December 21, 2006

Microsoft and Best Buy Get Closer

Microsoft reported today that Best Buy's Geek Squad (11,000 agents who visit homes and businesses) are not only selling Microsoft technologies but also using them to support small businesses.

The press release reads that the agents are now using 3,000 Windows Mobile-powered Smartphones to schedule and route customer service calls, to improve communication and collaboration capabilities, and to easily access Internet-based technical content. In addition, Best Buy For Business ó a growing unit of more than 1,000 consultants who sell, implement and support solutions for small-business customers ó is now using Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 in-house as part of a comprehensive solution for supporting its complex sales cycle.

I recently finished helping a colleague purchase a computer from Dell.com. We first got the specs together and then he called Dell tele-sales to complete the call. Although there were a lot of questions asked by the representative, the questions helped the rep know what computer to recommend.

One of the things we considered was support. He opted for a 4 year all encompassing support option which included on-site and telephone support, beyond the initial one year warranty.

Computers are nice tools but when there are computer problems you want help right away. If you are in a business, the help you need could be the difference between making or losing a sale.

Read the full Microsoft press release here.

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