Last week, Microsoft made Windows 7 available for all of the anti-Vista techies to check out. I know enough about software installation to get myself in serious trouble, so I won’t be installing 7 myself. And I can admit it: I have no problem with Vista. I actually sort of like it.

Reactions to 7 have been pretty good so far. I’ve heard from a few people that the user experience is impressive. More impressive to me, from a customer satisfaction standpoint, is the way that Microsoft is listening to their users.

It only recently occurred to me that releasing a beta version of software is the ultimate move in engaging customers. This not only allows vendors to tailor products for their users; it proves to these users that their feedback is valued and used to improve the product. So how can businesses in other industries take similar steps?

I thought about free trials and products that are available for “a limited time only.” Such tactics are not aimed at fostering consumer relationships, though. It’s mostly about getting people in the door to buy products. This led me to recall free burrito days at Chipotle. Ben & Jerry are famous for free cone days as well. Now we are on the right track for building loyal customers. The problem here, however, is that customer feedback is not gathered and used to improve product offerings.

It is so easy for the tech-obsessed to check out Windows 7 and leave feedback on the various Microsoft blogs and forums. Much to the disadvantage of retailers, restaurant chains, etc., web 2.0 technology is not commonplace for them. Even if it were, how would this feedback be measured and analyzed to influence business decisions?

I’d love to hear some feedback on how other industries tackle the issue of engaging customers in a similar fashion.

-Liz Giel