Policies which hamper good communications

from Stardock Forums
I have had many issues with Stardock Support not replying to my emails. It has pissed me off and I have vented in here before. I decided after the last fiasco in this forum, to resubmit my problems via email and see if conditions were any better. I am only intending to discuss what I see as communication problems here; this thread is not about the specific problems.

On Feb 23, 25, 27 & 28 I emailed support with 4 unique problems (all for OD+.) The emails I sent on the 27th and 28th did not generate an automatic email reply from support. So I resent those two again (and noted in the email that these were the second emails I set.) I did receive automated email replies after each second sending.

This is BIG problem # one: Emails get lost and if your unfamiliar with the automated reply mechanism or forget to look for the automated reply; you think your message is being ignored. People with problems don't like to be ignored!

The first problem (DIL-167580) was replied to in 24 hours by Travis G. He requested a screenshot of the problem. I first set a better verbal explanation email and then set an annotated screenshot of the problem.

For the other problems UQV-328578 (2/25), BPQ-641728 (2/27), and CSA-614789 (2/28) I never received anything other than the automated reply. The automated replies said this: "Please allow up to 48 business hours for a response." Now 48 business hours; is that 2 business days or 8 (48 business hours divided by 6 business hours per day (open 09 - 16:00))? It has been 8, 7, & 6 Business days since I sent them; so I'm not sure if your late on replying or not. This is not very clear.

Yesterday I received the second reply from Travis (144 earth hours after sending my last reply to his email.) I was a little surprised at what he wanted me to try. On the 28th, I had sent an email with amplifying information regarding the problem (and would have invalidate his recommended solution.)

I decided to look at the stardock.helpserve.com site to see if my amplifying email was received. I saw that it was received. I also saw that my three other unique problems were all now clumped into the one ticket (DIL-167580). Issues with this revelation:

1. I don't see these four issues as one problem.
2. No one notified me that problem tickets UQV-328578, BPQ-641728 and CSA-614789 were all combined into ticket DIL-167580.
3. Which problem was Travis's recommended solution attempting to solve, since the ticket now contains four separate problems?

This is BIG problem # two: combining issues into one ticket, without notifying the customer, is just bad communications. If I had not checked the helpserve site AND read all the messages carefully; I wouldn't know about this combining of problems. The auto reply emails don't make it sound like you really NEED to check the website.

I also noticed that Travis closed the problem that he gave the (lame) solution for. Is stardock support so desperate to close problems that they just fire-off cheap solutions and automatically close the ticket? Maybe they think people will just give up on their problems after receiving lame advice? Considering the known email problems at stardock support, maybe this fire and forget it mentality is a bad idea? This is BIG problem # three: automatically closing tickets.

OK, there it is. My opinion on bad decisions and policies. I worked in the computer industry for 30 years as a CS support type and a programmer in Ops. I have seen many good and bad policies in those years. These policies may be working for you now, but they will not work forever.

Dan Dunn
12,076 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

An intelligent and well put-together writeup. I applaud you for taking the high road in this post (although, the bit about the 'lame solution' could have been left out, as support may not have thought it was lame, but rather been sincerely offering what they thought was a viable solution)

While I cannot act on anything you've posted about, I'll make sure that someone from support reviews this post.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Nicely written.   
Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can see problems with combining multiple issues as well.... For instance, when one of the issues is solved, and the ticket closed - then that leaves all the "combined" issues as closed as well, despite the fact they may have never been addressed.

I think that the changes which should be implemented are:

1: To update a ticket, reply to the confirmation post. This may require some software updates.
2: New posts always result in new tickets that aren't combined. This would of course work best if customers are advised of #1.
3: Techs should be able to mark a ticket "Close Pending Response" - which would leave the ticket open for 36 hours and then close it automatically *unless* a response to the last communication is received, which would reopen the ticket.

That would address pretty much everything that Dan Dunn brings up wouldn't it?
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think those are excellent suggestions, Loth, on a very well-written article.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey,

Well I cannot account for everything that occurred I can account for the "closed" issue.

