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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

#201

Post by [deleted] »

dangrossman wrote: post #175
raverbashing wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree But "subscription model" for a garage opener is, sorry to say, stupid Of the things in my home I want a garage opener to have pretty good reliability. I need a plan B if the power is out for a conventional one. I don't want to get locked out if I miss a payment (this is not like rent where these things are regulated and lack of payments are handled through actual notices) Relying on the internet to open your…

The product is basically a cloud-enabled garage door remote . It doesn't replace the buttons on the wall in the garage, nor does it replace the garage door opener you use in your car, or however it is you work your door. It supplements them, like buying a spare remote, except this one is app-enabled and can be used without line-of-sight to the door. I have a smart garage door opener, smart deadbolt, smart car (remote…

[deleted]

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

#202

Post by throwanem »

qqg3 wrote: post #186
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…

It's quite clear a lot of people in here are approaching this with a "B2B" mindset where clients and contracts can be fired and terminated. This scenario is "B2C", "the customer is always right" may be a tired phrase but it rings truer than you might think. A lot of people are saying this guy should be respectful of this small, indiegogo compnay. Problem is, they are ignoring the fact the product is being sold on Ama…

> the customer is always right

This is a useful perspective to take if you're in sales. For a support engineer, not so much. When I did Tier 1 for credit cards, the mantra everywhere invoked was instead:

"The customer is not always right, but is always deserving of respect."

Which has always struck me as a much more balanced and sensible attitude to take, when the objective is to solve a problem.

Sometimes that problem is between the keyboard and the chair. It happens. But it's still a problem that merits solving, rather than being a jackass about, because it's still stopping the customer from using your product, and why should he give you money for something he can't use?

Of course, that doesn't seem likely to apply here - pretty hard for an app crash to be a PEBKAC. I've found it a useful enough perspective to merit mention here, in any case. And perhaps such an attitude would've dissuaded the Garadget representative in this thread from so precipitously making a fool of himself, too.

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

#203

Post by atemerev »

StavrosK wrote: post #184
barking wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's only because the reaction was so unusual. I'd react the way you suggest but I admire people who react the way he did. And, every now and then you hear of a business with a fuck you attitude that succeeds, e.g. Ryanair

Ryanair only succeeds because my tolerance for "fuck you" is more than my tolerance for expensive flights. The moment I have a cheap alternative, I'm never touching Ryanair again, and sometimes not even then.

Yeah, exactly. Their flights are a mass product designed to be as cheap as possible, and not, say, a luxury premium gadget designed to open my garage doors from the comfort of my car without the need to find my _usual_ garage remote key, right? I can use my iPhone for that! How convenient! I will definitely pay $99 for this wonderful appliance, right with my second Aston Martin. /s

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

#204

Post by lawnchair_larry »

lucideer wrote: post #163

I'm pretty surprised by the comments here on decorum and civility. The customer called the product a "piece of shit" - yes he used bad language, but he's criticising the product itself. An object. The rep. directly insulted the customer's character (saying he had "poor impulse control" and was throwing a "tantrum"). Is this another example of American tendencies to be extra sensitive about "profanity" or am I missing…

It's more of a HN thing than an American thing.

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

#205

Post by bambax »

For those like me wondering what Garadget (garage door futurizer) is:

> Garadget is a simple and elegant way to breath [sic] a new life into your existing garage doors opener. It helps prevent mishaps so familiar to many of us...

... and then introduces new ones, like: "have I used the correct words when speaking to a company representative, or else I won't be able to open my garage door".

This is a general problem. It's possible that if you buy a Tesla and trash-talk the brand somewhere, you won't be able to drive it anymore, for example.

This future we're living in, I'm not sure I like it. In any case I'm now certain I don't want to futurize my garage door.

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

#206

Post by matt4077 »

restlessmedia wrote: post #148
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…

I absolutely agree. From an outsider, the reaction from Garadget will stay in my mind far longer than the initial review. Imagine this in a bricks and mortar high-street shop? 'The customer is always right' is a difficult but noble stance - if a customer is being difficult, suck it up, be sickly nice then go out the back and scream when they've left.

Customers are not always right. Making you employees treating them as if they were, or as if the employees were slaves, is morally bankrupt. Grow a spine!

That can actually be a winning PR strategy. Not sure how it is in the US, but here many companies have started to respond with blatant sarcasm and mockery to unreasonable criticism in social media. You'll have a newspaper's support guy answering "brb, getting one of those sweet-paying protest gigs" when someone accuses them of being "paid by George Soros, just like those protesters".

This, however, is not one of those cases. The customer may have been a bit harsh, but his review is completely within the bounds of acceptable human behaviour. They could have reached out to them, and they would have probably been willing to change the review as well.

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

#207

Post by ambentzen »

gkya wrote: post #132
kelnos wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the problem here is that they _disabled a home security product_ because the guy pissed them off. They can certainly fire the guy as a customer, and tell him to return the device for a full refund, but remotely disabling its ability to function is not only unprofessional, but irresponsible. Regardless of that, the support rep's response comes off as petty and childish. There are much better ways to get out of…

It's not a home security product if it connects to servers and can be disabled remotely.

By that logic, our alarm at the office isn't a security product because the alarm company can monitor and disable it remotely.

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

#208

Post by quirkafleeg »

IncRnd wrote: post #192
rapht wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> From the Government. Because we shouldn't be protected from business interests when they get too powerful?

The discussion is about words, and no you shouldn't be protected from the words and speech coming from business interests.

That's not even remotely what he was saying people should be protected from WRT business.

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

#209

Post by LeoNatan25 »

throwanem wrote: post #202
qqg3 wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's quite clear a lot of people in here are approaching this with a "B2B" mindset where clients and contracts can be fired and terminated. This scenario is "B2C", "the customer is always right" may be a tired phrase but it rings truer than you might think. A lot of people are saying this guy should be respectful of this small, indiegogo compnay. Problem is, they are ignoring the fact the product is being sold on Ama…

> the customer is always right This is a useful perspective to take if you're in sales. For a support engineer, not so much. When I did Tier 1 for credit cards, the mantra everywhere invoked was instead: "The customer is not always right, but is always deserving of respect." Which has always struck me as a much more balanced and sensible attitude to take, when the objective is to solve a problem. Sometimes that probl…

The two are exactly the same from the outcome perspective; you always treat the customer with respect and try to please them.

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

#210

Post by goldenkey »

jimmies wrote: post #41

I don't know why many comments about "the customer is clearly an asshole, therefore he deserves the lock not working/the company has the legal rights to do so blah blah" are modded so high right now. Even when the customer is an asshole, that has absolutely nothing to do with a security device betraying him or not. I'm very glad that the customer is now only denied access to the app. I can see one day a company that…

I highly recommend the movie Repo Men (2010) to those who want to viscerally feel the implications of this kind of DRM.

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1053424/

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