A couple of days ago, I was having problems with an app on my iPhone, so I contacted the manufacturer. I just happen to know a developer there, so I contacted him at the same time. He asked me to open a ticket so that he could justify working on the problem.
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This is where the story begins. The designers have added a link in the app that gets you directly to the organization’s support page. The designers have done their bit to make the system work. The support team on the other hand has a web page that wants to know your name, address, phone number, problem description, purchase date, and a number of other unrelated things then they forward you to a FAQ. They basically want you to solve your own problem, which would be fair if it was my problem, but it isn’t.
The first time through the process I give up and go back to work. The App continues to be annoying so a couple of days later I try again. This time I find a small link at the bottom of the page that brings me to a new form, where I have to enter all the information a second time, but I eventually get a ticket number. I forward the ticket number to my contact and wait to here from support.
The next day, I get an email with no return address from support, saying that I should read the FAQ and provide more information for them to investigate the problem. I ignore them and a day later, I hear from my contact that the problem was on the server end of the app and has been fixed. I’m happy that I could contribute to making the app better, no thanks to their support organization.
The day after that, I hear from support in another email, basically scolding me for not responding and warning me that they will not be addressing my problem if I don’t write them a novel. Well news flash guys, I’m already writing a novel this month and it’s not about you.
If you have this kind of problem in your organization, then you need to address it or expect to loose customers.
</Rant>