputation Management › dell hell › what can happen when a company refuses to listen Eventually, he worked out the email address of Dell’s Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President for US Consumer Business and sent him an email detailing the ongoing saga that was not being resolved. Predictably, Jeff Jarvis received a phone call, and eventually the matter was resolved when he obtained a refund in July 2005. Analysts noted the influence of social media and a brand’s online reputation, and this showed in the falling consumer confidence in Dell. It may not be directly related to one blogger, and Dell admitted to neglecting customer service for some time, but “in the midst of this silicon opera, Dell’s customer satisfaction rating, market share, and share price in the US all shrank” (Jarvis, 2005). Figure 17.2 A graph illustrating the effect a reputation crisis can have on the bottom line. Today, Dell has come a long way. Dell has launched Dell IdeaStorm (www. dellideastorm.com), where Dell customers and enthusiasts can communicate with the company. Crucially, customers can, and do, tell Dell what features they want in a laptop, and Dell then feeds this into its product development. 17.4 how it works Online reputation management uses digital means to monitor and analyse a brand’s reputation online, and engage in digital conversation so as to influence its reputation and gain strategic insights to guide business decision making. The aim is to improve stakeholder experience with the brand resulting in trust, loyalty in the brand, and sustainable business growth.420