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Why are Microsoft Customers Scared of Criticising Microsoft?

Posted by Cliff on from the constructive-criticism-never-hurt-anyone-right dept.

gsfprez asks: "This article documents the stories of three Microsoft customers (organizations that voluntarily buy Microsoft products) who are clearly unhappy with the product offerings of Microsoft - but are simultaneously petrified of this fact being made public. My question to the crowd is not regarding the subject matter of the article: rather, I want to know what is it that could scare a company away from telling a product vendor that they are unhappy and merely *considering* not buying their next product? Fear of reprisal (in the form of a software audit) is simple extortion...no? More ethereally - do we actually live in a world where MS not only 'demands' you buy their new products, but appears to have people pissing their pants at the thought of doing otherwise?"

3 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. Why not cuss out your CEO when you're laid off? by blastedtokyo · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It's all about burning bridges. You don't go out of your way to criticize someone if you expect to do business with them in the future. Most businesses want their Microsoft Rep to get them better tech support, better licensing prices, etc. You don't flame the ass of someone you want something from. Like it or not, Microsoft is not going away. So get what you can out of them.

    E-Week is a magazine for CIOs and IT administrators. If you get your name printed disparaging any of your suppliers, you can be sure that your sales rep and tech support rep aren't going to smiling and saying 'wow, what a great and effective way to deliver feedback to me.'

  2. Re:I wonder... by alfaiomega · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't live in the US so i'd like to know : How could MS force a firm to do a software audit ? (...) Anyway, what would they have to fear if they were using OSS ? The law is on their side...

    The law maybe is, but how does the Microsoft know if you use free software or pirated MS software? What I'm affraid is this:

    *Knock, knock!*
    -- Who's there?
    -- Microsoft action rangers! Let me see your license!
    -- Get lost, I don't use your shitty software!
    -- You have to let us in and let us check out all of your computers to prove that!

    Anyone has any experience with them? Because I sure don't want to let them near my computers at all.

    --

    root@aio:~# nmap -sX -iR -p1- # Ho, ho, ho! Merry Xmas, everyone!

  3. There is a LARGE Difference... by Cliff · · Score: 4, Insightful
    ...between "constructive criticism" and "cussing out", or "flame the ass".

    So why is it that I don't see an example of either coming form Microsoft customers? Many people have already made a good point: that working thru your rep would be the first step, but what happens when said rep isn't working for you, or isn't serving you as well as could be because of company mandated policies?

    Please do not discount this question because there seems to be an obvious answer when you look at the extremes. Everyone with a clue can figure that bit out. It's legitimate criticism that concerns me. Microsoft is deserving of a lot of it, yet aside from places like Slashdot (and other, more extreme sites), it's rarely given.