VARs Balk At Microsoft Customer Satisfaction Requirements

Microsoft in July redubbed its partner program the Microsoft Partner Network and traced the outlines of a new playing field for VARs. Solution providers are generally in favor of the program changes Microsoft has in mind, but some believe there could be bumps along the way to their implementation.

The first new program requirement that Microsoft plans to institute this October already is ruffling some channel partners' feathers. Starting Oct. 31, solution providers looking to enroll or re-enroll as Gold Certified Partners will be required to have taken Microsoft's Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Index within the previous 12 months.

Participation in customer satisfaction surveys wasn't a requirement for partners in the past, although it was encouraged, said Allison Watson, vice president of worldwide channels for Microsoft, in an interview.

The problem is that many solution providers view customer satisfaction as something that's best left for VARs to handle in-house. "This will be met with some reluctance, and I will be surprised if this part of the program continues fully and effectively," said Matt Makowicz, principal at Ambition Consulting, a Somerset, N.J.-based solution provider.

"It's a great idea and concept on paper, but the truth is that partners, especially larger enterprise partners, aren't very gung-ho about providing all their customer contact data, even when a third party is handling the survey," Makowicz added.

Another solution provider who has taken part in Microsoft's customer satisfaction surveys for the past several years described them as "a major waste of time." "We're very close to our customers, and we've learned nothing from this exercise that we didn't already know," said the source, who requested anonymity. "Our customers really don't want to be bothered to do the surveys, and we spend a lot of time following up with customers to complete them."

Not all partners share this view, however. Curt Wheadon, global vice president for Microsoft solutions at Dimension Data, says the customer satisfaction surveys can work as long as they're not too time consuming.

"We're pretty aggressive about polling our clients regularly, so adding additional demanding surveys could cause dissatisfaction," Wheadon said. "In general though, the CSAT/references that the partner program has used have been fairly low effort for our clients, so this hasn't been an issue."

Microsoft also will have to ensure that partners don't find ways to game the system, says Matt Scherocman, vice president of consulting services at PCMS IT Advisor Group, based in Cincinnati.

"I'd rather survey a marginal client and figure out how I can improve my business than my 'raving fan' clients who are obviously supportive of our business model," Scherocman said. "But if I have to score a high score with Microsoft, partners will be forced to only survey their top clients."

NEXT: What The Changes Will Ultimately Mean