Bamboo is in the process of forming a Customer Advisory Panel, and you are invited to participate.  We want to hear your ideas and suggestions about how we can serve you better.  We crave your constructive criticism, your praise, your new product ideas, etc. etc.  We have always strived to be a customer driven company, and the new Customer Advisory Panel is just another way we hope to deepen our understanding of your needs and requirements.

My name is Steve Gaitten.  My title at Bamboo is Director of Online Operations.  My primary responsibilities at Bamboo include Marketing and Community Operations.  The Customer Advisory Panel is my project and something I really care about.  In my professional experience, simply listening to customers and acting on their feedback is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make certain your products and services will be successful. 

With the Customer Advisory Panel, I hope to establish close working relationships with a select group of Bamboo customers.  I want to get to know each of you personally, and invest in a long term dialog.  I want to take personal responsibility for addressing your concerns and criticisms.  I want to act as the champion for your ideas about new products, new features, and new services.

So What's Involved?  How Big a Time Committment is This?

The complete and honest answer is that I'm not sure yet.  I want to figure this out with the Customer Advisory Panel (CAP) as we go along.  My expectation going in is that CAP members would respond to surveys, provide opinions on certain topics etc.  Possibly we could meet periodically at SharePoint events.  But I am completely open to a wide range of activities.  CAP members might get private access to beta builds of new products, visit Bamboo HQ to act as test subjects in usability studies or collaborate on new product requirements.  I promise to tailor the activites of the group to the interests of those who participate.

What's In It for Me?  How Will I Be Compensated for My Time?

Again, I'm not sure, I want to hear input from CAP members before finalizing an offer.  At a minimum I promise that participants will get t-shirts, Bamboo coffee mugs and every piece of tsotchke we have.  Beyond that, CAP members will have the opportunity to publicize their participation in the group and generate visibility for their organization.   But I am open to additional considerations, ranging from cash to free products, extended support etc.  If I need to give away iPads and Zunes to make it worth your while, that is exactly what I'll do.  One of the first things I will do once we have a quorum is survey the group on the topic of compensation.

How Do I Sign Up or Ask for More Information?

Just send an email to me at steve.gaitten@bamboosolutions.com   Just put "Interested in Bamboo CAP" in the subject line and I will add you to my distribution list.  If you would like to take this opportunity to provide any existing feedback or suggestions for Bamboo, I promise to read and respond to every email I receive. 

When Can I Join?

This is the official call for participation, starting today, July 7th, 2010.  I would like to have activities scheduled no later than September of 2010.  But this is an open ended invitation.  If you've stumbled across this blog post in January of 2011 and it sounds interesting, send me a note.  It's never too late to join.

There are those of you out there that are really into Bamboo.  I've met you at trade shows and conferences.  You're one of those people who stopped by our booth just to say thank you or to tell us about your unique use of Bamboo products.  You know us through our blog posts.  You know our strengths and our weaknesses.  This program is for you and about you.  We want the intelligence and experience that only you have, and we're willing to compensate you for your unique perspective on our business. 

I really look forward to hearing from you and working with you.  Thank you for considering this opportunity.