A Lesson to All

[wak313]

Dear All,

For the last seven years i have held a job which has a primary focus on "CUSTOMER SUPPORT" - although my title is something like Senior Network Systems Engineer (3rd level, Firewalls, Routers & Switches & Mail systems), I fine myself constantly cleaning up the mess of the 1st/2nd level helpdesk and field technicians. However, below is going to outline the best advice i can give and have learnt from my years of Customer Service:


So here is the POST:

Things ALWAYS go wrong, especially if Computer are involved - I am not griping that anything has gone wrong, and I am not threating to leave the game, and even if this problem goes on for days, i will not leave the game;

BUT I am sure some will.....

So for those not in a support/customer focused job, and those who are but dont know this - KEEP YOUR CUSTOMERS INFORMED!!!!!!!!

And incase you didnt see that:


KEEP YOUR CUSTOMERS INFORMED!!!



I have lost friends to EQ2, WoW and others.. and i have lost friends to leaving the online gaming world all together... doesnt matter which company, which game, problems happen.

But regular updates will keep your customers happy, and keep them as customers...



Please consider the very people which keep this game alive... lets us know how big and bad the problem is, we wont hate you for it, we will thank you for preventing us staring into the sreen, thinking nasty thoughts, and for some, eventually leaving....

And although no one person is specially enough to bring down the game when they leave.... every person leaves with a domino effect, some larger then others....


TELL US WHAT IS GOING ON!!!



Thank you.

[micrix]

Have a similar job. My company sends automated newsletters while server downs. But ppls are different and sometimes its best to keep quit

1) Our harddrive died but we have unfortunately no spare or the spare is different in type and size

- customer would kill you

2) All technical staff is at the cote azure over easter weekend and has switched off cell phones

- customer would kill you

3) Jolts serverrooms burned down

- OMG, whereto can we send in checks and money ??

[wak313]

Have a similar job. My company sends automated newsletters while server downs. But ppls are different and sometimes its best to keep quit

1) Our harddrive died but we have unfortunately no spare or the spare is different in type and size

- customer would kill you

2) All technical staff is at the cote azure over easter weekend and has switched off cell phones

- customer would kill you

3) Jolts serverrooms burned down

- OMG, whereto can we send in checks and money ??

nice response, yes "complete" honest answers are not always good - but silence is deafing and only angers the client.

for 1) you can say that the HDD died, and its up to the vendor to supply a replacement one under warranty (pass the blame)
2) tell them all engineers have been paged and you are waiting to find out which one is in the best posistion to help (so you wont get an answer for a few hours.... worry about your next repsonse during that time )

But I do get your point, there is sometimes you do need to be carefull with how much you say if anything... though 6 hours and no update is a long time for this kinda service./...

[kostika]

Before you go yelling about the customer service and not being informed, you might want to take something into consideration.

They may be busy fixing the problem.

I'm an IT Admin. When the sh*t hits the fan, I don't answer the phone to tell people what has happened. I let it ring and I fix the problem.

[wak313]

Before you go yelling about the customer service and not being informed, you might want to take something into consideration.

They may be busy fixing the problem.

I'm an IT Admin. When the sh*t hits the fan, I don't answer the phone to tell people what has happened. I let it ring and I fix the problem.

Yes, and maybe you arnt in a big support team, but some are, and a Company of this Size with this kind of SERVICE - we all know what the SoulSnatchers & Lawerence's are here for....

But hey.....I'll side with you, and EVERYONE is getting in on the problem, Lawerence, Soulsnatcher, Shadoweb, Cerest, Zaviar - they are all FIXING the problem....

I was wrong to think their role was the communications between the "Devs/Engineers" and the Clients -

I appoligize for thinking they couldnt and wouldnt be solving the problem.




And as for you Kostika - sure as a "Technical" person, when its YOU who is fixing the problem, the last thing on your mind intially is to explain whats going on to the unreasonable and often un-knowledgeable Customers; rather get in and fix it - that I totally agree with - but please re-read my post, and please ask yourself this:

HOW LONG UNTIL YOU GIVE UPDATES ON A PROBLEM?

Now I will answer this from my point of view:
A working business day is 8 hours - I MUST provide acknowledgement there is a problem and it is being addressed when i first become aware of it - details not important.
BEFORE the COB (close of business day) i MUST provide another update, with some more information, mostly the current ETA.
Now if this problem started in during the business day, then 8 hours after it started and every 8 hours until it is fixed, i must also provide an update.

If I dont, i dont have a job - simple rules.


Like i said above - if it takes days to fix this, so be it - but let us know as currently i am basing my expectations on a message from Soulsnatcher saying "see you on atys in a few hours" - few = 3-4 hours in mosts peoples language & its now been 6-7 hours since that was written.

So Kostika - am I being un-reasonable?

Or are you using my post as an excuse to vent your frustrations?


Congratulations - I once looked up to you in game - FORGET IT NOW!

[kostika]

I'm jsut saying you could give them a little slack. I get tired of hearing people bash the guide team. They do what they can.

There is a thread already on this forum from Souls saying the devs are fixing it. It is possible that he doesn't have any additional info.

As for your looking up to me, well I dont want that. I'm not any better than anyone else and shouldn't be looked up to. I'm jsut another player like you. So I'm glad you don't, I wish you hadn't in the first place.

[wak313]

I'm jsut saying you could give them a little slack. I get tired of hearing people bash the guide team. They do what they can.

There is a thread already on this forum from Souls saying the devs are fixing it. It is possible that he doesn't have any additional info.

As for your looking up to me, well I dont want that. I'm not any better than anyone else and shouldn't be looked up to. I'm jsut another player like you. So I'm glad you don't, I wish you hadn't in the first place.

What I meant, is up until know you havent been one to attack people on the forums, but like i said - maybe you are frustrated also (geeze its only been nearly 8 hours).

As for the Guides - not bashing them, that would include making threats and other harsh remarks towards them - i offered adivce on how to make EVERYONE happy, stating cleary this outage would have no impact on my invovlement with this game.

Guess you overlooked that one.

[hans1976]

As for your looking up to me, well I dont want that. I'm not any better than anyone else and shouldn't be looked up to. I'm jsut another player like you. So I'm glad you don't, I wish you hadn't in the first place.

Okee, let's stop the flaming, this is looking like you guys are having no-Ryzom cold turkey effects.

btw: Kostika, I look up to you all the time but that must be cause I am a Tryker.

another btw: a few days ago I asked in guild that who was *not* in IT business, please raise hands...

[kostika]

What I meant, is up until know you havent been one to attack people on the forums, but like i said - maybe you are frustrated also (geeze its only been nearly 8 hours).

As for the Guides - not bashing them, that would include making threats and other harsh remarks towards them - i offered adivce on how to make EVERYONE happy, stating cleary this outage would have no impact on my invovlement with this game.

Guess you overlooked that one.

I am frustrated, but tis not with SoR being down. And no I try to not attack people on the forums. My frustration is that I feel for Souls and the other Guides. I'm sure Souls wouldn't be a GM if he didn't know what he was doing.

I know you're just giving suggestions, and maybe I'm projecting here, but that jsut kinda wound me up. I'm sorry.

Edit...Fryd, that's cause my boobs are eye level for you.

[hans1976]

Edit...Fryd, that's cause my boobs are eye level for you.

Hmmmmmmm, boobs