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skymedic 0
QuoteVhs's have been shipped.
Grant
umm...yeah right...I have yet to see ours come rolling in the door....
Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....
What updates have you posted? This is what's on your site right now:
"UPDATE 12/23/02 !
Goodtime boogie videos are now in stock!
The WFFC 2002 Video is finished and has been sent to the duplication process it should arrive in just a week or 2 depending on your location and the holidays!
The Video has also entered the DVD authoring phase and we will post additional updates as they become available."
That leads me to believe that A) VHS tapes should have been received by 1/7; and B) There would be more information posted about the DVD status. Neither of those things happened...that's how I was misled. And like I said, you advertised it as limited edition with a specific number of copies that would be sold, then you sold more than that.
"UPDATE 12/23/02 !
Goodtime boogie videos are now in stock!
The WFFC 2002 Video is finished and has been sent to the duplication process it should arrive in just a week or 2 depending on your location and the holidays!
The Video has also entered the DVD authoring phase and we will post additional updates as they become available."
That leads me to believe that A) VHS tapes should have been received by 1/7; and B) There would be more information posted about the DVD status. Neither of those things happened...that's how I was misled. And like I said, you advertised it as limited edition with a specific number of copies that would be sold, then you sold more than that.
jfields 0
Grant,
I didn't go to the WFFC, didn't order a video or DVD, so I'm kind of one the sidelines for this one. I'll give my mostly unbiased $.02, and you can do with it as you will.
The main frustration I see is honestly not with the timeframe, although most bitching is in reference to that. The core of the problem seems to be the communication.
You can't please all the people all of the time, no matter what you do. Many people have no idea of the effort that goes into making a professional video or DVD. Those people think it is like taking video off a home video recorder and making a bunch of copies. These people will bitch no matter what you do. For these folks, it is all about immediate gratification. Politely disregard them and keep moving.
There are some people who have the patience of saints, and will not complain no matter what. Obviously, these people aren't your problem either, so don't worry about them.
The vast majority are in the middle, with varying degrees of patience and knowledge about the project. I'm in this category too for most things. If I had to boil down the expectations of this core group, I'd say they are:
1) Do what you say you will do. (Overwhelming importance.)
2) Do not do what you said you wouldn't.
3) Keep people informed of your progress.
4) Work diligently to accomplish item numbers 1 and 3.
That's it. I didn't say to sell things cheaper, or give some deadline for mailing. It is all about accurately setting expectations and then fullfilling them. As I'm not you, or your customer, I have no opinion on how you are doing in reference to what you said you would accomplish. But as a third party, I admit that I would be turned off by the public communications I've seen here.
Customer relations is tricky business, but in the long run, taking the high road usually works. Bad things happen to people and companies, and things go wrong. Look at the Tylenol scare. Do people have faith in the product today? Yes, because the company was straightforward and took control of the situation, doing the right thing. When things out of your hands starting going awry, you could have started posting regular (weekly?) status online. It wouldn't have to be anything super detailed. Just a quick message. If adequately informed, people might get impatient, but usually not to the level of venemous anger I've seen on this thread. You say you made updates on status. Others say they never knew, or that they updates were bogus. I don't know who is right, only that there was a substantial breakdown in the communication process. Whether you said it or not, the fact that they didn't "get it" merits a reevaluation of the process.
Anyway, I hope you take this constructively, as that is how it is intended.
Good luck on the project.
I didn't go to the WFFC, didn't order a video or DVD, so I'm kind of one the sidelines for this one. I'll give my mostly unbiased $.02, and you can do with it as you will.
The main frustration I see is honestly not with the timeframe, although most bitching is in reference to that. The core of the problem seems to be the communication.
You can't please all the people all of the time, no matter what you do. Many people have no idea of the effort that goes into making a professional video or DVD. Those people think it is like taking video off a home video recorder and making a bunch of copies. These people will bitch no matter what you do. For these folks, it is all about immediate gratification. Politely disregard them and keep moving.
There are some people who have the patience of saints, and will not complain no matter what. Obviously, these people aren't your problem either, so don't worry about them.
