Havocx Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) Sure, the customer is always right. The signal that the customer is sending to Bioware is that they are doing a good job. Until and unless people pull their pre-orders, Bioware can only assume that people are happy with their product. The only feedback that matters in a business transaction is whether or not money is exchanged. I'll bet that less than a half-percent of customers will cancel their pre-orders because of the way EGA is handled, so Bioware can only assume that the customer is satisfied with their product. This wont happen, but everyone who purchased a digital copy can cancel their order. This has no affect on the user since we still have early access, and can just buy the game again when we get what we want. What do you think Bioware will do when every Origin order is canceled? Then again you have to call in to cancel, which is like a week long phone queue. Edited December 14, 2011 by Havocx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthLeeloo Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 The customer's always an ******e Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berethos Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Like others have said, if this many customers are angered by the situation, then regardless of what Bioware may have claimed or disclaimed on their sales page, then there was some type of breakdown in communication from the get-go. This large of an outcry on the forums about the situation is a problem to the customers, which means it needs to be a problem to the business. I think the catalyst for this was the "limited" days of pre-orders let in, which for some is still disconcerting. First day, and they only let July 21-28 in? Without further context, that is troubling... Of course, the additional context that the number of pre-orders from that small time period is larger than the official launch crowd for some MMOs, AND they are planning on letting even more in tomorrow, AND after the initial pre-order wave they spread out so the next wave might include two or three weeks worth of pre-orders...that paints a much different picture, but those factors are largely being ignored for a sort of anti-hype and hyperbole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higherpower Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 Listen, Bioware is in the same danged if they do, danged if they don't position that all companies find when they release a new MMO. They can't please everyone. Either they have a mass release where the servers crash all the time and have hella queues (WoW), or they stagger the entrances of the bulk of their players so when the game is officially released the hit will not be as bad. If they attempt to target a time/date when everyone gets access and don't follow through, the whining would be worse than it is now. As for communication, would you rather have them babysitting their email system, sending out bulk emails or monitoring the servers? I vote servers, I don't need any email other than the one saying I can play. If that comes tomorrow, I'm happy. If not, I'm still happy to get in when I get in. I have friends playing now who are getting ahead of me, big deal. I'll catch up to them eventually. I do agree that Bioware is not going to appease everyone in every situation. However, what I am trying to convey here is that leaving customers with vague situations and answers is not the way to success in the long run. I apologize, but I do not believe that Bioware's Community Managers came out right now (or beforehand would have been more effective) and explained the situation, BUT offered some type of rough schedule for months to access date, this entire situation could have been much more relaxed. The fact that Stephen Reid came out at the end of today explaining their "inability" to give even a rough estimate, rather than prefacing the entire EAG with this explanation was the source of the miscommunication in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RokarooJack Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Did you cancel yours? Nah, didn't think so. I think they are doing a good job. This will all be forgotten after the first few months play, and we will be getting a smooth launch as promised. Also, we are still well within the promised time for early game access. I really do not see any valid complains other than "I want to play now!!!". Nope, sure didn't. Nor did I state that I had an issue with the way things were being handled. I agree that they are doing a good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrimstoneAshe Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 There has been a communication breakdown leaving customers of Bioware staring at their computers all day, and will leave customers staring at their computers for the next seven days, that could be solved with a simple, rough estimate post. For goodness sakes, businesses get a heck of a lot further in profit when they have the goodwill of their customers. That is business 101. The communication breakdown is on the receiving end. There's people who just aren't grasping it. They announced they weren't adding any more waves till tomorrow morning. If anyone is checking their email right now then they're not listening. Yeah, I get it. There are people who are going crazy to get into the game and you're asking Bioware to spend more time catering to those who've lost their perspective by putting it under the umbrella of "The customer is always right." I disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imtrick Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I believe it was Marshall Field's store a while back who took on the mantra that the "customer is always right". While he did not mean this literally, the idea is that if the customers are upset about something, regardless if it is rational or correct, then perhaps there is a problem anyways. If the customers perceive a problem with a business's practice, then the simple matter of fact is that There Is.