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I learned something today.

I learned that when you're having problems with a Microsoft product, you don't have to call support. You don't have to get a support contract. All those billions of dollars Microsoft spends on service and support infrastructures? Wasted. All those third party companies and consultants toiling to help you with any problems you have with Microsoft products? Useless. Yesterday's news. Through away all those email addresses and numbers. You don't need them.

All you need is Scoble. Robert Scoble, Microsoft blogger and cheerleader extrordinaire. You see, there's a young man, (I'm assuming) who was having problems with Virtual PC 7.0.2 on Mac OS X. He wasn't happy about it, so he blogged about it. Now, his post didn't have any real details, and it really seemed like more of a "god-damned Microsoft" kind of post. I've been in IT a loooooong time, that phrase, and others, are quite familiar to me.

So Scoble, upon realizing that there was a blogger unhappy with Microsoft, jumped into action, and personally talked to the VPC team at the Mac BU. Did some, (incorrect) name dropping along the way. It's Scoble, he does that. (the name dropping).

Some of the comments, including mine pointed out that instead of trying to direct connect Oleg to the dev team, he might have been better served in connecting him to the support team for VPC Mac, and letting Oleg and that team work together to find out if this is a known bug, (turns out it is), or perhaps a problem in his configuration.

Scoble's response, in its entirety:

Anyway, remember the Virtual PC for Macintosh problem that Oleg was having? Well, I got a nice note from a program manager on that team and passed it along to Oleg. Turns out the team is seeing some intermittent problems and is working with Apple on the fix and needs more information from Oleg. Some people jumped on me for doing that in the mudpit and said "send him to tech support." Sorry, I won't do that. When a customer is having pain you take care of the customer then and there. You worry about process later. I've sent one email in the past year to the Virtual PC/Macintosh team. This one, I sensed, was important to go directly to the team with.

Right, who here believes that the fact that Oleg was a customer with a problem was the sole reason for Scoble waving his mighty wand of influence to help him?

Anyone? Anyone? Watch out for the cricket, he's mean.

Right. Now, if you're familiar with Scoble, who here thought that the fact that Oleg was a blogger with a problem had everything to do with Scoble pulling strings like a crack-addled Geppetto? Yeah, it's a little larger crowd there...okay, Shawn, only raise one hand. Yeesh. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Oleg was able to get a good answer to his problem. Nothing sucks worse than a bug.

But what Scoble did wasn't just a favor. Read that one part again:

Some people jumped on me for doing that in the mudpit and said "send him to tech support." Sorry, I won't do that. When a customer is having pain you take care of the customer then and there. You worry about process later.

I bet everyone in Microsoft's support organization feels really proud right now. Proud to be though of as a "process" that is only to be avoided. Proud to be thought of, by one of their own as a barrier to customer support. Robert does that a lot by the way. Spout off first, apologize later. His infamous It's better to be first than accurate statement not only got him pimp-slapped by other, bigger bloggers, but when he personally got nailed by that line of thought coming out of The Register, he was so hurt and shocked by it. The irony was indeed, delicious.

But it occurs to me...I'M a Microsoft Customer...just like Oleg. And many, if not all of everyone reading this are also Microsoft customers...just like Oleg. So, here's the deal. Let's play a game. It's called, "Show Robert the error of his ways yet again." I bet if all of you with support contracts were to cancel them in favor of using "The Scobelizer", well, he'd learn real fast that blind cheerleading and crusaderism without forethought is not always a good idea. His corporate masters finding out the Microsoft just lost a multimillion dollar support contract because he's a bit of a prat without a clue would accelerate this.

(No, I'm not daft. I know you can't REALLY do this, although if you can, it would be fun, and I'd love to be bcc'd on that email flurry.)

But, since he puts his cell number and his email right on his site, and he's obviously a better resource than all those dunsels in Microsoft support, I say, use him. Got a problem? Just Call Bob. Drop him an email too, after all, that's his job, making sure every Microsoft customer with a problem is personally hooked up with the product development team for their product...just like Oleg. Sitting in your server room about to go insane over a Windows issue? Don't waste time with support numbers. Just Call Bob.

That's the new MS support program. Just Call Bob.

If you can blog, even better. Just Blog Bob. (Note, JCB is more annoying, JBB makes him ping more. The reaction you want is up to you.)

So here's my MS issue. I want to know, in hard facts that I can bank on for the next year, what Microsoft is doing right NOW to make integration with other platforms easier. Not a list of third parties, but what Redmond's doing. If it's a Vista feature, I want details. Not from some poorly-done readme that may or may not cover a feature that will even make it to the final build, but from an actual human being. NDAs are no problem. I want to know when Active Directory will, out of the box, and without 2452345 layers of CALs, manage non-Windows platforms worth a crap. Not with some humpty-thousand dollar third party product. But Windows Server out of the box. I want to know when WiMP: Mac will be able to fully function with Windows Media 10. I want to know when we can expect to see Active Sync on non-Windows platforms. (no, Pocket PCs and Windows Mobile Phones don't count)

When will Microsoft's answer to non-Windows integration questions not be a variation of "Well, you can just use Windows".

I think every Microsoft customer out there should personally thank Scoble for his caring and dedication to ensuring that we, as customers, don't get abused by the uncaring drones in Microsoft Support. I know I'm sending out the email today to all I know, showing them the joys of this new wonderful Microsoft support resource, and I know both his cell provider, and his boss will appreciate his new, important duties.

And if, along the way, Robert learns that there are reasons for processes, well hey, I'm always in favor of learning, as we all should be. Happy Scobleing, you MS customers you!

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