If something is free does that mean that we have to put up with shoddy service when something goes wrong?
No, I don’t believe it does.
A rival blogging site: Blogger, has been “down” for a couple of days now. Anything posted on it since Wednesday has been removed. Hopefully to be restored.
A number of people on Twitter have been saying “well it is free, what do you expect”.
Well actually I expect it to work. Just because I don’t pay for something doesn’t mean I should put up with being treated poorly. There have been little or no service updates, not apology on their own Twitter feed, no explanation on their website.
My blog is just a bit of fun. But what about the people that DO pay for the services of Blogger? Those people whose blog drives revenue to their business?
Should they just put up with this as well “because they are paying for it”? Should they be treated differently from me?
I don’t pay for Wikipedia but that is always there. I don’t pay for my local radio station, but it is always there. Both of these things are paid for by advertisers and I daresay that Blogger is no different. I daresay those advertisers will be considering taking their business elsewhere.
I am not so unreasonable that I think things don’t go wrong. Of course they do. They go wrong all the day in my day job, that is what I am there for. I pick up the pieces and sort things out. I notify parties involved, I make calls to apologise, I offer refunds, I try to make it better. Because people have paid? No, because it is called good customer service.
Blogger, you should try it.
Sorry Blogger but your poor service means that I, as well as others, have now deserted you, for this site. Something people told me I should have done in the first place.
Get your customer service right and we will put up with just about anything. We shouldn’t put up with poor service. Not when there are better rivals just one click away.