{"id":179327,"date":"2018-03-22T10:19:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T15:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ntegrait.com\/microsoft-is-calling-every-single-user-for-feedback\/"},"modified":"2018-03-22T10:19:00","modified_gmt":"2018-03-22T15:19:00","slug":"microsoft-is-calling-every-single-user-for-feedback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ntegrait.com\/microsoft-is-calling-every-single-user-for-feedback\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Is Calling Every Single User For Feedback"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you an expert at using Microsoft products? Microsoft wants to hear from you \u2014 and wants to make your feedback part of an update \u2014 but first, they need to know what you think. How can they find out?<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Microsoft<\/p>\n

How often do you use a Microsoft product? Are you a daily Microsoft Word user? Is your primary email client Microsoft Outlook? What about SharePoint? The list goes on (Teams, Flow, you get the idea). And those are just the software products! Maybe you have a Surface Book, too? Or a Surface Book 2?!<\/p>\n

One of the great things about Microsoft is they love user feedback. Software updates are often based entirely on suggestions from users on what features they\u2019d like to see, what improvements can be made, and how to make daily use easier for users in general. The main goal is to increase efficiency with the Microsoft product while increasing productivity at the end user perspective. This is a win-win-(win). That last \u201cwin\u201d was in parentheses because it\u2019s silent \u2013 Microsoft sees increased dependence and therefore long-term customer loyalty, which translates into an ongoing revenue stream. That\u2019s understandable.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s often less clear is how Microsoft tries to collect user feedback. No, they don\u2019t really call users at home<\/em>. Well, actually, they might \u2013 but in this case, the most effective way to communicate a suggested feature is through the Microsoft Excel Community<\/a>, a forum of over 16,000 members in which to communicate about all things Microsoft Excel. If you\u2019re in search of a feature, this is the place to peruse. Formula got you flummoxed? Need help with a pesky pivot table? Is a macro making you crazy? You\u2019re most likely to find your answers here. The best part is that this community has super users, and we don\u2019t mean users who wear capes. One such super user has over 400 posts, and these users can be found under \u201cExperts\u201d \u2013 a clear indicator they know what they\u2019re talking about in Microsoft Excel!<\/p>\n

There is also an active Blog, where Microsoft posts content about Excel. Content ranges from posts aimed at beginners, like how to use general features for newbies, to content focusing on new features released to satisfy the needs of super users (\u201cexperts\u201d). These Blog posts are great for deeper insights and step-by-step instructional processes, but the forums are the better space for finding tips and suggestions for specific needs.<\/p>\n

Microsoft loves to hear from users about what\u2019s working and what can be improved and encourages engagement through a custom portal on their Community page. Roughly halfway down this page, on the right-hand side, users will see a vivid green box \u2014 the green will be instantly recognizable as \u201cExcel\u201d green \u2014 with \u201cSubmit your ideas\u201d. Clicking on this will open a dialogue menu for users to submit as a digital version of a suggestion box.<\/p>\n

Trust us when we say, Microsoft listens. This is their way around getting you on the phone for a personal interview. Recent updates have been made that actually result from feedback in this manner. Users can submit ideas, and other users can \u201cvote up\u201d suggestions. The recent features that have been added to Microsoft Excel have gotten anywhere between 200 to over 1,000 votes from users supporting the suggestion. This is one of the most effective ways to communicate directly with Microsoft \u2013 because they\u2019re watching this forum closely.<\/p>\n

Stalker Level: Microsoft<\/em><\/p>\n

Based on user feedback, Microsoft recently updated Excel to include features expanding the use of foreign languages. Before the update, users would attempt to import a CSV file that included text strips that did not contain traditional Latin characters, like Arabic. Users would then get an error message that this information would be lost in the text encoding process upon opening the file. Users affected by situations like this need no longer worry as CSV UTF-8 file formatting is now permitted.<\/p>\n