In social media circles and particularly stories written about social media, one of the favorite topics is customer service. There are some good examples of companies that exercise great customer service. There are many more who do not. The fact we will more quickly share a bad experience over a good one should make that no surprise.

Probably the most recent, bad example of note is that of musician Dave Carroll and the experience he had with United Airlines after his guitar was damaged by baggage handlers (YouTube video here). The YouTube video helped turn his bad experience into a better one. I could go on with more examples but the tone of indifference he and others experience in their customer service experiences seem to be the rule rather than the exception.

In the way of positive customer service, there is Frank Eliason who is @comcastcares on Twitter. Frank basically took it upon himself to use Twitter as a tool to reach out and help customers who were having problems or negative service experiences. Particularly those that were voicing their problems on Twitter. It is now his primary duty along with a growing team of people helping with the load.

While there are more stories like these on both sides, the point is sites like Twitter or Facebook are being used as tools/weapons to get results. In one sense I’m glad that consumers have a recourse to combat service problems. On the other hand, it’s sad that we have to resort to threats to achieve a positive outcome. Customer service is a war and social media has become the battlefield. Victories are won when companies are shamed into doing what they should have done in the first place.

The other piece to all of this is the praise that is heaped upon companies who “get it.” I love it that companies are out there using social media to communicate with their customers. However, I’m not so sure we should be throwing parades in their honor just because somebody had the common sense to see Twitter as an effective communication tool. For the big boys especially it’s simple, talk to your customers and you’ll likely keep them as customers.

A little effort can go a long way.

written by JM \\ tags: customer service, social media

It’s been far too long since my last dispatch and this particular post happens to be the 100th here on the old blog. We’re also approaching the 2 year anniversary of my first post. Since this was the hundredth post I thought it would be a good time for a little reflection. This may hurt a bit.

I set out to post stories about things that interest me in technology, entertainment, design and similar interests. I have enjoyed, most of the time, sharing these things. Admittedly there have also been times when writing has been a chore and if I did it at all, it was begrudgingly (as is evidenced by averaging about a post per week). I’m not the best writer but I know enough to say that most of us have to work at it diligently. Becoming a better communicator is a worthy goal anytime but most of all now. In our texting, Twittering, and Facebook updating world, good communication practices have taken a hit in the name of brevity.

I’ve been a very lazy blogger. Just like I mentioned recently, I sometimes feel the need to reach for something to say. Most of the time I choose to remain silent figuring if it’s too hard to write about something then it’s best not to. Though blogging and Twittering about yourself seem like narcissism to some, doing these things aren’t very natural for me. I just realize it helps when you’re marketing to have a digital presence…that’s a big part of what it’s all about.

We use the start of a new year for resolutions on how we are going to improve ourselves. I have made statements on how I intend to post more regularly and have fallen way short of that. Looking back on some of my early posts, they seem better than many of the latter ones. If that is true to the objective viewer it’s probably because I was trying harder then. As a new blogger trying harder to be good at something I had little experience in. I won’t promise to post more regularly but I will promise to work harder at being better when I do.

written by JM

Something has been on my mind the last few days and that something is all about being interesting. I have been on Twitter for over a year now and have enjoyed it more and more as time goes by.

I initially joined Twitter to follow people in the tech industry whose content I enjoy and I suspect a lot of people do this. Since my Unfortunate Unemployment I have sought to do more networking with those in my local area. I have had others somehow find me on Twitter and decide to follow me. Some are people merely looking for followers of their own and have no interest in my content. They are the spam of Twitter, often times unfollowing in a few days or less when it’s evident you won’t follow them back. (Twitter etiquette is another subject that would be wise to ponder.)

Others may follow you a while and decide you’re not their “cup of tea”, and that’s OK. But there is a bit of a sting when that happens, at least for me. When someone discovers your profile, presumably after a tweet they found interesting, you kind of hope that will continue. If your tweets become too mundane, you risk losing followers. Although tweeting about lunch is acceptable some of the time, it’s not the pinnacle of fascination.

Do you as a Twitter user feel compelled to have something to say? In trying to build a brand (and let’s face it, that’s what it’s mostly about) do you feel like you should tweet regularly? Perhaps the answer is to not say anything at all. I definitely believe in quality over quantity. On the other hand, when blogging or podcasting we’re told to be consistent. If Twitter is micro-blogging does the same not hold true?

To those who have unfollowed me, my apologies. To those who stick around, let me say thanks. I’m working on it.

written by JM

Earlier this month I became an economic statistic. My full-time gig as a book designer has, for the moment, come to an end. As we all know, fear has caused people to hold on more tightly to their dollars and it is effecting everyone.

