Forum - View topicImproving the Bugs & Technical Tips Forum
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23743 |
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@ PJ - A week's non-response time is not acceptable. However, I think your tips are helpful and I encourage you to ask them to be stickied in the bugs & technical tips forum.
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 7580 Location: Wales |
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Since technical support has been my job description for the last 6 years I try to respond to any technical queries*, even if only to request more information that might help Dan when he comes along. I either missed your problem when it was first posted or perhaps was unable to respond at the time and then forgot since it was no longer showing unread for which I apologise.
* not including video, since I can't even access them. Somewhat amusingly I moderate the video support forum for FUNimation, and I can't access those either. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23743 |
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Three points: 1) No I was not aware that there was a systemic problem of non-responses in that forum. I rarely visit it because a) I don't have any technical problems very often b) I have very limited computer knowledge so therefore I can't be of use to anybody else. 2) I had a similar experience previously and complained about it in the thread in question at the time. When it happened again, I felt compelled to up the stakes and therefore made a thread about it here. 3) I don't care if you can "accept" my position or not. If you think dan42's practice of not checking the forum very often and of not acknowledging enquiries that he doesn't know how to fix is acceptable, then what can I say? You are a customer representative's dream. @ Shiroi Hane - I appreciate you pitching in. I'm sure with your background you will often have useful suggestions to make. But you shouldn't feel bad if you don't answer a thread there. It's great you are prepared to help out, but it's not your job. It is up an ANN staffer to step in and offer a timely acknowledgement if nobody else has stepped up to the plate. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Apparently you seldom visit the Encyclopedia forum. You should have gotten an idea by reading how he solved others' problems and conversations between he and I. There had been a glitch on his profile title and we're working on it.
A big problem is that ANN has very few full-time staff, and among them only 1 and 1/2 have computer backgrounds: as the Editor-in-Chief, Chris (tempest) has much more editorial jobs to work with; he'd only rush in when there's an emergency, such as the site goes offline and Dan is out of town. Most people on the staff page are volunteers and have day jobs to take care of first. It's an old problem but I don't expect it solved in foreseeable future. Addendum: I forgot to mention that Justin is in charge of video contents (partly because I don't have access to it so his name didn't come up first; sorry!) but I'm not sure if he has computer backgrounds or not. Last edited by dormcat on Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:06 am; edited 1 time in total |
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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None of them relevant. I'll forgo the moron comment and hope the remark is because you're having a bad day, because I'm going to prove the remark is misguided. You posted an issue to which you immediately identified a specific browser, OS, and location only you were experiencing. Never mind the fact everything was working for you at home. Blood-, do you realize what you were asking here? Allow me to translate it: "Dan, my office, which may or may not be using software and/or firewalls, is using a browser which only 2% of the world uses, and I can't seem to get links at ANN working, but it's fine at home. Can you help me, a Mac user, since I can't really ask my IT dept?" I'm assuming you didn't ask them first. Where it gets problematic is here:
Note the bold, which is precisely where your issue now relies... software, because your home access proves this. I'm not moronic to the point I expect everyone to understand the web world, but there's a question to be asked when people ignore the facts before them while knee-jerking to a website to request assistance. A week of no response was the polite thing to do in this situation, rather than point out the obvious disregard you've provided here. The customer is not always right when they start off doing something wrong. That's my position in this matter and it's why I don't back you. I'm sorry you can't accept the fact you're in the wrong here, but in today's culture on the internet, the attitude is less than surprising. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23743 |
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Thanks for the honesty, dormcat. You have convinced me to not ever buy premium content from ANN nor participate in any of its future simulcasts (if there are any more). I can live with inadequate tech support when there is no cash on the line, but if this is what the situation is and I have a problem with something I've paid for, I would want a higher level of capability to resort to if need be.
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egoist
 Posts: 7762 |
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Come on Blood-, that's not like you. Take a nice and relaxing bath and use your Blacksmith towel to dry yourself afterwards to calm down a bit.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23743 |
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Well, that puts a different complexion on things. If there is somebody specifically tasked with video issues, then that gives me more confidence that a problem would be addressed. From what I know of Justin's background, he seems equal to the job, or at the very least be able to arrange a prompt refund for something that can't be fixed. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18168 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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This isn't appropriate, Blood-. Consider this a warning. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23743 |
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Since when is telling somebody to over-eat against the rules? Pity technical questions don't get as speedy a response as tepid insults around here.