[/color] There's a huge difference between saying "the customer is always right," and it actually being true. If you've been to these forums, or any game forum, in the past, you know it's not true. Anyone who's ever worked in retail knows it's not true. It's never been true, and never will be. Some customers are raving idiots and wouldn't know "right" from a hole in the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choxor Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I do agree that Bioware is not going to appease everyone in every situation. However, what I am trying to convey here is that leaving customers with vague situations and answers is not the way to success in the long run. I apologize, but I do not believe that Bioware's Community Managers came out right now (or beforehand would have been more effective) and explained the situation, BUT offered some type of rough schedule for months to access date, this entire situation could have been much more relaxed. The fact that Stephen Reid came out at the end of today explaining their "inability" to give even a rough estimate, rather than prefacing the entire EAG with this explanation was the source of the miscommunication in the first place. And it's been explained multiple times why giving a rough estimate would be a BAD idea in the long run. They're not going to paint themselves into a corner by releasing ANY kind of schedule. The only thing we can hope for is that they're far more aggressive with the size and frequency of waves tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrisonxxi Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 The customer is not always right, in fact, for the most part the customer is usually wrong. HOWEVER, that doesnt mean, that the customer shouldnt get what they want, because a dissatisified customer isnt a customer anymore. And losing customers is a sure way to go out of business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higherpower Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 The customer's always an ******e See, this is an example of an unproductive and unintelligent comment. Businesses need to be receptive of their customers, and like I said, if this many customers believe there is a problem, then the business has a problem, simple as that. The long term health of a business is not only measured by the dollars it produces each year, but by the reception they have towards their customer base over that time period as well. I wish some of the people in these forums ran businesses against mine, I'd love to have all their angered customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthLeeloo Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 See, this is an example of an unproductive and unintelligent comment. Businesses need to be receptive of their customers, and like I said, if this many customers believe there is a problem, then the business has a problem, simple as that. The long term health of a business is not only measured by the dollars it produces each year, but by the reception they have towards their customer base over that time period as well. I wish some of the people in these forums ran businesses against mine, I'd love to have all their angered customers. Seems on par with the productivity level of the rest of the forums:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loseriticus Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 The customer's always an ******e You said it. Every one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhinoplat Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Great post. And you're right, something is very wrong with the customers, I mean look at how many people are literally raging on this forum. How can BioWare possibly be so ignorant to this fact. Something has to be done, I'm not exactly sure what. But something. BioWare needs to allow all pre-orders into the EA tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanorDM Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) I apologize, but I do not believe that Bioware's Community Managers came out right now (or beforehand would have been more effective) and explained the situation, BUT offered some type of rough schedule for months to access date, this entire situation could have been much more relaxed. Thing is, Bioware has never done anything like this before, so they had no real way of knowing how close their rough estimate could be. So pretty much anything they said would be a guess at best, and wouldn't of helped at all, because the only safe thing would be to underestimate so much that anyone who pre-ordered in Nov or Dec would get 1 day, Oct 2, and Sept 3... That would not of helped in the least. The information has been out there for a long time, the only reason this is an issue is because it's a Video Game, just about any other product produced would not of had this kind of reaction for doing effectively the same thing. The anonymity of the Internet, and the lack of basic research on the player, and the fact that it's leisure activity creates a huge sense of entitlement. One that no one can reasonably deal with. Oh for the record, I placed my pre-order on Dec 2nd because I wasn't sure if I'd like the game from what I heard, and had to wait until payday to make sure I had the money. I'll be getting in on Sat maybe. Edited December 14, 2011 by VanorDM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delove Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 They need to give a timeline on when u should expect a invite not just say check you're email and keep checking all day cause thats just lame no time on when u gonna get a invite makes people mad cause it wastes there time. I got mine on the 9th of december so i aint expecting much but to know when ima be able to play instead of having to keep checking my email for 6 more day's in just wrong lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detrimental Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 As someone who has been in the customer service industry for many, many years... the customer is almost never right. I work in a high end restuarant in NYC. While I agree that customers are almost never right, that doesnt mean, ignore them complaining, because all that it will cause us is a lost customer. We always cater to customers, if they think something is to salty and send it back, we make them another one to their taste. If vegetarians come in a want us to change plates that are perfectly balanced for a tasting experience, we change the plates. It doesnt matter that I spent hours creating this weeks menu. It's the customer, and thats it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamilo Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 "The customer is always right". That saying is so cliche and wrong, I can't even believe you brought that up in this day and age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziggytrix Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 See, this is an example of an unproductive and unintelligent comment. Businesses need to be receptive of their customers, and like I said, if this many customers believe there is a problem, then the business has a problem, simple as that. The long term health of a business is not only measured by the dollars it produces each year, but by the reception they have towards their customer base over that time period as well. Relax, it's just a hilarious quote from Mallrats. It's also a little bit true. If you've ever worked in any job that has any customer service aspect, you've probably been tempted to say something like "This job would be great if it wasn't for the *bleep*ing customers!