The vast majority are in the middle, with varying degrees of patience and knowledge about the project. I'm in this category too for most things. If I had to boil down the expectations of this core group, I'd say they are:
1) Do what you say you will do. (Overwhelming importance.)
2) Do not do what you said you wouldn't.
3) Keep people informed of your progress.
4) Work diligently to accomplish item numbers 1 and 3.
That's it. I didn't say to sell things cheaper, or give some deadline for mailing. It is all about accurately setting expectations and then fullfilling them. As I'm not you, or your customer, I have no opinion on how you are doing in reference to what you said you would accomplish. But as a third party, I admit that I would be turned off by the public communications I've seen here.
Customer relations is tricky business, but in the long run, taking the high road usually works. Bad things happen to people and companies, and things go wrong. Look at the Tylenol scare. Do people have faith in the product today? Yes, because the company was straightforward and took control of the situation, doing the right thing. When things out of your hands starting going awry, you could have started posting regular (weekly?) status online. It wouldn't have to be anything super detailed. Just a quick message. If adequately informed, people might get impatient, but usually not to the level of venemous anger I've seen on this thread. You say you made updates on status. Others say they never knew, or that they updates were bogus. I don't know who is right, only that there was a substantial breakdown in the communication process. Whether you said it or not, the fact that they didn't "get it" merits a reevaluation of the process.
Anyway, I hope you take this constructively, as that is how it is intended.
Good luck on the project.
Opie 0
Good points Justin. I would like to add/disagree with a couple of things. First I would add that the regular updates should be posted on the companies website. Not just on the wffc message board or here. If you want to put them everywhere fine but a customer shouldn't have to hunt around the web to find updates when this company has it's own site.
Second I disagree about the need for detail in the updates. Sure when everything is going as planned no need for details. But when problems arise and you fall behind on your expected ship dates. You need to go into a bit of damage control mode and make a little effort to educate your customer on exactly what is going on and why. When specifically you expect to ship. When we are in Feb. and customers complain of not even receiving vhs yet a little more info than "it has been shipped" would go a long way. Like maybe specific dates vhs copies were shipped.
Second I disagree about the need for detail in the updates. Sure when everything is going as planned no need for details. But when problems arise and you fall behind on your expected ship dates. You need to go into a bit of damage control mode and make a little effort to educate your customer on exactly what is going on and why. When specifically you expect to ship. When we are in Feb. and customers complain of not even receiving vhs yet a little more info than "it has been shipped" would go a long way. Like maybe specific dates vhs copies were shipped.
Jimbo 0
Well said. I agree with this completely.
An update now and then instead of the silence would have gone a long way.
-
Jim
An update now and then instead of the silence would have gone a long way.
-
Jim
"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.
QuoteAnd like I said, you advertised it as limited edition with a specific number of copies that would be sold, then you sold more than that.
I am sorry, I was unaware you had access to my records. Would you like to tell me how many copies you think I have sold? Besides, is it not my prerogative that if the demand warrants it that I make more available? You can consider it limited in the fact that it will not be offered again... how's that?
Grant
Opie 0
QuoteQuoteAnd like I said, you advertised it as limited edition with a specific number of copies that would be sold, then you sold more than that.
I am sorry, I was unaware you had access to my records. Would you like to tell me how many copies you think I have sold? Besides, is it not my prerogative that if the demand warrants it that I make more available? You can consider it limited in the fact that it will not be offered again... how's that?
Grant
It is also the customers perogative not to do business with someone that markets a product as one thing (limited) and turns it into something else (unlimited) after he gets the money. You said you took 200 orders and would be delivering 200 copies earlier. Seems you still have an order button on your website though.
Not offering something next year that would likely not be purchased as a result of your poor customer care this year. That's the best business move I've seen from this company yet.
Quote
Absolutly correct.QuoteYou said you took 200 orders and would be delivering 200 copies earlier.
Absolutly correct again.Quote
Seems you still have an order button on your website though.
You might want to try the link, its not active.
Grant
Don't doubt it.
Grant
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