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10420 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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The delay getting responses is something I had hoped to address with a new staffer early this year. However the biggest reason for hiring that person (what would have paid their salary) is a project that has been delayed by at least 6 months.
In the meantime, sorry, but there will sometimes be delays to posts addressed to staff in any forum. This delay could be because 1) the appropriate staff member doesn't see it because they're on vacation 2) the appropriate staff member doesn't see it because they're too busy to check the forum for a while 3) we're looking into it and don't have an answer for you yet... But past examples clearly show this forum isn't useless, so please don't exaggerate. -t |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23743 |
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First, I am heartened to hear that a new, paid staffer may be hired at some point in the future. I believe that will go along way to correcting current deficiencies.
And I am not exaggerating the forum's uselessness to me. I have tried to use it twice without getting a timely response, either time. The person responsible for the forum has openly admitted that rather than acknowledging enquiries he cannot answer, he simply ignores them. How much clearer a definition of useless is that? That is not to say that other people haven't benefited from the forum. I'm sure they have. But given what I've just outlined, I don't think any reasonable person can blame me for feeling the way I do. The problem is that ANN straddles two worlds: on the one hand it has business functions: it pays salaries to employees, it collects revenue from advertising and through the sale of premium content, for example. But it also retains vestiges of its humbler message board origins: i.e. depending on volunteer staff to help moderate and administer the site. What real business would tell a customer he is being "melodramatic" or "exaggerating" a perceived flaw? None. Bad customer service is the hallmark of a bad business. Period. Ironically, the only individual in this thread who has demonstrated even a rudimentary sense of good customer service is Shiroi Hane and he isn't even an ANN staffer (as far as I know). Anyway, it is pointless to comment further. The, uh, "business" culture of ANN is what it is and that's not going to change. For my part, I simply have to concentrate on what it is doing right: providing extensive anime and anime-related news coverage, offering a variety of interesting reviewers and other excellent editorial content, hosting well-moderated forums for discussion as well as an extensive library of video material. That's a lot and I appreciate it. I'll just have to abandon any expectation of professional customer service. Meh, on balance a fair trade, I guess. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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How many times do I have to remind you that you were mistaken? Just visit the Encyclopedia forum and read for yourself, mate.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23743 |
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SHIROI HANE IS NOT LISTED IN THE STAFF DIRECTORY (THAT I CAN SEE). THERE IS NOTHING I CAN FIND SEE IN HIS PROFILE THAT IDENTIFIES HIM AS AN ANN STAFFER. EXACTLY WHAT DOES GOING TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA FORUM TELL ME? WHAT THREAD WOULD I LOOK IN TO SEE IF SHIROI HANE IS AN STAFFER OR NOT? WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST SAY RIGHT OFF THE BAT WHAT HIS FUNCTION IS HERE INSTEAD OF BEING OBTUSE? WHAT FUNCTION ARE YOU PROVINDING IN THIS THREAD BEYOND AMPLY DEMONSTRATING THE PROBLEMS IN ANN'S "CUSTOMER SERVICE"??? Jeus Christ. Unbelievable. |
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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I wouldn't compare the moderating here, to the technical support. Two different entities. One paid, another volunteered. Even though there's a certain moderator who hates me!!
Since they do a lot more than just support users. Even more during such a unique time for Anime News Network. They're upgrading about everything here, and I'm very thankful for that. I understand this line of work despite having specifically never done it. There's no clock or records holding you, but you still work more than you're paid for. Considering what I've read of dan's posts, it's really hard to believe that he isn't that kind of person. You're being a little unfair here, Blood-. I'm sure they're people who like their line of work, and would love to do it perfectly, but time moves faster than you'd believe. This is the line of work of people who don't have an exact place to "clock in" do. It's hard, and you're, under very rare circumstances, satisfied with your day's work. I live like this, these days. This is my line of work. If I don't ignore certain requests for a prolonged time, I wouldn't get my job done. I still find it hard to believe that this is the Blood- I know. Did anything happen at work, buddy? Last edited by egoist on Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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