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taran_Tatsuuchi Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I recall seeing in a manager training manual somewhere... "We know the customer isn't always right, but we allow them to be wrong with dignity" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ventvisor Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 They need to give a timeline on when u should expect a invite not just say check you're email and keep checking all day cause thats just lame no time on when u gonna get a invite makes people mad cause it wastes there time. I got mine on the 9th of december so i aint expecting much but to know when ima be able to play instead of having to keep checking my email for 6 more day's in just wrong lol Link your email to your phone...that way...you can enjoy life and not wait at the comp. Just don't set your phone down!!! You never know when it might beep with your EA message (my phone actually does a chewbacca voice when i get a message ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanorDM Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 They need to give a timeline on when u should expect a invite not just say check you're email They can't give you what they don't have, and that information is something they don't have, because they truly do not know for sure how many people they can invite per day. But as far as checking your email... It seems very unlikely to me that so many people don't have their email set up to alert them when they get new email, and can have the system check every 10 min's or so. So unless you simply can't miss out on maybe 10 minutes of game play... There's no reason to keep checking. If you use gmail or other web based clients... You can still have it check every 10 minutes for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krenum Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 As someone who has worked in retail in the past and am a customer of various business. I can honestly say as someone who knows both sides of the situation, who ever coined the phrase "The customer is always right." Needs to be drug out into the street and shot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loniki Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 (edited) I wholeheartedly agree that each and every person who pre-ordered (with few exceptions) saw the statement "up to 5 days of early access". I do not disagree whatsoever, and anyone complaining about this fact can cease immediately. In the end, this comes down to the fact that some people are "getting ahead" in the game, and people are feeling left out. It sucks to be left out of things that you derive enjoyment from--no one disagrees with this. However, this is a fact of life. Sometimes you don't always get to participate right away--or at all--and it takes maturity to accept this. Within the next 7 days, all of us will be playing this game, and we will be having a great time. My concern (as is many others) is the lack of communication with the majority of their playerbase as to when exactly this vague, but rather lengthy, timespan will play itself out. For example, how many times have you heard people complain when the local plumber or cable guy tells you that he will be out between the hours of 10 and 4? That is 6 hours that you have to wait around at your house *hoping* that he will show up towards the earlier side of this timeline. And that is only 6 hours of waiting for a single person! What happens when you tell supposedly 2 million people that they need to stare at their computer screens, iPhones, etc. for the next 7 days in anxious anticipation of something they cannot WAIT to get their hands on? You are going to get a lot of frustrated individuals, that is what. I'm not in the Early Access as we speak, and in no way am I complaining that I am not. However, instead of arguing with the people who are on here because they care about playing this game that is being dangled right in front of their faces like a carrot on a stick, maybe try understanding. I believe it was Marshall Field's store a while back who took on the mantra that the "customer is always right". While he did not mean this literally, the idea is that if the customers are upset about something, regardless if it is rational or correct, then perhaps there is a problem anyways. If the customers perceive a problem with a business's practice, then the simple matter of fact is that There Is. I really don't know what is worst, the people complaining or the people complaining about the people complaining. I suppose since the latter are self appointed mouth peices they are the worst... Or do you call that trolls? Edited December 14, 2011 by Loniki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanorDM Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 It's the customer, and thats it. There's a big difference between the subjective nature of taste, and this. But there is a point to what you're saying, and the issues people are having should be dealt with in someway... That said, there is a point in which a business can not give the customer what they want. People here are demanding access NOW but that is simply unreasonable. However there is nothing I can think of that you could offer them that would make them happy. So either BW decides the heck with it and invites everyone tomorrow, and deals with login queues and the rest... Or they stick with their plan and get as many in tomorrow as they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laenar Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Why do people keep complaining about getting to start playing a game early just because they don't get to start on the first day? If server firsts were that big of a deal (and I'm not even sure if this game will have that kind of thing like other games) then they should just make everyone wait until the official release date. Then the server first junkies can start playing as soon as they get home after the midnight releases. I'm not convinced that server first were even on the developers minds when they thought up the early access concept. They were probably thinking "Hey a great way to pad our pre-order numbers would be to offer those people who pre-order a few extra days of play for free! People will probably love that!" I will probably be lucky get in Saturday morning. And to be honest that's fine with me, because I work all week and have commitments in life that keep me from playing much at all during the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts