Unravelling the Mystery of Good Customer Service

Obviously you’re aware that we recently received a sterling example of ‘bad customer service’. I’ve blogged about some of this before. You can’t please everyone Two sides to every truth Get mad at yourself for your mistakes If you run a business, you provide some sort of service to someone. It would be great if … Continue reading “Unravelling the Mystery of Good Customer Service”

Obviously you’re aware that we recently received a sterling example of ‘bad customer service’.

I’ve blogged about some of this before.

If you run a business, you provide some sort of service to someone. It would be great if every customer encounter was entirely positive but only a small fraction of people can lay claim to such a record. At some point you’re going to be part of a customer complaint and it seldom matters if it is your fault – what matters is how you deal with it.

e.g. During the reign of the iBook G3, there was a repeating issue with some iBook logic boards which caused some units to come in for multiple repairs. More than one customer complained that the issue must be due to our workmanship in providing the repair because it did not occur to them that they may be receiving faulty parts, parts which expire after a certain half-life much like the original board did. These issues were by and large the exception but it motivated one individual to go above and beyond in making sure everyone knew that we had failed to fix his iBook. This was patently untrue but how we dealt with it was in spending more time educating customers on the origin of parts and trying to be more aware when our name was used on the Internet in vain.

Now, the example above was not our fault – but we took as much responsibility as possible. Others out there will attest that my company spends a lot of time defending the rights of our customers when dealing with our favourite fruit company so that even when there have been supply issues (faulty parts, delayed parts), the customer is not the one who is most troubled by this. We do not get paid by anyone to spend any time defending the rights of customers to our suppliers because we do a lot of warranty work which is a set fee per repair. We do that stuff for free because it’s good customer service – we do it to benefit the customer and, yes, somehow get some repeat service (though we always say we aim never to see our customers again because it means their Mac has broken down again).

We aim to try and turn every bad experience into a good one – which is why I want to know when people have had bad experiences because unless I know about them – I can’t actually fix the problem! No-one wants to see someone unhappy surely – especially when they can fix it. And sometimes that may mean taking a hit – a hit you will survive, maybe even learn from, possibly even benefit from – rather than taking one later which knocks you out of the race. We may not have any decent competition in Northern Ireland but we have plenty across the UK (hundreds of AASPs) and we compete with them every single month.

This is why Mac-Sys is in the top 5 of Customer Service ratings of Apple Authorised Service Providers in the UK. Because we try hard.

The Real McCoy is a chip shop up in Four Winds. They have a sign saying “If you think we’re good, tell your friends. If you think we’re bad, tell us”. Similarly I worked contracts with a smart guy I really respect called Mark Case (he runs White Noise). He told my fledging company: “Treat us well and I’ll tell my friends. Treat us badly and I’ll tell everyone.”– and that’s the way it is in business. You have to look at the big picture and figure out what is best for the business in the long run.

One thing I’ve learned is that the weight of a single angry customer far exceeds the weight of ten happy customers or a thousand mildly pleasant but ultimately non-committal customers.

Choose your friends wisely, this ‘Shepherd’ certainly will.

POST EDITED DUE TO SETTLEMENT.

Upset the Apple cart

André Torrez writes why he will buy an iPad this weekend: “If VHS home recording is made legal then our industry is ruined.” “If CD quality music is allowed to be sold then our industry is ruined.” “If DAT is made legal then our industry is ruined.” “If the Rio PMP3000 is allowed to be … Continue reading “Upset the Apple cart”

André Torrez writes why he will buy an iPad this weekend:

“If VHS home recording is made legal then our industry is ruined.”
“If CD quality music is allowed to be sold then our industry is ruined.”
“If DAT is made legal then our industry is ruined.”
“If the Rio PMP3000 is allowed to be sold then our industry is ruined.”
“If file sharing is permitted then our industry is ruined.”

The tactic is as old as the hills and used by some pretty dishonest people in the last few years to combat technology they feared would upset the nice apple cart they’d set up.

I don’t think this is justification enough to buy an iPad but it is justification for citizens of the United Kingdom to oppose the Digital Economy Bill. I support copyright, of course I do, but copyright is a human invention and the acceleration of human innovation is now hidebound by laws enacted when technology was in its infancy. Corporate interests now keep our writers’ works bound in law for 75 years after their death even when they have no descendants (I have a personal bet that copyright laws will be extended again in the UK before the end of 2012 – mark my words!). Wake up people – we’re being robbed of our heritage. In the olden days, we were DRM-free. We easily copied materials between us and making a living as an artist was fraught with peril. Copyright was introduced to help that and it helps artists make a living even when their creations are copied. But there has to be a sensible limit – it’s not meant to be in perpetuity. When you create something, when you have a performance, it’s not meant to secure an income for the entire length of your life and the length of life of your descendants. Let them create something too! Copyright, designed to protect the incomes of artists, ends up stifling artists because they lose one of their incentives to create, put simply: hunger

Here in the UK, we’re going to be paying 50 pence a month additional tax to fund an initiative which will put 2 Mbps broadband into every home in the nation. While I applaud the plan, I have grave concerns over how it has been thought through. Supplying broadband is part of the puzzle – what about the hardware to run it on? What about the electricity to power it? Will this empower or destroy smaller internet service providers?

