Customer Service
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I normally get all kinds of emails since I'm ensuring that the site keeps running well. Lots of people want to unsubscribe from the newsletters and sometimes have trouble with the automated system, so I get a wide variety of "polite notes" asking to be removed from simple "unsubscribes" to "Get me the #$%#$%# off your list".
I also deal with people that miss the confirmation emails because of a filter somewhere or mistyping their name, or something else. It's all in a day's work and in general I don't worry too much about it. So yesterday I got his great email from someone"
YOUR WEBSITE SUCKS! I NEED AN ANSWER FROM ONE OF THE ARTICLES IN YOUR DB – I SIGNED UP BUT KEEP BEING TOLD THAT I NEED TO SIGN UP. TAKE THIS PIECE OF S*** OFF THE WEB – IT’S USELESS.
Editor's Note: Company name and image removed 2/6/2006
That's from Aaron A. at a local Colorado company, of all things, a high tech, Computer-based Telephony company that's actually just down the road from me in Colorado. It's possible that the gentleman is just having a bad day, but I think the email was uncalled for. Since I couldn't find any matching email, I can only assume that Aaron had some trouble submitting the form.
I was slightly annoyed today, so I sent a reply back:
Thanks for that. I really appreciate someone coming to the site and letting us know they have issues in this manner. I I am not sure what problem you are having, but 190+ people have registered today, over 300 yesterday and a few hundred posts show me that things seem to be working fine on our end.
I do not see a registration from this email, nor any close misspelling I can see, so I'm guessing you did not submit it properly or used another email.
We'd appreciate it if you never came back.
That last line was probably a bit over the top, but in the early morning as I'm answering and trying to get kids out the door for school, I didn't appreciate his attitude. I got a reply immediately that was less pleasant than the first one. I took at look at the company and found this great mission statement:
"Provide customer satisfaction through a detailed understanding of business requirements, proficient use of leading technology and exemplary support."
I forwarded the email to the company to let them know that it seems some of their employees are exhibiting less than exemplary customer interaction. I'm not looking to get Aaron in trouble, but he probably needs a reminder that manners are an important part of business communications.
I'm not a customer of this company, nor am I planning to be anytime soon, but you never know who could be. When you send out a communication from your company, email, fax, or even phone these days with Caller ID, you are representing that company. And your interactions and dealings with others should be conducted in a professional, respectful, and polite manner. I have seen more than a few people lose their jobs over communications such as this, so keep that in mind the next time you need to communicate with someone from your job.
You never know when you might contact the person on the other end in the future.
Steve Jones
Editor's Note (2/6/2006): The company President contacted me the day after I wrote this with a personal apology. I accepted it and have edited this to remove the company name and link.
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Absolutely uncalled for - a polite email to you and you would have helped him out, but whenever I get instant accusations from customers of almost deliberately breaking things (why would I - I only have to fix it!) it certainly gets my back up
As I too am posting using my company's address I might stop here - forums are another place where you can learn true colours of people and easily visit their website to note to never visit it again
(very poor grammar - to the point of being completely unreadable - and formatting has a similar effect on me too) -
That is (Company Removed) added to my SPAM filter and blocked internet sites!
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I have never had problems with this website since i joined. i had blogged it as a good site, but obviously due to my questionable writing and orating skills i could not do enough justice to the good it delivers.
Thanks Steve and co & all who help to push this site fwd.
i think we can do without that bad apple from nextsys 🙂
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Thumbs up for your slightly sarcastic response. The small difference: You were polite.
This person is propably just too stupid to submit a registration form. Well, I guess, the left of his two brain cells gathered that, but the right one did not want to accept it and therefore sent this very strange email. Thats always a problem with people who where absent when brain was handed out.
I mean, even *if* there would be a small problem with the site (as we all know: Software is never perfect), this dude has no reason to react like this.
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Don't worry Steve, the last line of your response was the best bit 🙂
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>> When you send out a communication from your company, email, fax, or even phone these days with Caller ID, you are representing that company. And your interactions and dealings with others should be conducted in a professional, respectful, and polite manner. I have seen more than a few people lose their jobs over communications such as this, so keep that in mind the next time you need to communicate with someone from your job. <<
I'm never impolite in complaints but I tend to send them from my personal email account when doing them in work time, just to be safe. Not worth the risk. Even a (politely put) opinion can get you in trouble these days.
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Maybe we should Steve to sensitivity training? Mind you I dont disagree with his reply, just enjoying the thought of him spending the day getting in touch with his inner tactful person!
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Nicely done.
I suppose, one could say that in the name of Customer Service you should have just absorbed the maelstrom. I do agree there are subjective limits.
At any rate, I have long subscribed and searched and browsed and generally found useful, productive information from SQLServerCentral.com. I have always recommended this site to my colleagues. Keep up the great work.
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I, for one, am surprised with the last sentence...it may well be the best part of the response, but it's certainly not a "Steve Jones" response...you're known for your diplomacy and exercising your "freedom of speech" to only that degree where you don't cross the border between speaking your mind and being rude.
Again - I'm not saying that the response was not the right one...only that getting out the wrong side of the bed can even make a normally tactful person slip up - so at this point I am with Andy - before that "inner tactful person" gets buried too deeply I think a couple of editorials on how you revived the "itp" will make for some fun reading..
btw...how about posting the "less than pleasant" second response...?!?!?!
**ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI !!!** -
The Internet seems to breed ignorance. Or, maybe it's just that ignorant people feel less inclined to bite their tongue when they think their are no consequnces.
But imagine if everyone used technology to good effect, conscientiously...where would the fun be? No spam, no viciousness...heck, it would be a lot less entertaining.
And, oh yeah...my own complaint. The forum post form forces me to type. Please replace it with one of those mind-reading ones as soon as possible.
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Right on!
I currently work full time but still manage an MBA education. One item in my marketing class I learned: The difference between 4 and 5 stars (out of 5) in customer satisfaction in huge. You should always strive for 5.
Similarly, regarding customers, the best customers require the least amount of energy to be completely satisfied. The worst customers take up too many resources to be worth the effort. Steve, seems that you just cleaned house a bit.
B
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>> Please replace it with one of those mind-reading ones as soon as possible. <<
That would be quite amusing actually. Given that you can "censor" your own thoughts when typing, a forum that just posted what everyone actually thought would be highly entertaining!
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Sorry that was a typo.
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There is a limit on what a guy can endure. Too bad for this guy, he will never be happy in life! With that kind of attitude...
You are providing a great service to us and to the community. Keep up the good work and focus on the positive side!!
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