Check this out.  Via BoingBoing.

I've been working on buying a new car recently.  I'm going to buy a BMW Z4.  As part of this I've started learning as much as I can so that I pick the right options (and the right car!) and get a good deal.  As part of this I've been reading the online forums up at roadfly.

BMW seems to have great customer service!  Check out this thread.  This guy is having problems with the SMG transmission on his car.  (SMG is "Sequential Manual Gearbox" and is similar to an F1 race car transmission)  Notice this response from a BMW customer service rep.

I wish that we could give this type of support for Windows.  Perhaps if we charged $40k a copy we could :)

If it isn't apparent from other sources, I work for Microsoft.  Obviously, I cant speak for the company, but I'd like to draw attention to some comments from Steve Ballmer in the recent memo that he sent to us.  Scoble has these comments posted on his blog and I don't want to see them get lost in the shuffle.

SteveB wrote: "Many customers, MVP's, employees, and industry analysts have said to us that people would appreciate our innovations more and the value we deliver if they knew the company and its people better." and  "To generate enthusiasm for our company and innovations, we must also communicate more broadly and in a more human and compelling voice."

In case you haven't noticed, this blog (and many others) are a grassroots effort from within the company to do just what Steve is asking.  What would you like to see?  How do you think that we can execute on this mission of transparency?

In my opinion, we have a long road ahead to dig ourselves out of the hole that we've dug.  Engaging with the community in a real way is one step.