Why support staff invisible?

mtha · November 20th, 2005, 11:35 AM

Well, just wondering ...

I never see support staff on the online list, when I am online. Still see the posts...

there's no "last activity" in profile, so I assume that Support staff are "invisible"

just thinking that, for a paid product, staff should be available, or atleast show members that they are available/working ...

PP use forum as the mail support place, so, ALL questions need to be answer in a prompt time, or atleast show members that they are taken care of.

What I am seeing is a lot of lonely topics out there in the forum (at least it appear to me like that)

just my 2 cents

Quote:

# Customer Support Forums: If you are a customer and have an installation problem, a bug report, or any other question or comment, our "support forums" section is the place to post it. We monitor the forums day and night and will help you solve problems. PhotoPost customers frequent these forums as well and they'll offer you advice too.

Crow · November 20th, 2005, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtha

just thinking that, for a paid product, staff should be available, or atleast show members that they are available/working ...

I've always wondered this myself why staff would block members from seeing them online.

Michael P · November 20th, 2005, 05:47 PM

Simply put, to avoid alot of PMs. I usually have PMs turned off, but turn them on so members can send me information I need; but I simply cannot manage support requests via PMs, so discourage their use.

mtha · November 21st, 2005, 01:37 PM

Well, you (Photopost staff) really should have a helpdesk or support system, where licensed members can send tickets, and communicate with staff members, for private bugs/support (if there is any).

then, you can get informations you need that way, or by email.

I never think of "online/offline" status as a tool to encourage or discourage PM usages, by its definition.

petertdavis · November 21st, 2005, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael P

Simply put, to avoid alot of PMs.

Yea, God forbid you actually have to help a customer now and then.

Zachariah · November 21st, 2005, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtha

Well, you (Photopost staff) really should have a helpdesk or support system, where licensed members can send tickets, and communicate with staff members, for private bugs/support (if there is any).

then, you can get informations you need that way, or by email.

I never think of "online/offline" status as a tool to encourage or discourage PM usages, by its definition.

Personally I am glad that the "people" @ photopost took over the customers and honor current licensed owners. Many times in software buy outs the end-user gets the choice of new rates or pound sand.
(Right to Refuse Service)

It kills me the way you think that because you buy a product, you have a right to dictate how this man runs his business.

Try sending these remarks (term loosely used) to e-mail where suggestions go.

Are you mad that 28 people use your: "User Integration: 4images Gallery 1.7.1 + vB 3.5.0" ? I am just trying to understand your thinking.

- I never liked 4images - even thow its free - too many cookie problems and skin layouts .. ugg.

Michael P · November 21st, 2005, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtha

Well, you (Photopost staff) really should have a helpdesk or support system, where licensed members can send tickets, and communicate with staff members, for private bugs/support (if there is any).

then, you can get informations you need that way, or by email.

We do have a helpdesk system. You send email to support@photopost.com or sales@photopost.com depending on your needs.

Michael P · November 21st, 2005, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petertdavis

Yea, God forbid you actually have to help a customer now and then.

It's not an issue of not wanting to help people, it's an issue of being able to track that activity and having a staff that can answer issues much faster than someone waiting for one-on-one time with me. My time is spent 90% development, 10% support and so someone could end up waiting much longer for an answer from me than if they just posted in the forums. As far as I know vBulletin doesn't offer PM support with its developers, either.

I still answer alot of PMs, I just prefer that customers use the forums or helpdesk to get help in an organized manner so they aren't waiting for me to read/respond to PMs.

mtha · November 21st, 2005, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zachariah

Are you mad that 28 people use your: "User Integration: 4images Gallery 1.7.1 + vB 3.5.0" ? I am just trying to understand your thinking.

- I never liked 4images - even thow its free - too many cookie problems and skin layouts .. ugg.

hey hey, what are you trying to do here?