Chances are you or someone you know has had the same thing happen to them. I encourage those people to use this time wisely. As you’re on the lookout for new opportunities, take the time to learn something new. I was laid off 10 years ago and naturally didn’t have the perspective I have now. I didn’t make the most of the time between jobs and I regret it. Now I am taking the time to work on projects that I would like to be doing all of the time. In addition I am working on teaching myself new things. Try learning a new application, adding to your toolbox. Most all applications offer 30-day trials to try before you buy.

Try to see the best in your situation and use the opportunity to make yourself more marketable to a prospective employer or client. When you look back on this time, be sure you did the most with it.

written by JM

Hello all. It’s been far too long since we last spoke….or at least since I wrote something. You get the idea. I’ve been working on a huge project that is almost done and has sapped a lot of creative energy out of me. So much so that I haven’t even wanted to write. My goal to post more has taken quite a hit.

The subject of projects brings me to the keyboard to pound out this post. Particularly the “dirty” words….dare I say them…SPEC WORK. DUM DUM DUM!!! Spec (short for speculative) work is the practice of soliciting work for a project (usually from multiple sources) for no payment. Typically there are open calls for submissions where, under the guise of a contest, the “client” asks for entries for their project and a “winner” is chosen. My heavy use of quotation marks could offer clues on how I feel about this. In the industry, spec work is seen as a detriment to ethical practices in the client/producer relationship.

Recently I heard of a new site called Pixish via Daring Fireball. Pixish is a site that aims to bring buyers together with image makers, according to their front page. Right beside their logo on the home page is the proclamation that they are “in beta, baby!” This has become a popular practice of launching websites that are half-baked, saying that it’s in beta. Since their launch, Pixish has called down the thunder from those accusing them of facilitating spec work. I don’t want to be too hard on Pixish. From what I can gather Derek Powazek, the man behind the site, is trying to fill what he sees as a void in the world of purchasers of creative work. That it’s too expensive and time-consuming these days to find the right creative material for their needs. Though he seems sincere, Pixish has admittedly made mistakes.

On some level, I do think spec work is taking place at Pixish. Understandably they don’t want that label but it may be hard to shake. Both the budding and the desperate artist are free to do what they want, but I will argue they are potentially doing themselves more harm than good. I know how difficult it can be to find work both freelance and full-time. I have been a victim of those seeking to have work done with no intention of reward. What’s worse is that it was someone I trusted. Unfortunately, there are those who have no business designing anything and those foolish enough to hire them getting together out there which makes it even more challenging.

To me, a better service would be one that allowed artists to post their portfolio and opt-in to a project rather than doing the work and then getting nothing for it. The onus should be on the potential client to make a decision based on a body of work, not on a finished product tailored to their specifications. There are some services like that such as Guru that work similarly. With Guru, a project is posted, artists supply quotes, a decision is made by the client on the candidates, and the work is done according to the terms.

It’s hard enough to get people to understand the value of design without practices that only cheapen it. My hope is that Pixish might evolve into a truly useful site that helps creatives. After all, they are the ones that put themselves on the line.

written by JM

The online music game sure isn’t boring. Over the weekend the news was all about Amazon’s mp3 store going global this year. “This year” was about as specific as it got. Amazon’s store offers DRM free tracks that can be played on any device that supports mp3 and said tracks for for 89 cents a pop. All four major music labels offer tracks for the store.

This of course begs the question, what will iTunes do to combat this? Surely they can’t go on selling DRM’d tracks for a 10 cent premium over Amazon (EMI is the exception on iTunes—DRM free).For Mac users it’s especially perplexing. The deal is that people generally don’t notice DRM until it gets in their way. As an example, when using any app in the iLife suite you can use tracks purchased on iTunes. Try to use any of Apple’s corresponding pro apps and you get a big fat NO to using iTunes music. The thinking being that pro users would be using these for commercial purposes where one would need a license.

The generally held belief is that Apple has no choice but to operate in the manner that they do (Yet people still wonder what they will do about it.). That is, the labels won’t allow them to sell music without DRM. It doesn’t make sense unless you know the history. Back when the iTunes store began, there was no good alternative to legal online music. iTunes kind of saved the day by making a solution that was easy to use and offered the labels a deal they could live with in terms of copyright protection. Now that Apple is the standard in legal online music, the labels don’t like it. They want to change their deals but Apple holds firm on the simplicity of their pricing structure, 99 cents/track. If it’s true Apple is beholden to their contracts with the labels and that the terms state there must be DRM, what can they do? If the sticking point is flexible pricing in exchange for no DRM, Apple would likely be forced to give in at that point. Somehow I don’t think it’s that easy. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the music labels can be a little vindictive.

