3 ms·

Well, sure it was bleeding edge. That's not the point. Bleeding edge doesn't mean that your support has to be completely broken like this.

Someone 8y ago
I wouldn’t call that “completely broken”. You can argue it took too long, or that having to give that advice for the reason given is stupid, or that the customer didn’t want to get that advice, but in the example the customer managed to get through to customer support and got clear, actionable advice. I frequently read worse on HN about Google, where even reaching tech support can be ‘challenging”, and Apple, where app reviews report issues that developers can’t make heads or tails of.
- masonicb00m 8y ago
  I have interacted with Apple’s app reviewers for years and never experienced what you’re describing.
  - untog 8y ago
    It really isn't difficult to search online for stories of people struggling with Apple app reviewers. Just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
    - masonicb00m 8y ago
      There are people who have a bad experience and they complain about it on the internet. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just adding the opposite data point.
- jolmg 8y ago
  Sure, "close your account" is actionable, but it's funny to think that it's not a clear sign that their customer support is completely broken. I mean, when you inform a company of a problem and their customer support admits that it's a bug on the company's side, but they can't fix it because they don't have any way to inform the developers from the company in question, how is that not being broken? Customer support should be a filter to the developers, but instead they're a fake door. Despite being a 3rd party, the customer support represents the company. From the customer's side, the company apparently can't communicate with itself. That's completely broken in my book. > I frequently read worse on HN Right, that's why it's funny. The bar is very low here, and that's why you can count it as not being completely broken.
- naasking 8y ago
  > I wouldn’t call that “completely broken”. The intent of customer services is to retain a customer in the event of problems. "You should close your account" is therefore broken customer service.
tabtab 8y ago
History is that when one one uses bleeding edge; good support and/or reliability is relatively rare. Whether it must be that way or if it's just a bad industry habit can be debated. But, if one looks at the history of most very-new tech, it quite often is not reliable regardless of cause. Therefore, you should probably not assume the newest incarnation will not have this problem. I don't have any solid study, but watching the industry for many decades has shown me this pattern. Here is a common saying that I didn't invent: "Never buy version 1.0". (Wow, I got a -3 above. That hurts.)

Someone 8y ago

I wouldn’t call that “completely broken”. You can argue it took too long, or that having to give that advice for the reason given is stupid, or that the customer didn’t want to get that advice, but in the example the customer managed to get through to customer support and got clear, actionable advice. I frequently read worse on HN about Google, where even reaching tech support can be ‘challenging”, and Apple, where app reviews report issues that developers can’t make heads or tails of.

masonicb00m 8y ago
I have interacted with Apple’s app reviewers for years and never experienced what you’re describing.
- untog 8y ago
  It really isn't difficult to search online for stories of people struggling with Apple app reviewers. Just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
  - masonicb00m 8y ago
    There are people who have a bad experience and they complain about it on the internet. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just adding the opposite data point.
jolmg 8y ago
Sure, "close your account" is actionable, but it's funny to think that it's not a clear sign that their customer support is completely broken. I mean, when you inform a company of a problem and their customer support admits that it's a bug on the company's side, but they can't fix it because they don't have any way to inform the developers from the company in question, how is that not being broken? Customer support should be a filter to the developers, but instead they're a fake door. Despite being a 3rd party, the customer support represents the company. From the customer's side, the company apparently can't communicate with itself. That's completely broken in my book. > I frequently read worse on HN Right, that's why it's funny. The bar is very low here, and that's why you can count it as not being completely broken.
naasking 8y ago
> I wouldn’t call that “completely broken”. The intent of customer services is to retain a customer in the event of problems. "You should close your account" is therefore broken customer service.

tabtab 8y ago

History is that when one one uses bleeding edge; good support and/or reliability is relatively rare. Whether it must be that way or if it's just a bad industry habit can be debated. But, if one looks at the history of most very-new tech, it quite often is not reliable regardless of cause. Therefore, you should probably not assume the newest incarnation will not have this problem. I don't have any solid study, but watching the industry for many decades has shown me this pattern. Here is a common saying that I didn't invent: "Never buy version 1.0". (Wow, I got a -3 above. That hurts.)