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Unsolicited business proposals to Microsoft: there is a way

My friend, Sean, has a post from January on how he’s not feelin’ the love so much from McDonald’s, specifically how the company doesn’t accept unsolicited proposals.

This was sent to me today:

http://www.mcdonalds.com/contact/contact_us/unsolicited_ideas.html

Not clear if he was offering a new spin on the Filet-O-Fish® or what… (and who knew that the bun has more calories than the patty?)  One of Sean’s comments on the blog noted that…

“Microsoft has no such policy [on unsolicited proposals]…The challenge is more likely that there are too many ways to give suggestions and feedback which makes idea management and follow up difficult. http://connect.microsoft.com/ is one such visible place.”

A commenter notes that Microsoft does have a general policy on unsolicited ideas…

Unsolicited Idea Submission Policy: Microsoft or any of its employees do not accept or consider unsolicited ideas, including ideas for new advertising campaigns, new promotions, new products or technologies, processes, materials, marketing plans or new product names. Please do not send any original creative artwork, samples, demos, or other works. The sole purpose of this policy is to avoid potential misunderstandings or disputes when Microsoft’s products or marketing strategies might seem similar to ideas submitted to Microsoft. So, please do not send your unsolicited ideas to Microsoft or anyone at Microsoft. If, despite our request that you not send us your ideas and materials, you still send them, please understand that Microsoft makes no assurances that your ideas and materials will be treated as confidential or proprietary.

OK, that’s pretty clear (and note that I formatted the type smaller than is displayed to save on space). But there is a flip side to this legal boilerplate.

I have noted previously that when you live in Oz, you have to remember what life was and is still like in Kansas.  We shouldn’t ignore new opportunities, but you can’t expect that an MS Wish like avenue will allow for proper vetting.  As a company, we recognized that we need a managed and scalable way to accept unsolicited business proposals.

That’s why there is the Proposal Submission Tool at the Opportunity Management Center (OMC), a managed way for companies and individuals to submit their unsolicited business proposals to Microsoft.  The OMC’s tool was designed to provide potential partners with a managed way to submit business proposals to Microsoft.

“If you are interested in working with us and your needs are not met through the programs found on this site, please submit a non-confidential business proposal through the link below. Please ensure that your proposal conforms with our corporate idea policy.”

Remember, it’s for business proposals. There are other links on the page to help you connect with other services at the company 😉

Tags: Microsoft, customer satisfaction, Microsoft culture, Oz, business proposal.

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(Updated 20171025: corrected link to OMC)

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It’s official: Vista SP1 to be available tomorrow (Tuesday, March 18)

Thanks to a confirmation on Computerworld, Gregg Keizer writes that the release of Windows Vista SP1 will be out tomorrow…



“In an e-mail meant to clarify when Amazon.com could begin shipping retail copies of Vista SP1, a company spokeswoman noted that Vista users could get the update on March 18.

“When looking at Amazon’s site, you will see separate listings — one for pre-orders of Windows Vista with SP1 integrated, and the current version of Windows Vista, which does not include SP1, and can be purchased now and easily updated with SP1 online beginning March 18,” the e-mailed statement read…

“If Microsoft holds to plan, Vista users will see SP1 in Windows Update tomorrow as an optional download, but only if their PCs do not harbor one of the balky drivers. Alternately, users will be able to download a much larger stand-alone installer from Microsoft’s download site, also beginning Tuesday.”


Visit Windows Update, or make sure Automatic Update (AU) is turned on once it goes live to AU.  [added 3/18] And watch http://windowsvistablog.com/ for the announcement of availability via WU. 


Tags: Windows Vista, Vista SP1, Gregg Keizer.

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The fine art of complaining

It’s a weekend of “learning how to complain” stories.  Do I sense a trend?

In my post on Get some satisfaction- article notes that complaints can pay off with several basic steps, I blogged about the article How to Get Some Satisfaction Customer complaints can pay off with several basic steps by Greg Saitz, and reiterated my post on how to complain (and get results), in which I include a link to an article in the Seattle Times, “Firing of an e-mail? Make sure of your aim.”

This weekend, Christopher Elliott (who offers more information on his web site at www.csr.elliott.org) writes for the Tribune. In his article “The fine art of complaining” Elliott says…

“over the years, I’ve developed a few insider tricks for fixing a derailed trip: whom to write, what to say and where to go when no one listens. But if I had to distill everything into one simple rule, it would be: The sooner you speak up, the better your chances of getting what you deserve.”