That 4images integration is not my product, it was Jan's, and since i use it, and there're many people want it, so I share, with more than 200 people installed it. Anyway, I am not talking about 4images here.

I own photopost license too, and I like the product. Here I am trying to give suggestions for a better product, better supports, that make licensed customers (like me) feeling better when buying, and using photopost.

back to the problem. I am not going to "dictate how this man runs his business", ok? I just want to suggest, for better customer service, support, since I am thinking about getting some more licenses, that's all.

Quote:

We do have a helpdesk system. You send email to support@photopost.com or sales@photopost.com depending on your needs.

ok, that'd work too.

I just give out the thought from a customer, that if we can see supporting staff around (by online status), it'd make us feel happier.

it's not a biggie, if you think there're move negative than positive!

Chuck S · November 21st, 2005, 02:38 PM

well I dont beleive I am invisible to my knowledge

and I tend to answer support posts rather quick

Michael P · November 21st, 2005, 02:39 PM

I actually don't have a problem with people seeing me online; honestly, it's just a habit from the very old days when I made myself invisible on any forum I signed up on (keep in mind, I was a customer before I was a developer here).

And while I can see reasons for it, that doesn't mean that I necessarily have an opinion one way or the other. I'm more than happy to make myself "visible" if that gives people a warm fuzzy, I just hope that people will understand that it's not an invitation to send me "hey, can you look at this?" PMs and then get upset because I didn't see their message at that particular moment.

mtha · November 21st, 2005, 02:59 PM

Thank you both. I cant say for all other customer, but I myself do feel good to see that the staff are around.

(... running around, sending Michael PMs ...

j/k)

Really want to see Photopost develop fast and strong. (esp when now you own vBGallery too).

PixelFX · November 21st, 2005, 03:01 PM

I'm just happy that vbgallery is still supported, it would of been a real shock if the project had just been cancelled instead.

So thank you to photopost team for trying to support vbagallery users. Any type of major transition like this is a huge stress, I'm sure on both parties, we should be happy that they are doing their best to support us.

Chuck S · November 21st, 2005, 03:11 PM

Thank's for the encouragement

Rids · November 22nd, 2005, 10:15 AM

I've just spent the last hour reading all the speculation and ridiculous PP bashing on numerous forums. Personally I find it all rather bewildering, in the three years I've been a PP customer the support has never dropped below first rate, with lots of prompt advice even on matters that technically are unsupported, including going into my server and fixing things for me. As far as I'm concerned vBA Gallery, or PP VB Gallery (or whatever its called now) is in excellent hands.

ps. I'm not employed by PP or a fanboy, I own licences for both products

Chuck S · November 22nd, 2005, 10:23 AM

Thanks Rids we work hard here as you know. I just bit my tongue and choose not to participate in the banter. Whats amazining in some of those threads is I would have never talked to my worst enemy in such a manner so they really get nasty quick. Quite a shame actually

Slave · November 22nd, 2005, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael P

I just hope that people will understand that it's not an invitation to send me "hey, can you look at this?" PMs and then get upset because I didn't see their message at that particular moment.

All you need to do is have something in your signature saying you wont reply to support requests via PM ..

If I remember correctly this is how the vb staff do it on both vb.com and vb.org.

mtha · November 23rd, 2005, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slave

All you need to do is have something in your signature saying you wont reply to support requests via PM ..

If I remember correctly this is how the vb staff do it on both vb.com and vb.org.

but seems to me that he does reply to support request via PM, which is good. Just not sending massive nonsense PMs.

Chuck S · November 23rd, 2005, 06:58 AM

Thus you simply turn off PM's as we as Michael and I both have. That way you do not have people waiting for support trying to get it by PM and they wait and wait and wait and get mad cause you do not support them.

Michael P · November 23rd, 2005, 07:03 AM

Actually, my PMs are enabled. I try to respond to as many as I can, but I cannot promise that it will be immediate (or even timely). As many will tell you over the past few days, I have been quite active using PMs.