The other big news that broke this morning was Qtrax. An article from thisislondon.co.uk (latter article linked) this morning talked about Qtrax and a monumental agreement struck with all four major labels to offer free music to the masses. There is some DRM attached just for keeping track of how many times a song is downloaded. Which is bull BTW. The LITTLE catch seems to be that you can’t take it with you. As far as I could tell, you would have to listen to the music from within Qtrax’s own browser type application on your computer. You knew it had to be too good to be true, didn’t you? Well, it is on more than one level. Apparently, at least three of the labels are saying that there is no such agreement with Qtrax. NO! Really?

While the idea is intriguing, it’s not a solution to replace what we already have. I see Qtrax as a possible challenger to the likes of Pandora or Last.fm, not iTunes or even Amazon.

I’m not sure that DRM free, slightly cheaper tracks are enough to pull me away from the ease of use of iTunes. I don’t think I’m alone in this. I can do all the things I need to do with my music. People cry about DRM but how many really run into its roadblocks? With the ubiquity of the iPod and iTunes, they’ll be a tough nut to crack. No matter what solutions come around, this ought to be interesting.

written by JM

For the last couple of weeks, the second round of the MacHeist bundle sale has been in effect. MacHeist creates “missions” for members to carry out consisting of puzzles that, when solved result in receiving free Mac software. In December of 2006, MacHeist began the sale of its first bundle of Mac apps created by independent Mac developers. The sale lasted for one week and was a notorious success. Notorious in that there were those who felt the sale of 10 indy apps for $49 was robbery, the developer community being the victims. The winners are the consumers, the charity you choose to have 25% of your purchase price go to, and of course MacHeist itself. It’s estimated that they made hundreds of thousands in profit.

Participating developers allow their chosen software to be sold in the bundle presumably for a flat fee (Actual terms of the agreements aren’t disclosed). This year the sale, which ends today, has been going on for 2 weeks. This year the goals were higher and the bundle slightly larger, still for $49. As of this writing, they have made nearly 1.9 million dollars minus the amount that goes to the developers and the 25% to charity. There are some really great useful apps included in the bundle and some that you might never end up using. However, some of the apps alone are more than the bundle’s purchase price at any other time.

MacHeist II got off to a wiz-bang start this time around with a scandal whereby some blog sites were defaced as if by a hacker. As it turns out, the “graffiti” was done with full knowledge of the site owners at the apparent expense of their hosting service providers due to investigations into the issue. This was somehow a marketing push for this years bundle which went awry…or did it. It certainly gained attention from the Mac press which as we know is the point. All publicity is good publicity.

Still, MacHeist has its detractors. The arguments are essentially the same as last time. Are such deep discounts on independent software the best thing for the developer community? Are participating developers getting a good deal out of the whole thing? As John Gruber of Daring Fireball commented last year “Just because someone is satisfied with a bad deal doesn’t mean it isn’t a bad deal.”

I find myself conflicted by the whole thing. As a consumer, it would almost be insane to not take advantage of such a great deal. As a member of the Mac community and fan of its software, I have to ask myself am I acting in the best interest of the platform. I realize that alone, my purchasing or not purchasing the bundle would have little effect. However, we do things sometimes on principle that are in the best interest of others and not ourselves. This weeks MacBreak Weekly didn’t help solve the conundrum. Leo and company had a discussion with Rich Siegel of Bare Bones Software about the bundle and his decision not to participate in it. His reasons include having to support a great number of new customers who paid at best a few dollars for any given app in the bundle, devaluation of the software, and MacHeist’s business practices in general. His points are valid and while they may be generalizations to some extent, I’m not going to argue against them. After this discussion, I had my mind made up that purchasing the bundle wasn’t the best thing to do.

Then I read some comments on Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders about the MBW episode. One of these comments came from one of the developers that is participating in the sale. His feeling was that the amount of users that he is gaining and the overall exposure outweighs any concerns about getting the shaft on compensation. In general, there wouldn’t be a huge number of people that need tech support for any given app. I tend to agree with that. Also, these developers stand to make more money on upgrades down the road. Here’s an example of someone directly involved in the sale that is happy with the results. That can’t be wrong…right?

I think we might actually have a case of both sides being right. A developer that chooses not to be involved in the sale has every right not to and can have their reasons for not doing so. You can’t fault them for that. On the other hand, a developer that thinks they have more to gain by participating than not can’t really be argued with either. They decide to pay the costs for what amounts to advertising for their product. It all depends on your perspective.

