How to provide feedback to microsoft?

In case it helps anyone, here is what I have found for providing feedback on the main Microsoft products and services likely to be of interest to consumers, without going through tech support or customer service.

Devices feedback

Windows Phone: http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions

Microsoft Surface: No idea.

Xbox: No idea

Software feedback

Windows 8: No idea

Windows 8 Modern Apps: Bring up settings charm. There is a feedback option within the app

Office for Windows desktop: No idea

Office for Mac desktop: http://www.microsoft.com/uk/mac/product-feedback

Skype: Help menu of the desktop app has a feedback option

Windows live desktop software (e.g. Windows Photo Gallery): No idea

Websites/Web-apps feedback

Office web-apps: No idea

Office.com: http://office.microsoft.com/en-GB/suggestions.aspx?origin=FX010048536&CTT=114

Skydrive.com: Click on gear icon in top right of page. There is a feedback option

Outlook.com: Same as for Skydrive.com

Bing.com: Same as for Skydrive.com

Hi Jon,

Sorry to here you are having issues with connecting to chat service, may I suggest that you attempt a browser re-set. As others are not having an issue of using this option. Or just call.

I am also slightly surprised when you say, " the email tool although it is very difficult to find". Are you on the link provided, to the left at the page the last category is "Contact" after selecting all of the option to contact are listed, email, call, chat etc. etc. I do not see how this is "difficult to find" Finally, if Microsoft did not wish to here from it's user's/investors Microsoft would not provide contact options.

Glad I could help and I hope your browser is working again soon, if you need help with this please come back to the community.

Have a great day!

Hi osm 101

Glad I could offer you some help.

To answer you question,

 "If I call technical support or customer service and give them some feedback on a Microsoft product, how do I know it is going to be logged verbatim and passed on to the appropriate people?"

All calls are logged and recorded and the customer service technical assistants are trustworthy and honest and would always do there upmost in attempting to assist you. To suggest anything else is untrue and unfair. You also asked about the cost of using customer service. This would be the case if you were gaining technical assistance to troubleshoot or resolve a device/software issue not covered under warranty. However, you are just seeking information on the correct area/field/departmental contact details, so there would be no charge for this.

You also say,

"The links to Connect/TechNet seem more appropriate for IT pros and users with interest in very professional level software (e.g. database software). It does not look appropriate for general consumers (I ask on answers.microsoft.com because I am not an IT pro)."

Why this is true to a point, please do not ever be afraid to seek and try something new. As Microsoft also recognize the use and testing of it's products needs to be taken in the "real world" environment i.e. by general user's who are confident on using the software. Before general release. This option is open to all who are registered/subscribed. It is also a great way to gain further tech knowledge and a preview at what is coming, FYI use a secondary device. And feedback is provided directly via the Connect site.

You continued with,

"The original question was not motivated by a specific product, I was simply asking if there is a single, well organised place to go to provide feedback on all Microsoft products"

As this sounds like general feedback, then the best option is the direct feedback options provide on every page. Please do not under estimate this feedback option it is monitored and used to improve Microsoft services.

Finally you suggested,

" I think this is a reason why it would be more important for MS to have a single page which acts as an easy to use conduit to feedback options (*not tech support or customer service*) for all the products and services."

When you apply common sense to this subject you can see why and how it would be totally unworkable/unreliable. Hence why this community board does not only have just one page, but many, to provided the best and fastest solutions/options and discussions. The single page idea would become an internet crash burner, If you consider just one service i.e. Outlook.com to date has over forty million plus user's that in itself is a massive support portal, to combine that with "All" Microsoft services/products on one single page would bring back vision of the "Jim Carey" movie were he gave "God" a day of and wished to organise all the prayers first by post-it notes and then by Pc. 

Then single page idea would get the obvious troll infestation as most boards do, Also how are the post's supposed to be sorted and by who ? As you need someone with enough tech know-how about the service or device being discussed to be able to validate the suggestion being made, which can not be done generically. You would also end up with very valid points at the risk of being missed or lost.

