What the hell is wrong with some of these internet services??? Are they on a suicide mission to kill their market position? Now that they build up a formidable presence or get bought up by a big corporation they seem to dedicate all their energy to screw up the great things they have.
Okay, your service is stable, the code base is mature, and maybe growth isn’t what it was. However, you still have the undisputed lead. You still have a great community! So what do you do? Screw your users over for kicks of course. I mean, really guys, it takes a lot of effort to destroy the loyalty you built up but you’re certainly doing a good job. Bastards.
Two notable examples stand out in recent times: Flickr’s “integration” with Yahoo! and Digg’s suicidal policy against top contributors. At least Flickr’s got a multi-million dollar acquisition (I’m assuming). Still, either way it’s a waste. You want to kill enthusiasm in the product that was the darling of A-list bloggers only days ago? Here are some things for you to do.
Force Users to Do Something they Don’t Want to Do
The best example of this is Flickr’s recent move to force all customers (from Flickr’s startup days as well) to integrate their accounts with Yahoo! accounts. WTF? There are so many reasons I don’t like Yahoo IDs starting with the fact that it’s a total piece of crap. They suck on so many levels it’s ridiculous. First, all the decent IDs are taken to the point that any Yahoo! ID I choose looks more like a freakin’ secure password than anything remotely resembling a proper identity. Yeah! Sign me up as b4r0nVC9923874ftw@yahoo.com or better yet 27878264_hot_blogger823974@yahoo.com you pricks. If those aren’t taken already!!! I’m sure they are. Why not just assign me a random identity?
Not only that, in their supreme concern to protect me from evil phishers taking over my crap account they log me out every 5 minutes or make me re-enter my password. Maybe there wouldn’t be so many phishers and scammers if you didn’t give them their crap accounts to start with? Integration makes a lot of sense I’m sure. It’s like finding out your super hot girlfriend comes from a family of homeless drug addicts and you’re expected to fit in and live with them. Right.
Distrust Your Most Loyal Customers
Shoot first and ask questions later. Assume all users are a spammer or scammer unless they provide a valid credit card, home address, daytime phone number, and verified photograph taken in the last 6 months. Especially the ones who’ve been around longer, they’re the most suspicious. At least that’s Digg’s policy. What the hell do they need from me to know that I’m not trying to ruin their service? Fingerprints and a sworn oath of allegiance? Maybe they should outsource their customer service to the Department of Homeland Security’s anti-terrorism department.
Is it any wonder their stories are crap lately? A hefty portion of front page stories are now submitted by virtually anonymous crap accounts.
I don’t know how they pulled a Britney Spears but they did. Just a couple months ago they were the hottest blonde on the block and now you have a bald, fat drug addict with a growing assortment of tattoos, a divorce, and kids burning through whatever money she had. At least Britney’s in rehab. She knows she has a problem. I wish I could say the same for Digg. Can you say train wreck 2.0? Who the hell is going to buy you now? By the time you come to senses even K-Fed will be able to afford you.
Closing Remarks
Oh well, you’re only as hot as your closest competitor allows you to be or another hot service comes on the radar. Every web company’s time is limited. Think twice before you start alienating customers. If you can’t improve something the best policy is to leave it alone. Don’t break something that isn’t broken. If you have the dying urge to do something build another freakin’ site or go buy another hot startup but please, just please, let the people who support you support you. That’s all I ask.
You mean you didn’t get in on the Yahoo ten years ago like the rest of us?
Heck, I remember when they merged in my GeoCities account!
You know I did. They even had a decent email service back in the day that I used as my primary address (POP, forwarding, the works) until they started crippling features to squeeze out money for a paid version and sold my info to spammers or something (because my inbox suddenly started getting flooded with spam). Ever since then it’s been downhill more or less and I haven’t looked back.
Baron’s out for bear…
Seems whenever a site hits critical mass, all the spammers and marketers trying to push their own businesses pile in there. I’m worried MyBlogLog is next…
I think MBL already went there. I got my account’s friending suspended for adding too many contacts.
I would love to tell you of our experience my wife and I add with the Big Blue Box (Best Buy). Trust me if I would have know of your Web site I would have heeded the warnings and advice of others that have had just horrible experience with Best Buy.
Well here goes:
My wife and I decided to take some of our Tax Return to buy us a new Washer, and Dryer. Well as usual we went to BB as we have done for in the last (9) years to buy all of our Big Price appliance items, as we have bought our (3) Desktop Computers, (2) Refrigerator, (1) Dishwasher, (2) TV’s (3) DVD Player’s, (2) VCR’s, (3) Surround Sound Systems…. etc…well you get the picture, close to $10,000.00 over those (9) years.
Things seem to go smoothly with the purchase of both of them till the arraigning of the FREE delivery that was with the package deal. But the sales person worked out the glitches an made the delivery on Wed’s the 14th of February in the late afternoon. I informed the sales person that we had some serious plans made, and could they arraign it before or after the 14th. “No” was the reply that it was the only day they could make the delivery. Well ok I said, “but let’s make sure it happens”. No problem was the reply; a they would call us the night before to confirm the time in the afternoon. “Great”, I said, let’s do it.