But more importantly – what are the social implications of this. Just as there are naysayers who don’t think the iPad is a viable (let alone well executed) device and cannot see past their blinkers on what their definition of a mobile computing device is, there are similar limitations on what is possible with broadband for all. Will this broadband be delivered by a provider who gives set-top boxes to everyone which run a cut down thin client? Will the browser included be standards compliant? (I was present at a recent presentation to Belfast City Council where a solution was being offered for set-top boxes which would put everyone’s browser a version behind the current, control access to Facebook and Youtube, force Council-related advertising and was prepared to offer “Secure by Design, because it’s Ethernet”. Now, as a once-techie I have no fucking idea what that last bullet point was meant to mean but to be honest I’d already switched off from the presentation long before that porky-pie and considered it a very bad idea.

There is no way that the UK is ready for a 100% broadband uptake either in terms of social capability or technical ability. We need more than just lines into houses – we need social reform, we need the government to take charge and not be so lily-livered about “new” media. We need them to open their doors and allow complete transparency. Then, after all of that, maybe then we’ll be ready for everyone to be online.

DON’T RUSH THROUGH EXTREME WEB LAWS

I posted this to Onotate. ONotate is a way of ‘annotating’ web mockups for designers. You can see more at http://onotate.com If you’re as unhappy about the Digital Economy Bill as I am, it doesn’t hurt (and only takes about two minutes) to email your local MP/MLA. “Peter Mandelson is rushing to force the Digital … Continue reading “DON’T RUSH THROUGH EXTREME WEB LAWS”

I posted this to Onotate. ONotate is a way of ‘annotating’ web mockups for designers. You can see more at http://onotate.com

icx

If you’re as unhappy about the Digital Economy Bill as I am, it doesn’t hurt (and only takes about two minutes) to email your local MP/MLA.

“Peter Mandelson is rushing to force the Digital Economy Bill into law before the General Election.

The draconian law is opposed by industry experts, internet service providers (like TalkTalk and BT), web giants including Google, Yahoo and Ebay and even the British Library. Despite all this opposition, the Government is trying to rush it through quietly just before the election without proper debate – without a chance for us to voice our opposition. Email your MP now and urge them to stop the government rushing this law through.

There’s plenty to oppose in the Digital Economy Bill, it gives the government the ability to disconnect millions. Schools, libraries and businesses could see their connection cut if their pupils, readers of customers infringe any copyright. But one group likes it, the music industry. In a leaked memo a few days ago they admitted the only way to get the bill through would be to rush it through without a real parliamentary debate. Let’s stop that happening. “

All you need is your postcode.

Why the hell not?

Jeff LaMarche writes: This really needs to stop, Apple. There is nothing in the SDK agreement or documentation that you can point to that would reasonably justify this rejection. It’s your store. If you want to set up concrete rules and enforce them, that’s fine. I think you’d be better off letting the market decide, … Continue reading “Why the hell not?”

Jeff LaMarche writes:

This really needs to stop, Apple. There is nothing in the SDK agreement or documentation that you can point to that would reasonably justify this rejection. It’s your store. If you want to set up concrete rules and enforce them, that’s fine. I think you’d be better off letting the market decide, but it’s your house, I’m okay with you making rules about what goes on there. But… make real rules and enforce them fairly. This arbitrary, capricious shit has got to stop. Applications shouldn’t get rejected because some reviewer got in a fight with their spouse, got a speeding ticket on the way into work, or just hasn’t gotten laid recently.

The capricious and some might say haphazard way that some apps are permitted and others rejected and some are removed after a time, tells me that it’s not one person making the decisions, it’s a team. And some of them don’t like fun.

I’m unlikely to buy apps like iFart, Sound Grenade or Nails on Chalkboard but I’m inclined to think that if people want to buy that sort of shit and if it’s only a couple of dollars, why the hell not?

I’m not suggesting they open the doors but I’d appreciate some sort of consistency in the screening process and more description of why in the rejection process. At the moment it’s a lot of chickenshit posturing and vague pointing to things that are ‘inappropriate’ or in their heads ‘don’t offer sufficient value’.

