I just returned from 4 days at the Microsoft TechEd conference in Orlando. Here are some observations
1) Customers continue to compliment as well as complain about their vendors.
The raters at TechEd were thoughtful and diligent. They really wanted to share both their good and bad vendor experiences with others.
2) Good vendors don't ignore their bad scores. A few well known vendors took some big rating “lumps” during the show. Their management dropped in to learn about the VendorRate system. They really wanted to know areas to improve. This echoes a conversation I had with a senor sales exec at a Fortune 100 company a few weeks ago. When I asked his biggest challenge, he answered “My #1 problem is in understanding what the customers are really thinking about us.”
3) Ease promotes use.
We had several “serial” raters who evaluated 3-5 vendors each of the four days. They commented how the standardized rating form made rating vendors easier each time they used the form, and how it made them think more deeply about some of our rating criteria.The more frequently someone rates, the easier it is to rate the next vendor.
4) Rating comments are a source of buried treasure.
If a rater takes a few extra moments to enter comments, the rating's value increases exponentially. We think this is so important, that we are changing the comment field titled "Product or Brands Used" to be a required field. We will also be moving all comment boxes below the rating grid to prompt users to enter comments more frequently.
5) The attendees at TechEd were the absolute sweet spot for gathering rating information on vendors.
The attendees seemed particularly motivated to rate vendors compared to other shows. In our first 100 days of being live, this was the best group by far and away. These are the workers who came to learn hands-on at the labs. They are also the implementers, those who get things done and keep the systems running smoothly for their organization. I thought this group was generally more committed to remain actively involved for the duration of the event.
6) (BONUS) The bottom of a mouse pad can be used as a great jar opener!
Yes, it’s true. The rubberized bottom of a mouse pad is perfect for opening tight jar lids. Try it! Then ask me to send you a VendorRate dual function mouse pad and jar opener J
A big thank you to everone at TechEd. We'll be back.
And to anyone wondering which vendors got the best scores, I'll be posting TechEd results later this weekend