I won’t be getting the bundle although I plan on buying some of the apps in it. Those who do buy the bundle should feel good about getting a good deal and becoming acquainted with software that they might not have known about otherwise. Likewise, those who have purchased or will purchase any of the software from the bundle directly from the developer can feel good about supporting the Mac indy developer community.

written by JM

Well here it is, the last day of 2007 and I thought it would be a good idea to write a post. Posts have been sparse over the holidays but that will hopefully be changing. Since stepping on this soapbox in June I have posted 43 times, although it doesn’t seem like it. It has been enjoyable sharing some of the things that I am passionate about or that interest me. It’s been a cathartic experience getting some of these things off my chest.

I want to thank the people that have stopped by to read my ramblings and I hope to see even more people happen by in the new year. I’m still finding my voice in this whole thing and I want for it to be interesting.

In 2008, there will be some changes here that I think will be good. First off, these pages will become the main entry for defycreative.com. I will be moving everything there and have defycreative.com/blog forward to that page for those that might have it bookmarked. I had always expected to have the main site be somewhat of a separate entity that directed visitors to all my endeavors but it just make sense to use WordPress to manage it all. Along with the move will be a redesign of the site. Yes, I’m making a lot of work for myself.

If that weren’t enough, THERE’S MORE! There will be more activity on the much neglected Defy Creative Showcase front. In addition, there are some other goodies that I’m not going to tell you about just yet. After all, I’ve got to keep you coming back for more.

JM

written by JM

I just want to take a minute and wish everyone a Merry Christmas…so there, Merry Christmas. Enjoy some time with your family, friends or all of the above. Most of all, let’s remember what this day is all about. God bless.

JM

written by JM

On Monday, Amazon.com announced their new e-book reader, the Kindle. The Kindle holds hundreds of books, newspapers and blogs and has an SD card slot for more storage. In addition, the Kindle has wireless access to what Amazon calls Whispernet. Carried over an EVDO network (like that of Sprint), the Kindle can download e-books available on on Amazon’s store which means you don’t have to be tethered to a computer. Select newspapers and blogs are also downloaded this way. To cap it off, the Kindle has a reported great battery life for hours and hours of reading. Amazon says that you can go for days without charging the device. Are we seeing the iPod of e-book readers? Some might say yes.

At the time the iPod was released, there were several other mp3 players on the market. As we can now see, they failed to capture the hearts of music lovers the way the iPod has. Likewise, e-book readers have been around a little while but have not really taken off. Sony’s recent e-book offering also uses the same e-ink technology of the Kindle but lacks its feature set. While there are some similarities, these two forms of media and their climate are quite different.

While advances in printing, binding and of course creation of books have changed, the end result looks pretty much the same as books that are hundreds of years old. There just aren’t a lot of surprises there and the book has proven itself as a lasting technology. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to innovate…far from it. I’m just not so sure that this is what will take us there. There are a lot of good things about the Kindle, but in contrast most importantly, there are even more drawbacks.

All About Design

Admittedly, this whole thing kinda hits a little close to home. My primary work is that of a book designer. I have designed books that are mostly text and I have designed coffee-table books that were more graphically rich. The latter being where such devices as the Kindle fail design. Reportedly, the content viewed on the Kindle is in a serif font called Caecilia. The only exception seems to be in the logos of the aforementioned newspapers and blogs that can be accessed on the device. This makes for a rocky start when what font a book is set in is so important to a designer. This of course is to say nothing of the lack of color graphics in such devices. I know it’s still early in the game but a daring undertaking like redefining what a book is requires an equally daring solution to these sort of obstacles, like how to get the pretty pictures to show up on the expensive gadget.

Devious Ripoff Masters

Another big drawback to the Kindle is the DRM (Digital Rights Management). Book publishers, like movie studios and record companies, would not even think about being involved in this enterprise if there were not “safeguards” in place to protect their revenue streams. In the Kindle scenario, gone would be the days of loaning a book to a friend. There is apparently no provision for any type of sharing with the Kindle. Consumers don’t respond kindly to being told what to do with content that they have purchased. What happens if this whole thing doesn’t succeed? You are investing in a technology that offers you no other way to consume the content you have paid for in the event that your Kindle breaks and/or the device and the service are abandoned. For instance, earlier this year, Google abandoned their video service where people had purchased videos (some rented) and could only view them on their site. Once the plug was pulled, no more access to the content. Also not a big plus for consumers.

The Next Step

This device won’t be a runaway hit. I don’t even think it will be a modest success. Ultimately, the Kindle is asking too much of the consumer. You’re giving up a lot of cash to buy one, you’re giving up freedom to do what you want with your purchases and you’re giving up a system that works. We knew what we were getting into with the iPod. Listening to music with headphones or earbuds was an experience that we were familiar with. Reading a book on an electronic device is a frontier that many have not nor want to experience. The way we consume books may change in the future—I’m not foolish enough to think that the goals of the Kindle or any other e-book reader cannot be reached—I just don’t think we’re there yet.

JM

written by JM