The night of the 13th we waited till around 9pm for their call. Nothing, no call. So I called the store a talked to the sale person that sold us the Washer/Dryer, and asked when they would be delivered. I waited on hold for over 20 minutes. Finally I called back and asked for the Manager on Duty. Waited other 10 minutes till he came on the line. I explained the situation to him; he stated he would check into this. After other 10 minutes he game back on the line. He stated that the Order for delivery was CANCELLED and that there was not going to be a delivery. Well my jaw dropped to the floor. “What the Hell was going on”, I asked, I know we didn’t cancel the order for delivery. I informed him of this and said this was not acceptable and that they would need to make the delivery as promised and that we would not be available for any other day. And why the Hell had this had happen. After waiting for other 15 minutes on the phone he finally came back on with “ it will be delivered tomorrow between 4pm an 6pm” OK I said great. As I was about to thank him he hung up, without an apology of any kind, or any explanation of what was going on? Well this should have clued me into Best Buy’s customer service policy of SCREW’EM AN LOSES’EM. Well as promise they did deliver the machines on time, but not with out some hassles there too.
Where comes the good part:
The following week my wife an I decided to buy a new laptop computer, and of course BB was having a Package Deal on a Toshiba laptop with Windows Vista installed and also with Mini mouse, and carrying case. This sounded great, and in our price arrange too. So we went into the Store and as usual we had to hunt down someone in the computer department to help us with the purchase. After finding a fresh Snot Nose Narcissistic Kid barely out of high school to help us, we decided to ask a few questions about the New Windows Vista system. We wanted to know if this laptop would be able to communicate with the other (3) computers we have in our home running Windows XP? And would it work with our Linksys Network Router System? And will we be able to share files, and to use our Lexmark Printer with this new Windows Vista, and our Network? “ Well of course it would…was his reply, with no problems. “ Well with that, and the blind trust I put in people we bought the laptop, and the extended service plan. And back home with our new toy.
Well we got it home and started to set it up, and everything was going as smooth as silk till we tried to set up the Network to share files/folders with the other computers, and the printer. Now I am not illiterate when it comes to computers, nor am I an expert, but I knew something was a miss, and something was not right. Well it was late and we decided to wait till the morning to finish the setup.
The following day was the Worst Frkin Nightmare I have had in 35 years (showing my age of 55) of dealing with any big business, and of course the worst day I ever had with Best Buy.
I kept trying to make the Laptop communicate with the Network, and my other (3) computers. I would keep getting a Microsoft Windows Error of “not finding a Network”. After spending an hour on their web site I could find nothing, so I called them. I spent over 45 minutes waiting; finally I spoke to someone about the problem (because I thought since it was a Windows Error the would be able to help) no such luck. They said I would need to contact Toshiba about this since this was an OEM (original equipment manufacture) problem, and not theirs. “Great” Called Toshiba, nothing, this were their service person informs me that the new Windows Vista program will not work with the network, router, a printer if my other (3) computers are running Windows XP. “HOLY COW POOP”. This was Frkin Peachy. Toshiba suggested to call Best Buy to see what they can do for me, buy asking someone there if they could help set up the network to communicate with the other computers. Sounded like sense. So I did.
So I called the Big Blue Box (BB) and spoke to same manager I had dealt with on the delivery problem. Wow that was the most stupid mistake I ever made. This manager was the biggest “DICK” I ever spoke to. I calmly explained the problem to him, an how I was led to believe that there would be no problem with this Laptop running Windows Vista to work with my computers, network, and printer. He told me point blank told me that his sales person would have “never would have told me such a thing”. God I was outraged, not only was He calling me a Lair but also it was quite clear that this worthless manager was not going to help me at all. I asked to speak to his Boss, (the store manager) SHE was not there. Then I asked how to get in contact with his District manager…. guess what…that’s right, he refused to give me that info also stating he did not know how, an even if he did he would not give me that info, because all customer concerns, and problems are handled at the store level, and that this problem did not warrant any further attention. What a worthless piece of human waste. I asked what was the name of his store manager, at first he was very hesent, and then he gave me her name.
Well for the next (4) days I spent calling the Best Buy customer service line, (what a gdamn joke this is), calling their Corp Office, calling their District office, trying to get someone to listen and care about my problem. Again No-one gave a Royal flying Rats Ass about what was going on. Only to inform me that all the customer relation problems needs are handle at the Store Level. “My God, don’t they understand that here in lies the problem the Store Management and the rotten little peckerhead that sold me the Laptop. “NO>>>HELL NO”. So after nearly going to the Hospital because on my Blood Pressure I decided to give it up. Knowing that Best Buy had SCREWED ME IN THE ASS AN NEVER USED ANY TYPE OF LUB TO EASE THE PAIN. Then out of the Blue the lousy Store Manager called an gave me the lamest apology I ever heard but still would not help me with my problem only offering to send out the GEEK Squad to make my Laptop work with my other computers, an network. But of course this would cost me other $200.00 for their service. God what kind of sick joke these folks live under, what kind of CON-Game they are playing on the costumer, what kind of people believe they would have me come back an waste my money in their store after this kind of Bull Sh___t.
God I pray, and beg anyone reading this not to buy your need’s at Best Buy, they will Lie, Cheat, an screw you up the behind so hard, that you will see stars. If any one reading this and still believes they will get good service from BB, all you will get is a Stroke.
BEST BUY GO TO HELL YOU ROTTEN MOTHERF___KERS.