Microsoft has a problem… no one knows they exist.

Now you might think that premise is crazy. I mean, think about it… MICROSOFT, one of the biggest tech companies of our time. One of the companies that helped to revolutionize our world, the way we work and the way we play. Microsoft is a giant in the world of PC’s. ‘Windows’ (XP/Vista/7, etc.) runs on millions upon millions of computers on a daily basis. The computer you’re reading this article on is most likely a Windows-powered PC. They also are a powerful force in the world of servers and datasystems with tons of companies using ‘Windows Server’ to power their large systems. Within those companies and even millions of homes and universities, Microsoft Office is considered the standard software for writing documents, creating spreadsheets, presentations and more. In a much less formal setting, the Xbox 360 (Microsoft’s home gaming console) has reigned as the top-selling gaming console for the past 21 consecutive months in the US (as of this post). However, the Xbox started as anything BUT a success. Going back the original Xbox in 2001, Microsoft had a struggle to gain ground against competitors Nintendo and Sony, who had been in gaming for a long time at that point. It took a good amount of time and patience for Microsoft to climb to the top of the gaming world. They were losing money on the Xbox for a long time (even into the 360 era). How is it possible for no one to know that they exist? If you’re asking yourself any of those questions, you need to step back and look at the finer details for a bit.

Despite these successes I listed above, Microsoft is having serious trouble in other areas. Areas such as music and phones have been Microsoft’s weak points for a long time. Microsoft’s late entry into the music player field with ‘Zune’ had them viewed as a second class citizen to Apple’s iPod. However, I’ll be focusing more on the phone perspective of Microsoft’s troubles. This is just my perspective from what I’ve seen, noticed and experienced. What I’m about to write are all my opinion and observations.

As a Sprint rep at my job I (obviously) deal with customers daily looking for the coolest new phone and my opinions on their choices. I always do give my honest opinion of the choices that the customers present to me. If they ask me, ‘Galaxy S3′ or ‘iPhone 5′, I will say (unless I’m high) that I would go with the ‘Galaxy S3′. Then they would ask ‘why?’, to which I’d respond that “I honestly believe the iPhone is simply a fad. Pretty much all of today’s smartphones can do the same exact things as each other. People just think that the iPhone is so amazing is because Apple’s marketing department is awesome.” Then I would list off a few features that both phones have in common to cement the fact. That’s pretty much what I do in that situation. If a customer has their mind set on a phone, I can’t do much to change that but I ask them what it is about the phone they want that they like so much and I usually help them get what they want.

However, the situation changes when the customer asks me what type of phone I have. Unfortunately, Sprint no longer sells the HTC Arrive on their website or displayed in-store (but you CAN ask for it). So I calmly take out my phone and tell them that it’s a Windows Phone from Microsoft called the HTC Arrive. I show them the slide-out keyboard with auto-tilting screen. I show them the Xbox LIVE integration to earn achievements, and that Microsoft Office is included. I also show them the interface and how easy it is to use and navigate. Generally, people are impressed saying they love the Xbox integration and the auto-tilting screen is cool. I also hear the following almost everytime I show my phone to a customer – “I didn’t know about Windows Phones…” and they’ll usually follow up saying they should tell their son or husband about the Xbox LIVE integration or Office being built-in to the phone. That one quote however, displays Microsoft’s biggest problem.

For Microsoft, that is a massive problem. Windows Phone has been on the market for almost two years now (debuted in November 2010) and the wide majority of consumers either don’t know that Windows Phone exists or simply don’t care. The reasons for this range to many different reasons (phone store reps are biased against it, the phones themselves are unappealing, people are scared of change, etc.) but here are my honest-to-God reasons as to why I think the average consumer has no clue.

a) Microsoft simply has NOT been advertising Windows Phone seriously.
b) People are (STILL!) confusing today’s Windows Phone with the previous ‘Windows Mobile’ from the late 90s/early 2000s. It is NOT the same thing, as Windows Phone was rebuilt from the ground up. That was a big reason as to why Microsoft was so late to re-enter the phone market.
c) Phone carriers aren’t helping matters at all (sales reps being biased, unknowledgeable about the Windows Phone product).

I’ve been witness to the latter two reasons personally. I take regular visits to local phone stores (mostly AT&T) and usually wander over to the Windows Phone display (usually in a back corner of the store) and ask a rep for information about these phones (I play dumb). Some of the things I hear are maddening. I hear things like ‘these are fancy looking featurephones’, ‘the software on these phones is from earlier this decade, they just reskinned it’, ‘these phones crash and freeze just like regular computers’ and other insane quotes all along those lines. It’s sad and infuriating at the same time to see sales reps who are so UNINFORMED and simply uncaring about product they’re supposed to be selling. As a phone sales rep myself, I couldn’t imagine doing that! As much as I don’t like iPhones, I never LIE about them. If I can sell them, I gladly will to those who want them. I may list off better features about comparable phones and try to sway someone from wanting an iPhone but I’d never LIE or make things up to do that. I use facts and truth and people in the end appreciate it.

Microsoft has a long road ahead to see Windows Phone get widespread success. As a fan, it really does suck to see my ‘team’ get treated so badly. Like any good fan, I do have faith and I keep the faith going proudly. I really do think that Microsoft will amp up the advertising for the soon-to-be-released Windows Phone 8 and I hope that phone carriers properly train sales reps on the product, rather than keeping them so misinformed. I’ve come to realize with all of my customer interactions that the average people aren’t ‘anti-Windows Phone’, they just don’t know about it. I think once they see what it has to offer and that it’s nothing what the liars say it is, they may just warm up to it. Maybe not in DROVES, but at least at a steady pace. THAT is Microsoft’s problem. It’s simply an image problem, and it’s one that will take a lot of time, patience and positive information to fix.