IT Bullies

Twenty years ago the most intimidating person in a company was the person with the key to the stationery cupboard. They’d query why you wanted two pens instead of one, complain about how quickly you were going through your notebooks (as if documenting less would be better) and positively sniffed at you if you needed … Continue reading “IT Bullies”

Twenty years ago the most intimidating person in a company was the person with the key to the stationery cupboard. They’d query why you wanted two pens instead of one, complain about how quickly you were going through your notebooks (as if documenting less would be better) and positively sniffed at you if you needed pens and notebooks at the same time especially if you were a new start.

The grumpy sod in charge of the stationery has been replaced with the IT Bully. They still hold the keys to productivity but they actively attempt to stymie you, or so it would seem.

They don’t enable
The more functionality you have, the more the IT Bully has to manage. This can be simple (like preventing the user from changing his desktop background) to complex (hiding the Connections tab in Internet Options so not only can you not change the proxy setting but you can’t even view them – should you need to, for example, attach to a different network or try and get a machine working on your current network) to inane (setting up all of the machines on the LAN to talk to a Time Server in order to keep the clocks in sync – but that clock is not only 10 minutes fast, you’re also blocked from changing it manually).

They don’t care about your work
It’s not their work. Their world is all wrapped up in WINS, Active Directory, Forests, DOMAINS, Policies and Profiles. The ports they use are tied up in Windows-specific services, MAPI, their own monitoring ports. They don’t consider that you may need to access services in high order ports, use IMAP/POP3 services outside the LAN, connect using SSH/SFTP or any number of other possibilities.
For example, changing the firewall and proxy settings over the weekend and not telling the client which means that anything they have added to the network stops working on Monday morning. The event which inspires this rant involved exactly that – a forced change which we were not informed about, when queried, was initially denied and then responded to with aggressive language designed to intimidate.

They exploit fear, uncertainty and doubt
This serves to intimidate the non-technical using language like “I’m sure you can all appreciate the importance to retain the highest level of security feasible…” or “I’m sure you understand the need to maintain the need for review of security on the ICT systems and the importance of authorisation to open service ports to the Internet” while stripping us of essential services or denying us products and services which might actually make our job easier. Sadly things haven’t changed – they don’t like it if you want to use a Mac or if you want to use an Smartphone or PDA with the system. They’re not keen on new software, on web-based services which bypass their provisions and claim ignorance if you ask for the settings which would enable you to sort things out yourself.

When cornered, they attack.
Another memorable IT Bully was Justin. He talked the talk but never quite managed to walk the walk. He claimed knowledge of UNIX and network that he could never demonstrate and had to be guided through even the simplest processes but he was in charge of the Windows IT network on site. For nine months he ‘evaluated’ a top spec laptop running the latest Windows build yet in the end it had to come down to the other members of his team to deliver the promises he made – and even then the build was lacking multimedia (promised), PCMCIA support (essential), Sleep/Suspend support (obvious for laptops) and support for additional monitors, IrDA, modems or wireless. When confronted at a project meeting with the problems, his response to me was “Shut up, Macboy” which thankfully ended his participation in any of the important projects that we had to manage.

BOOBS

Coverage of the FaceBook furor “Nearly 85,000 people have joined a Facebook group formed to protest against the networking site banning overly revealing breastfeeding photos from online profiles… …According to Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt, photos of a fully exposed breast (defined by showing the nipple or areola) violate Facebook rules and may be removed. ‘We … Continue reading “BOOBS”

Coverage of the FaceBook furor

“Nearly 85,000 people have joined a Facebook group formed to protest against the networking site banning overly revealing breastfeeding photos from online profiles…
…According to Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt, photos of a fully exposed breast (defined by showing the nipple or areola) violate Facebook rules and may be removed.
‘We take no action on the vast majority of breastfeeding photos because they follow the site’s terms of use,’ Mr Schnitt said, but added that some photos were removed to ensure the site remains safe for all users, including children.”

Safe for all users, including children?

FaceBook’s terms and conditions state:

Membership in the Service is void where prohibited. This Site is intended solely for users who are thirteen (13) years of age or older, and users of the Site under 18 who are currently in high school or college. Any registration by, use of or access to the Site by anyone under 13, or by anyone who is under 18 and not in high school or college, is unauthorized, unlicensed and in violation of these Terms of Use. By using the Service or the Site, you represent and warrant that you are 13 or older and in high school or college, or else that you are 18 or older, and that you agree to and to abide by all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Are FaceBook seriously suggesting that 13 year olds are to be protected from seeing breasts? This rule was written by a man, isn’t it obvious? Someone who personally feels titillated by seeing a “nipple or areola” so they ban it. Isn’t this a little like homophobes who experience homosexual arousal (yes, there was a study).

