Microsoft Launches Partner Satisfaction Survey

As part of their years-old Customer and Partner Experience initiative, Microsoft has launched the Global Relationship Study -- meaning channel partners and customers alike will have the opportunity to tell Redmond what they really think. Here’s the lowdown.

Matthew Weinberger

September 28, 2010

2 Min Read

survey

As part of their years-old Customer and Partner Experience initiative, Microsoft has launched the Global Relationship Study — meaning channel partners and customers alike will have the opportunity to tell Redmond what they really think. Here’s the lowdown.

The study, according to the Microsoft U.S. Partner Team blog entry, will be conducted by an independent research firm in 100 countries through what remains of September and early October. The e-mails containing the survey will come from “Microsoft Feedback” and bear the subject line “Help Microsoft focus on customers and partners.”

That blog entry doesn’t really reveal too many details about the kinds of question the survey will ask, or how many of Microsoft’s partners will get the chance to respond. But it is clear how seriously Microsoft takes the feedback. Quoth the blog:

“We anxiously await the scores after the GRS is completed, and many of us not only know the numbers, we also eagerly read the verbatim that respondents include, as those often provide the color commentary we need to better understand what we are doing well to serve our partners today, and where we need to improve.”

It’s good to see Microsoft take a more active hand in figuring out where they can improve — I was talking with one Microsoft reseller recently who complained that their price-chopping tactics in the war with Google are cutting into their managed Exchange revenues. I have a hunch that’s the kind of feedback Microsoft is going to get, and it may be the feedback they need to hear.

Sign up for The VAR Guy’s Weekly Newsletter; Webcasts and Resource Center; and via RSS; Facebook; Identi.ca; Twitter and VARtweet.