I hope this helps reassure you that there are options available to use to provide feedback and that Microsoft are always listening to it's user's and working constantly to improve all services, products and devices old and new. And remember you do not need to be an "IT Pro" to be able to provide feedback using other portals. I would suggest for you to decide which of Microsoft's areas interest you the most i.e. Apps/Internet/Office or any other service/device/feature and work with the boards and newsletters relating to that specific area as well as using your Pc to research other research relating to that area and your IT capabilities will grow as will your tech know-how and then you will notice how easy it is to provide relevant feedback to the exact product/service being used/tested. Your Pc is only the platform for you to base the start of you computing/technological discovery and journey. After all it's what you make it. Have fun.

Have a great day!

Thanks

On feedback links on MS web pages

"As this sounds like general feedback, then the best option is the direct feedback options provide on every page. Please do not under estimate this feedback option it is monitored and used to improve Microsoft services"

It seems to me that the feedback options on microsoft pages are often not what I desire. Take Microsoft Office. I may want to make a suggestion about the Microsoft Office desktop software on Windows. I go to office.microsoft.com expecting a feedback option. At the bottom of the page I do see a submit feedback link. However when I click on this link it seems that the purpose is to collect feedback on the office.com website, not the Office desktop software (specifically, the feedback form has the note "We are unable to respond to your feedback but will use it to improve the site")

On the suggestion of a single feedback site:

"When you apply common sense to this subject you can see why and how it would be totally unworkable/unreliable. Hence why this community board does not only have just one page, but many, to provided the best and fastest solutions/options and discussions"

Obviously I don't mean a single page on which all feedback for all microsoft products is provided. I mean a home page for all microsoft-related feedback which would then link to specific feedback sections for each product/area. (i.e like the home page of the microsoft community and like the home page for Apple feedback).

Hi osm101,

Thank you for providing information on what product you wish to provide feedback for. To address your issue further, The Microsoft Office website is the main hub control centre for your Office. and after you sign into "My Office" then you will have the "Contact Us" and the "Submit Feedback" options after witch if you select the "Submit Feedback" option there is another link at the top of the page if the user prefers to use with the option "Contact Customer Service". These contact and feedback options are not just for the site but for everything Office 2013 related. With further assistance offered within each of the products as well. So there are clearly three separate ways for user's to gain contact and submit feedback relating to Office just on the one page and all are easy to find. Also as I have already stated you could have also submitted feedback on the TechNet forums relating to the exact Office product you wish to discuss. You also could have made a suggestion here within this community board in the Office section relating to your product you wish to provide feedback for. This would be good to make sure that know one else has made the same suggestion before you and to check if this is already an idea/suggestion that Microsoft has already taken on board and are incorporating into a future feature/update.

As you can see there are clearly lots of pages (not just one specific/generic page) for user's to provide feedback and suggestion. I am tending to think that due to a "Live and Direct" conversation link you feel that there is no option for this. I would say that due to the amount of products and services combined with the amount of user's it is not possible for Microsoft to respond directly, But they are always listening to the user's comments and suggestions and work hard in the background to test and improve products and services to fit the user as best they can. As I have already stated, please do not underestimate this community board either. As within this board you have a vast array of members whom have a very great knowledge and experience with technology and software products and issue's. Some of whom have worked/work directly with the building/update of the products and services provided by Microsoft. Hence the name change from Answers to Community. You can also use any of the other direct community boards (link to which I provided in my earlier posting) to choose a specific board for a specific product to which is monitored and replied directly by the very same developers of the actual product you would be talking about. After all if the developers take your idea on board then you will see the result directly.

So again I say that there are plenty of options for user's to get in contact with Microsoft, you just have to choose which option suits you. As you say you are not an IT Pro I would suggest you start here within this community board in the area of interest, like Office.

Have a great day!