Posted by MikeT23 on 5/15/2013 2:34:00 PM (view original):
Posted by tomfool on 5/15/2013 2:19:00 PM (view original):
Q: "How far does a company go to please a tiny percentage of its customers base?" - MikeT23
A: The question is always a good one. And one that businesspeople grapple with all the time.
To answer the question literally, on its face, if it is indeed just a tiny percentage of your customer base, and you have verified that it is only a tiny percentage, and assumming you are not in a business with razor thin margins, then you can ignore the issue. Even if the entire tiny percentage of customers were to take their custom elsewhere you can afford to lose them and good riddance.
If it's something more than a tiny percentage it might be good management to research the issue a bit.
I think, in the present case, we are dealing with more than a tiny percentage of HBDers. Questions, complaints, and generalized vents regarding WIS's unreponsiveness regarding downtime during the off hours and on weekends and holidays are too commonplace and frequent to characterize the annoyed customers as a tiny percentage.
Since it may be possible to address the issue with a $35 "hardware failure alarm" (as discussed above) I am of the opinion that WIS ought to go ahead and spend the $35. Where's the harm? Even if MikeT23 is right and I and my vast regiment of HBD friends and supporters are merely a tiny percentage of HBD's even vaster customer base it's just $35. Even if MikeT23 is right and we're just a bunch of Chicken Littles, and that we all just "suck balls" (one of MikeT23's favorite compliments), we're customers too. Our $23.95 spends the same as MikeT23's $23.95. And, since we are nervous nellies, Chicken Littles, without lives of our own, monitoring our HBD team 24/7, and posting 365 HBD Forum posts per day, per person, we like to be talked to, we need reassurance, even if its just a bot's reassurance. Spend the $35 already!
You say it's $35. I don't know that to be fact. Please provide the source of your info and, while you're at it, send the info to WifS via a ticket. Maybe they don't know about this $35 warning device.
Nonetheless, despite having no life, monitoring my teams 24/7 and posting 365 times per day, my panties were a lot less wadded up than some with regards to a delayed sim time. In fact, I'd say my panties weren't wadded at all. Can you say the same?
Why do you do this, Mike? Constantly do this? Jump on every, single post that displeases you and try to cut off all discussion and debate? You are such a zealous, vigilant apologist for HBD that, down the years, you have often been asked if you are on WIS's payroll. If you were to answer that question in the affirmative I could understand your behavior.
Customer complaints are one department most businesspeople prefer to avoid. Most complaints are misplaced or mistaken. Some are outright scams or cons, attempts to get something for nothing. The complaint department is almost always viewed as a necessary evil. The complaint department is not a pleasant place to be.
But some astute businesspeople learn that, occassionly, profitable ideas or tactics can be gleaned from customers' complaints; particularly complaints that are commonplace, frequent and that occur over a long period of time. (Such as the longstanding, frequent complaints regarding WIS's uncommunicativeness in the off hours regarding hardware downages.)
With many businesses the complaint department is merely a front. Manned by temps or trainees. A mere PR device uninterested in learning anything from customer complaints. I have heard tell that some businesses hire intimidating bullies rather than temps or trainees to man their complaint departments, in an attempt to discourage complaints, to minimize the time and expense devoted to complaints.
Is that what you are, Mike? HBD's Complaint Department? Hired to nip customer complaints in the bud by bullying and browbeating and belittling complaining customers so relentessly as to cut off discussion and debate before it leads to anything? (Either constructive or destructive?) If so you are certainly good at your job.