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iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

community.garadget.com

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Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#71

Post by robryan »

CaliforniaKarl wrote: post #18
finaliteration wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Acting out in retributive ways when your customers (justifiably or not) have issues and leave negative reviews is a pretty terrible way to build and run a business. Is the spite towards that one person really worth it?

Look at the timing. This was an Amazon purchase. The developer mentions Saturday, and how the Amazon review was left around the same time as the forum post, so presumably the the item was delivered on that same day. That's gonna be a bad experience for both sides: The purchaser has to wait until Monday to return, and the developer has to deal with (what I expect is) a drive-by flame. It's a Saturday night, and each s…

I bet the guy would be happy to continue using the product, they just want it to work.

You work out what their problem was and fix it, if they explain the issue. Regardless the attitude should be "how do we make sure the next buyer doesn't have an issue".

You are going to get bad reviews no matter what, some entirely unfair. All you can do it focus on making the product as good as it can be.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#72

Post by atemerev »

"Throwing a tantrum"? The review in question is something along the lines of "the control app is flashing and doesn't work at all. This is junk, don't waste your money on it. 1/5 stars." If you make any public facing products, you will occasionally get such (and worse) reviews even if your product is a shiny perfection forged in heaven by angels themselves and wrapped in magic. Fact of life.

On the other hand, the support engineer's response (that ends with blocking the user's device for good) _is_ a bona fide tantrum, worthy of textbooks.

I am also quite surprised by the number of comments here at HN siding with Garadget. People like these shouldn't be allowed anywhere near tech support roles, as a single such incident can ruin the company unless they can spend tons of money for lawyers.

(This is why it is, in my opinion, better to start with enterprise products. Enterprise sales are much less public and you can afford to fire customers you don't like with ease, and vice versa.)

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#73

Post by dqv »

zem wrote: post #64
cyberferret wrote: post #47

Perhaps it is because I have spent the entire day today trying to mitigate a new user on our web app trying to abuse our service to send out spam, but I am leaning more towards siding with Garadget on this one. I know that 'being professional' is of paramount importance, but I wish users would remember that every time they send an abusive email to a company, an actual person is on the other end who is going to be rec…

if they had even just said "you are a jerk and no one in this company is paid enough to deal with you; here's how to return your device for a full refund and here is a list of our least favourite competitors for all your internet-of-shit needs" i would have been 100% on their side. effectively bricking his device was beyond the pale, and says that you can't trust them to control your gadget from their servers.

He did that though? I guess he didn't give them full instructions, but he did effectively tell the consumer to return to Amazon.

>At this time your only option is return Garadget to Amazon for refund. Your unit ID 2f0036... will be denied server connection.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#74

Post by libeclipse »

qume wrote: post #53

Dear customer, We are a small team who don't have the resources to test every single OS version on every device. Problems will happen. As such we're happy to issue you a refund, and you can keep the device. All we ask is that you let us update the app to make sure it's working on your device, and hopefully others. Thank you for helping us find the issue. We will work tirelessly until it is fixed. If at some stage you…

I'm fine with a request to change the review, but not sure that they should tell them exactly how many stars to give.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#75

Post by [deleted] »

eps wrote: post #30

Not "for negative Amazon review", but for being an asshole. This guy forgot that there are people behind every product and the abstraction is as thin as it gets when it is in fact a smaller company or a startup. There are negative reviews and there are nasty reviews. He was nasty to them and they no longer wanted him as a client. No reason why a company should swallow shit that a person wouldn't. They certainly _can_…

[deleted]

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#77

Post by victorhooi »

atemerev wrote: post #72

"Throwing a tantrum"? The review in question is something along the lines of "the control app is flashing and doesn't work at all. This is junk, don't waste your money on it. 1/5 stars." If you make any public facing products, you will occasionally get such (and worse) reviews even if your product is a shiny perfection forged in heaven by angels themselves and wrapped in magic. Fact of life. On the other hand, the su…

He offered the customer a full refund for the product - I don't see the issue.

(Well, ok, he could have just turned the other cheek - but I suspect most of us here, when at the receiving end of such abuse, have wanted to say - "You know what? Take your business elsewhere."

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#78

Post by glogla »

erikb wrote: post #50

Honestly I think the app author is acting well within his means here. The user uses abusive language and apparently immediately escalates the issue when not being satisfied immediately despite his language.

You spent a lot of posts defending the company. Are you affiliated with them?

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#79

Post by woof »

victorhooi wrote: post #77
atemerev wrote: post #72

"Throwing a tantrum"? The review in question is something along the lines of "the control app is flashing and doesn't work at all. This is junk, don't waste your money on it. 1/5 stars." If you make any public facing products, you will occasionally get such (and worse) reviews even if your product is a shiny perfection forged in heaven by angels themselves and wrapped in magic. Fact of life. On the other hand, the su…

He offered the customer a full refund for the product - I don't see the issue. (Well, ok, he could have just turned the other cheek - but I suspect most of us here, when at the receiving end of such abuse, have wanted to say - "You know what? Take your business elsewhere."

He disabled the device.

And you don't see the issue?

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#80

Post by zem »

cyberferret wrote: post #66
zem wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

if they had even just said "you are a jerk and no one in this company is paid enough to deal with you; here's how to return your device for a full refund and here is a list of our least favourite competitors for all your internet-of-shit needs" i would have been 100% on their side. effectively bricking his device was beyond the pale, and says that you can't trust them to control your gadget from their servers.

I agree with you, and I don't condone the bricking. I am sure that the rep regretted his/her actions in the cold light of Sunday morning. But I wish that users would also take some responsibility for keeping the conversation civil. I don't like that the user is seemingly always excused for being angry and irrational, but the company, be it a one man shop or a large mega corp is always expected to be a cold, faceless,…

I don't expect the company to be a cold, faceless entity. I'm not complaining that the owner was petty or unprofessional. I'm very specifically complaining that he abused the power he had to render the device the customer had purchased inoperative.
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