When a ticket is marked closed it is never actually closed. A reply to that ticket opens it again and places is back in the waiting line. The only difference between Open, On Hold, and Closed is how the tech is sorting the email. All responses put all tickets back in the que.

I too appreciate the high road when it comes to constructive criticism. Please look to your email for a follow up on this ticket.

Cheers,
Seabass6.7

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Good critique, Dan. The kind of constructive feedback should be very helpful and will hopefully be looked at carefully.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thank you Dan for posting a clear & concise step by step of issues you encountered. I too hope that these issues are looked at closely and that your your issues are resolved.

It's My Secret
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
I for one will add that I like that you listed everything out as part of a rant instead of just “Ranting”.

However I have to say that just reading that post gives me nightmares.

You sent in multiple emails for multiple problems to a company that gets tons upon tons of emails in a day (how much I am not sure but I bet it is a lot). 4 different emails for 4 different problems seems like a huge mess to me and I for one do not blame them at all for combining that.

If the response wasn’t what you wanted why did you not simply write back (or did you after the response that confused you)?

You are also screaming and ranting over 20 dollars spent on software that has TONS of user support online as well as great support backing it up.

As much as I am all about the consumer and not getting hung out to dry myself I look instead to the support tech in this case. You sent him a flurry of emails and he tried to sort them into something he could understand. They say often in these forums that if you post again to your ticket it resets the counter and you go back the beginning of the line. You might have noticed that the expansion to GalCiv came out. I am betting that the tech staff isn’t just sitting there.

Now keep in mind that I am not a Stardock fanboi. If there is a problem I hope that tech support gets right on it for you. However pitching a mess at support and getting a mess back seems somewhat logical.

Don’t bother yelling at me for this point of view. Being support from many years ago I just wanted to put in my 2 cents. Stardock has always treated me well and supported their products in fantastic ways.
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
You sent in multiple emails for multiple problems to a company that gets tons upon tons of emails in a day (how much I am not sure but I bet it is a lot). 4 different emails for 4 different problems seems like a huge mess to me and I for one do not blame them at all for combining that.


Well...like I said I have been in this business for a while and one bug per bug report is pretty much the standard in this industry. Many bug tracking software systems make note about not reporting two different bugs in one incident report. When each stardock automated reply returns with a unique ID (uid) and request that uid in the subject line for each subsequent follow-up email; then it looks like that is what the software designers had in mind when they designed the bug tracking system.

And you should note that I generated four different bugs on four different days. You would have me what, wait until the end of the week and then place them all into one email basket....??? I don't think so.

And you accuse me of ranting...?

Dan Dunn
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
My experience has been very positive (thanks again Mike!). That said, Dan makes a number of very clear, reasoned and impassioned points.

Would that all who have concerns could be so!
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I for one do not want this to turn into anything like what occurred here before......so if you have nothing positive to say about Dan's original post please do not reply. This thread is about stating some issues he had & how he is attempting to resolve them. If you are angry about anything he has to say.....please take this privately.....Click on each others name & select e-mail.

It's My Secret
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
MySecret, reasonable dialog is a good thing.  Disagreement is also good as long as it's polite.

Let's not be discouraging communication because it MIGHT get ugly. OK?
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

You are also screaming and ranting over 20 dollars spent on software that has TONS of user support online as well as great support backing it up.

Please.

Dan Dunn has posted a mature, intelligent thread outlining his experiences with Stardock Support.

It is definitely NOT a 'rant', nor is it 'screaming'.  There 'may' have been instances of such in the past but if ONLY everyone who had an 'issue' would rethink his/her approach and address it similarly to this then the world [and Wincustomize] would be a better place FOR it.

Kudos to Dan's approach....

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Agreed Zubaz...in this particular instance I was on defense mode and didn't want to see his post turning ugly.

It's My Secret
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top
screaming and ranting?   
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

I have looked into this matter (I'm the one that manages the support team), and there are things that went wrong and issues with the software that we are using that made the matters worse.

I'm not excusing what happened- I'm just saying that things didn't go in a typical fashion.

Travis and I chatted today (I was out yesterday) and he assured me that he is opening dialog with you again and working on your issues.

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Kudos to Dan's approach....


Have to agree........this time.