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by thevillagechief6 hours ago |
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upvoteby ganoushoreilly6 hours ago|
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Dell was very much moving this way before modern AI explosion. The inconsistency on pricing alone depending on what rep was helping you also became a problem. I could often times call in direct and order via business line cheaper than dealing with my account rep. No reason to jump through so many hoops.

I prefer the "This is the price" model and just make it consistent. I can't wait until AI helps us remove multiple layers of middle men across Sales in general.

Just let me buy it and move on.

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upvoteby dabraham12486 hours ago|
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> I can't wait until AI helps us remove multiple layers of middle men across Sales in general.

Based on how things are moving, I think it's more likely that AI will _replace_ the layers of middle men (with layers of "middle AI"), then that those layers will be _removed_.

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upvoteby warkdarrior5 hours ago|
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Of course, the process (of squeezing the customer) is the point. The implementation of that process, with either human account reps or sales bots, is irrelevant.
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upvoteby fragmede4 hours ago|
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Not to the account reps who's pay put food on their table, vs the bots who don't have children to feed.
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upvoteby fooker5 hours ago|
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> I can't wait until AI helps us remove multiple layers of middle men across Sales in general.

Monkey's paw - now you have to deal with a layer of bots.

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upvoteby kjs34 hours ago|
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And bots don't buy lunch.
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upvoteby fragmede4 hours ago|
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that's great as an attitude, the problem with it is that money is made up and so are prices. Business have an inventory and expenses, and hopefully they can sell enough product before their debtors come calling. There's no right price for something. Underpriced, Overpriced, the only qualifier is: is the company still in business? Sony could give Playstation 6's away for free, so long as people bought games for it, but culturally, that would look desperate, so that will have to charge money for it, when they announce it. The only thing something is worth, is what someone else is willing to pay for it.
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upvoteby nradov4 hours ago|
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Periodic component shortages have been a fact of life in the server business forever. Like a key supplier's factory burns down or something.

The key thing is being transparent with customers on price, availability, and delivery schedules. In the short term server vendors can use tricks and personal relationships to extract higher profit margins but eventually the senior executives at major customers figure out what's happening and start looking for other options.

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upvoteby bigstrat20034 hours ago|
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> The lead-times are ridiculous, and these guys now only pay attention to the really big guys. Not sure I can blame them though, you've gotta do what's best for your business.

I don't blame them in the sense that I wish for them to be imprisoned or anything. But I wouldn't do business with them, either. I want business partners whom I can count on, not ones who will stop returning my calls as soon as a more lucrative opportunity arises.

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