- Excel Version
- 365
- 2019
- 2016
I recently had a conversation with several members of the Excel team about how they process submissions that are sent in through the Feedback icon that appeared on the Help tab in Excel. There is a specific set of steps you can use that will make sure a human reads your bug report.
1. After clicking Feedback, always choose "I Don't Like Something". This was formerly known as "Send a Frown". People read reports sent in as a frown. On a busy day, no one has time to read the "Send a Smile" entries.
2. This one is obvious, but you need to type a description of the problem.
3. This one is not so obvious, and it was the one that I was violating all the time. If you want your report to be read and acted upon, you must choose all three checkboxes: Attach My Logs to Help Troubleshoot, Include Screenshot, and You Can Contact Me About This Feedback. Provide a valid e-mail address that you actually check.
Here is why step 3 is important. The Excel team has figured out that the description rarely includes enough information about how to reproduce the problem. If there is not a valid e-mail and a way to contact you, they often end up in a dead-end. So the feedback without a way to contact the person will likely not get read.
Here is the great news: If you check all of the boxes, then a real human from the Excel team will be reading your feedback. I've heard from many people that they started following these steps and that they will often hear back from someone on the Excel team that the bug has been fixed.
How to Report a Crash?
What if Excel crashes? As soon as Excel restarts, go to the Help, Feedback, I Don't Like Something. The description is very simple: "Excel crashed in the last session". Send the logs and the Excel team will be able to diagnose the problem. Again, make sure to provide a way for them to contact you.
1. After clicking Feedback, always choose "I Don't Like Something". This was formerly known as "Send a Frown". People read reports sent in as a frown. On a busy day, no one has time to read the "Send a Smile" entries.
2. This one is obvious, but you need to type a description of the problem.
3. This one is not so obvious, and it was the one that I was violating all the time. If you want your report to be read and acted upon, you must choose all three checkboxes: Attach My Logs to Help Troubleshoot, Include Screenshot, and You Can Contact Me About This Feedback. Provide a valid e-mail address that you actually check.
Here is why step 3 is important. The Excel team has figured out that the description rarely includes enough information about how to reproduce the problem. If there is not a valid e-mail and a way to contact you, they often end up in a dead-end. So the feedback without a way to contact the person will likely not get read.
Here is the great news: If you check all of the boxes, then a real human from the Excel team will be reading your feedback. I've heard from many people that they started following these steps and that they will often hear back from someone on the Excel team that the bug has been fixed.
How to Report a Crash?
What if Excel crashes? As soon as Excel restarts, go to the Help, Feedback, I Don't Like Something. The description is very simple: "Excel crashed in the last session". Send the logs and the Excel team will be able to diagnose the problem. Again, make sure to provide a way for them to contact you.