I like this guy.  You’ll find similar themes and advice here and in the sites I’ve previously recommended.

Here are Elliott’s “strategies for making things right when they have gone wrong…”

Don’t wait

Keep meticulous records

Take a deep breath. Stay calm.

Talk is cheap – Do everything in writing. Write tight and polite.

Start at the bottom, go through channels and give the system a chance to work.

Cite the rules

Tell them what you want—nicely.  I’ll say it again: Be extra nice.

Copy all the right people

Press ‘send’ or mail.  E-mail is an acceptable way to file a grievance [but] snail mail still works best.

Be patient.  Elliott writes that the typical grievance takes six to eight weeks to resolve. Yes, six to eight weeks.

Turned down? Get it in writing. Don’t accept no for an answer by phone.

Appeal your case to a higher authority

Take another deep breath, Don’t overreact.

Take extreme measures, [perhaps] a respectful but insistent letter “overnighted” directly to the chief executive officer along with the disappointing string of no’s you’ve received.

Go to court

Know when to cut your losses

Tags: support, customer service, customer support.

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Advisory: Potential changes to Daylight Saving Time in Iraq

Microsoft has learned of a potential change to the observance of Daylight Saving Time (DST) in Iraq  that may impact customers using the Baghdad time zone.

An early, unsubstantiated report is that the Ministry of Iraq has decided that the country will no longer observe DST as they have in prior years, currently scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2008. 

Thus far, Microsoft has not been able to officially verify this change: if the change to the implementation of DST in the country is made, this may impact customers and partners in the region who use the Baghdad time zone, including military facilities and other entities engaged in business in or with the region. 

Microsoft is actively working with government representatives and customers in the region to confirm the change in Iraq, while also endeavoring to understand and document the scenarios and implications. 

Specific guidance will be provided as it becomes available on the Microsoft DST & TZ Hot Topics page off of http://www.microsoft.com/time.  For details on setting up RSS feeds for these pages, see my post on getting RSS feed updates.

(cross posted at http://blogs.technet.com/dst2007/archive/2008/03/15/dst-in-iraq-031508.aspx)

Tags: Microsoft, Daylight Saving Time, Daylight Savings Time, RSS, DST. 4,900,000 (up a million items); 4,450,000 (down approx. two million items); 1,880,000 (up)

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Dell’s CIO on improving customer service

Don Tennant of ComputerWorld has an interview this week with Steve Schuckenbrock of Dell Computer in his article, Q&A: Dell exec addresses service woes in run-up to IT-as-a-service launch. 

Tennant caught up with Schuckenbrock, the president of their global services division and CIO, at the Premier 100 IT Leaders Conference, and they discussed the plans at Dell to “deliver a hosted remote-management offering that it calls “IT as a service,” as well as plans for improving their customer service… 

ComputerWorld:  It’s no secret that there are a lot of Dell users with service horror stories, and there’s obviously a reason that Web sites with names like IhateDell.net have sprung up. What’s your response to someone who says that under the circumstances, there’s a certain irony in Dell positioning itself as a service provider, because Dell’s service is kind of a joke?

Schuckenbrock: “Well, first, I don’t agree with that. Second, the reason I don’t is because if you look at those sites, they call out specific issues, most of which are consumer-driven issues, not commercial-business-driven issues. If you look at our commercial business, it’s performing very, very well.

“In fact, if you go out today and look at Technology Business Research, which is a research company that has published scorecards relative to technical support services, a year ago, Dell was third behind IBM and HP. Last quarter, Dell was first. So I think our commercial customers are beginning to speak and say, “We’re seeing great service from Dell, and in fact better than the competition.” It’s one quarter. Who knows what happens in future quarters? But we are fully focused on assuring that we provide the best service possible.”

What specific improvements can you cite?

“We’re standardizing processes around the world — one global delivery capability. We no longer have regionally based delivery capabilities for services. We’ve found best practices from all corners of the globe that have helped us tremendously in terms of improving the service experience.

“And internally, we’ve had kind of a march over the last several years: “How do we get to 90% customer satisfaction?” That’s where the customers themselves rate their service experience with Dell as “top notch” or “very satisfied.” Now, that’s a pretty high bar. Asia’s now at 92%; EMEA’s now at 90%; the Americas is up and into the 80s. And that includes all services — small, medium and large customers.”

Tags: computers, retail, Dell, Steve Schuckenbrock, support, customer service, customer support.