Notting Hill even covered this nearly a decade ago:

Anna Scott: What is it about men and nudity? Particularly breasts? How can you be so interested in them?
William: Well…
Anna Scott: But, but, seriously: they’re just breasts. Every second person in the world has them.
William: Oh, more than that, when you think about it: you know, Meat Loaf has a very nice pair.
Anna Scott: [laughs] But they’re… they’re odd looking, they’re for milk, your mother has them, you’ve seen a thousand of them… What’s all the fuss about?

What is the fuss about? The more I think about it, the more I think our laws were put in place by the very deviants we’re trying to identify.

1000 fans? And save yourself 30%

From MacRumors: “Hello Developer, We’ve reviewed your application Pull My Finger. We have determined that this application is of limited utility to the broad iPhone and iPod touch user community, and will not be published to the App Store. It may be very appropriate to share with friends and family, and we recommend you review … Continue reading “1000 fans? And save yourself 30%”

From MacRumors:

“Hello Developer,

We’ve reviewed your application Pull My Finger. We have determined that this application is of limited utility to the broad iPhone and iPod touch user community, and will not be published to the App Store.

It may be very appropriate to share with friends and family, and we recommend you review the Ad Hoc method on the Distribution tab of the iPhone Developer Portal for details on distributing this application among a small group of people of your choosing.

Regards,

Victor Wang
Worldwide Developer Relations
Apple, Inc.”

Victor Wang, the name behind the callous rejection of the excellent MURDERDROME from the App Store, strikes again. Apple don’t have consistent rules for what applications do go onto the store. Seems they’re issuing takedowns based on whether anyone complains.

And “Limited Utility”? They have room for half a dozen tip calculators but not a Fart machine?

Anyway.

Note the recommendation.

Ad-Hoc Distribution allows you to distribute 100 copies of your app to 100 iPhones. Enterprise distribution allows you to distribute to 1000 iPhones. Neither method involves the App Store at all.

Can you see the silver lining here?

At 100 fans (for the $99 certificate), you could sell an extremely useful application on a subscription basis. Say, for instance, NetShare. And I bet you could find 100 people to pay $100 for it. Apple wouldn’t see it and you’d end up with the FULL $10,000 rather than Apple taking 30% and risking it being removed. How about $20 a month? That’s $2000 in income every month and if someone doesn’t pay up, you remove their iPhone ID from your certificate and *boom*.

At 1000 fans, things start getting interesting. Same situation – create an application that is worth $100 and distribute to 1000 fans using Enterprise Distribution ($299 certificate). You’ve now got $100,000. That’s not a bad rate and again Apple doesn’t see it at all and they certainly don’t get their 30%. The irony here is that distribution to 1000 iPhones isn’t likely to be enough for large companies.

So, you want independent application development for the iPhone? Time to lobby Apple. If you can get them to extend the Ad-Hoc distribution to 1000 iPhones and the Enterprise Distribution to 100 000, then you’ve got a real business to build. It requires constant excellence but then that’s what it’s all about.

Time to stop complaining and start talking.

CENSORED

Image credited to Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore’s seminal work, Watchmen. Wikipedia says: Watchmen remains the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award, and is also the only graphic novel to appear on Time’s 2005 list of “the 100 best English-language novels”, an annual feature of the magazine since it was founded in 1923. … Continue reading “CENSORED”

Image credited to Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore’s seminal work, Watchmen.

Wikipedia says:

Watchmen remains the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award, and is also the only graphic novel to appear on Time’s 2005 list of “the 100 best English-language novels”, an annual feature of the magazine since it was founded in 1923.

Some films with no rating on the UK iTunes Movie Store.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse Resident Evil: Extinction XMen X2 Pale Rider Transporter Dirty Harry Constantine Hellboy The Terminator Deliverance Ronin Congo Ultraviolet Cloverfield Collateral Damage Death Wish Robocop Reservoir Dogs Alien Versus Predator Alien Versus Predator: Requiem (Uncut) Lethal Weapon Black Hawk Down CandyMan II: Farewell to the Flesh Count Yorga, Vampire Leprechaun 3 Troll 2 … Continue reading “Some films with no rating on the UK iTunes Movie Store.”

Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Resident Evil: Extinction

XMen
X2
Pale Rider
Transporter
Dirty Harry
Constantine
Hellboy
The Terminator
Deliverance
Ronin
Congo
Ultraviolet
Cloverfield
Collateral Damage
Death Wish
Robocop
Reservoir Dogs
Alien Versus Predator
Alien Versus Predator: Requiem (Uncut)

Lethal Weapon
Black Hawk Down
CandyMan II: Farewell to the Flesh
Count Yorga, Vampire
Leprechaun 3
Troll 2
Omen III: The Final Conflict
Clive Barker’s The Plague
Rosemary’s Baby
Childs Play
Fatal Attraction
Single White Female

Panic Room
Flatliners
Jagged Edge

And this is important because Apple’s App Store doesn’t have a rating system for anything outside of games.