My review of customer service on SMF

Shawn

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My review of customer service on SMF
« on March 18th, 2013, 05:49 PM »
Firstly, I use the term customer service because SMF is an NPO. I know they are providing a free software and its volunteers but the fact they are an NPO, attempts to set them in a more "professional level" of software development and providing, even if it is free.

I am getting a PhD in management and have had plenty of business and marketing classes to know what is good for a brand and what is bad for a brand. I am seeing a lot of bad things going down at SMF that is horrible for their brand and reputation and I figured I'd give it a full review here and see what you all think of it.

The other day, I suggest a new feature for SMF. Now if the feature was considered a bad idea or better as a mod, that would be fine with me. I never expected anyone to implement it. I just wanted to post the idea and get feedback for it. IMO, it was a good idea. :) Anyways, an official member of support came on the topic and said this and I quote "remember....  people are stupid. we'll get complaints "How do I make a new poll?!?!?!"" Now some of you may be thinking, This is true as some people will not be able to comprehend the change and be confused. However, I am not thinking that... I am looking at it in a business perspective, I am seeing an official team member say that the software in which they represent has stupid customers. If I was a new comer and saw this, I'd take offense and likely move on to another software such as PhpBB or MyBB or paid solution. Why? Because I saw a staff member post something that basically says we do not appreciate our customers. Now if I was the owner or CEO of a business and I saw an employee conduct this sort of irresponsible behavior, it would end in a termination. The support team member represents the software provider and so anything they say in relation to the provider will go against that provider. Its all about putting yourself in the shoes of a regular and potential customer.

The other thing is, I had deactivated my account on SMF a while ago to take a break from it. I mean I don't take the support members very seriously anyways so if I need support, I can just get it right off of AAF without having to wade through bull shit and insults. The reason I had deactivated the account was because, again, official support members were seemly trying to post things that would offend Americans. Now I am an American but I am not one of the ones who thinks we are the best and the shit, however, I will defend my honor... I would love to see every America who uses SMF to stop using it and see how their usage stats drop. It could of been any country, you don't treat your customers like shit, period.

Thoughts on my observations?

Discuss... Debate... :)

Kindred

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #1, on March 18th, 2013, 08:50 PM »Last edited on March 18th, 2013, 08:59 PM
rotfl...   that would have been me.

and yes.. people are stupid.
I treat smart, normal and stupid people the same way... :P

However, I don't think that anyone has been "treated like shit" by SMF

(yes, Arantor, I know, you have something to say about that, but there' no need to bring all that up - he's talking about "smf customers" so PPPBBBTTTTHHH :P)


I will also note: I believe that most of the team actually are Americans..

Road Rash Jr.

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emanuele

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #3, on March 18th, 2013, 09:57 PM »Last edited on March 18th, 2013, 10:21 PM
SMF is a piece of software, it can't treat anyone nor anything like shit. :P

Dragooon

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emanuele

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Oracle

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #6, on March 18th, 2013, 10:36 PM »
Quote from emanuele on March 18th, 2013, 09:57 PM
SMF is a piece of software, it can't treat anyone nor anything like shit. :P
Yeah a piece of software that is unable to progress!

Oh and as for customers if you didn't have them you wouldn't have the software in the first place, there would be no need for it >

Correct?

Arantor

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #7, on March 18th, 2013, 10:48 PM »
Quote
(yes, Arantor, I know, you have something to say about that, but there' no need to bring all that up - he's talking about "smf customers" so PPPBBBTTTTHHH :P)
I should add, this was raised elsewhere. And right there I defended the attitude. I said it might not have been as gracious or as courteous as might be ideal, but the basic principle is quite right. It has been my experience that most users do not know what they want or even what they think they need. And yes, most users could - if they put their brain in gear - come up with the right answers to these things. But invariably there is an inability to see beyond the first hurdle.
Quote
However, I don't think that anyone has been "treated like shit" by SMF
No, not by the software. The software has been good to everyone. SMF != SMF project.
Quote
Yeah a piece of software that is unable to progress!

Oh and as for customers if you didn't have them you wouldn't have the software in the first place, there would be no need for it >

Correct?
This is something that Kindred and others do not appear to understand.

The developers are customers too - or should be. So should the rest of the team. But more than one support team member does not actively run any forums. (Site team could be forgiven for such. Their speciality is not running forums or indeed writing code for such.)
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emanuele

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #8, on March 18th, 2013, 11:09 PM »
Quote from Oracle on March 18th, 2013, 10:36 PM
Oh and as for customers if you didn't have them you wouldn't have the software in the first place, there would be no need for it >

Correct?
mmm...that's a sort of chicken-egg dilemma.
But, I can break the dilemma: I'm not coding for any customer. I'm coding for myself, if no one else were to use my software [1], I wouldn't be that concerned [2], so, from my own personal perspective, without "customers" there can be software, without "developers" no.

Disclaimer: what I wrote here has nothing to do with the main subject of the topic (i.e. I'm neither Kindred nor SMF's lawyer or spokesman).
 1. ...well, they would be indeed wise, but that's not the main point here :P
 2. yeah, maybe my ego would suffer a bit, but it already suffers for so many other issues that this would just be a drop in the sea

Arantor

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #9, on March 18th, 2013, 11:10 PM »
Quote
yeah, maybe my ego would suffer a bit, but it already suffers for so many other issues that this would just be a drop in the sea
You have nothing to be ashamed of here :) In fact you're one of the few people I've seen who could keep it going who's still around.

Shawn

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xrunner

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #11, on May 1st, 2013, 02:37 AM »
I recently got called out "over there" for daring to ask a person why he thought what he was asking help for was a problem. Even as other team members do the same or worse all the time.

I started a thread about what I felt was harassment by said team member. Eventually the thread was locked, but not before their logic was absolutely crushed by yours truly.

Yay. :)

Kindred

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #12, on May 1st, 2013, 03:16 PM »
ummm... not quite. :P

Like many of your arguments, you seem to think that you have unassaible logic, when in reality, it is actually just a strong opinion.

Arantor's point was stronger than yours.


Arantor

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Kindred

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #14, on May 1st, 2013, 03:25 PM »
rotfl...   just a nod to the previous debate, not re-entering the fray. :)

my point was not about validity of opinion, but the "crushed logic" :)

As I said, your argument that they let you (and me, for that matter) get away with the same comment to the OP was really the only logical argument in the bunch. :D
... and xrunner, it wasn't so much your comment that got the topic split as the fact that you wouldn't let it go.
Even Arantor and I backed off after making our opinion known on the OP's request.
(and by the time you joined with your comment, they had moved beyond the "something is wrong"  and into "I really would like to change this" and Kays was helping him do just that. :))