Customer engagement - Chinese style…
This evening, a customer service interaction over email really shocked me a bit…
Here’s the story: I’ve been looking for a UPNP Media Browser for my iPad (that some software that will connect to the media server I run on my home wifi network and allow me to stream media files I have stored there to my iPad, over wireless).
I’ve tried a few, but so far they’ve all been either buggy or had poor user interfaces.
Then yesterday a new media browser pops up in the App Store, it looks pretty good so I install it. And it is pretty good, although a little bit buggy - but still better than the others (which is a sad fact).
So, in the spirit of encouraging development on it, I send them a feedback email:
First, thanks for releasing your media browser - I’ve been totally disappointed with the other upnp browsers available on iPad, their interfaces are utter rubbish. Yours is simple & easy & all I need, so well done. However, I have noticed a couple of issues: firstly it’s not very stable & crashes to the desktop occasionally. Secondly it takes a long time to reacquire the media server after playing a video file, and occasionally doesn’t reacquire at all, forcing me to quit to the desktop and restart the app.
Looking forward to the next version!
Best Regards, CD
They very quickly email me back:
Dear customer,
Thanks for your comments. Would you please tell us which media server product you are using? If it crashes, it will be great if next time when you sync your iPad with iTunes, allow it send crash report, and we will be able to take a look. Sorry to hear it has some problems, we will try our best to improve it, it’s actively developing now.
Thanks,
No problem, I tell them the server I’m using, they say thank you, I look forward to the next update of the software.
However.
This evening I get the following email:
Dear CD,
I got scold by my manager, one customer just send a message says “not working” and post a bad review in App store.
I was so sad I have tried my best to help him/her, he just won’t want to even try it.
I wonder if you could post an honest rating/review for my customer service experience in App store?
Thanks,
Lily
WHAT ON EARTH?!
Now I suspect (from the phrasing) that the company is actually based in China, and a whois lookup confirms that the domain is registered to a Chinese technology company (even though the name is intended to sound as American as possible). I’ve not published the name of the company here because I don’t want to be responsible for getting someone on the other side of the world fired…
…but BLOODY HELL! What should I do?
Is this person really being bullied by her manager, or is it a ploy to get me to write a favourable App Store review? And if it is bullying, what should I do about it? The ‘social media way’ would be to call out the company responsible and let the baying mob do their thing, but it’s more likely that instead of a baying mob I’d get a seriously pissed off Chinese employer and an even more bullied ‘Lily’…
So, I checked the App Store and there are currently *no* reviews for the product and not enough ratings to show an average. So I sent this curt reply:
There are no reviews in the app store. And this is not an appropriate way to be engaging with your customers.
Could I have done better? Has anyone else had this before? I feel a bit queesy…
UPDATE 10.56pm:
I ‘ve received two new emails in quick succession:
Dear Chris,
Yes I agree. Sorry for the message. Just wish my manager known I have tried my best to serve all customers.
Thanks,
And:
Dear Chris,
Again. sorry, I know you might misunderstand me. I was refer to US store, I forgot you are from UK, Apple has system in each country…
Thanks, Lily
This looks genuine to me… now I really feel bad…
UPDATE 11.18pm:
I have sent the following reply:
Lily,
I wasn’t sure if you were trying to trick me into writing a good review…
But you’re genuine aren’t you? Your boss really did give you a hard time because a customer couldn’t get the app to work. That’s not right - we have laws against that sort of thing over here…
I can’t review your customer service, because in the App Store I’d be reviewing the product and I could only give it 3 stars because I think it can be better.
But I can reply to one of your earlier emails with a note thanking you for your customer service.
We have a saying here in the UK that goes: “Don’t let the bastards get you down!”
Good luck!
And then replied to an earlier email with “thanks for the really fast reply and great service!”
UPDATE 11.39pm:
Another reply:
Dear CD,
No it wasn’t because of it doesn’t work. It’s because the customer in the review saying my support isn’t helpful.
And no, I am not trying to trick you into writing a review. I totally agree with you it’s just 1.0 and there are a lot to improve in the near future.
Thanks for the compliment :) And, no again, I don’t live in UK or USA, so your law doesn’t work here :), my manager is in USA.
And for media browser, since it’s new release, I am the only one now in CR, so you can imagine…
Thanks, Lily
Ok, so she is being ‘scolded’ remotely. That makes me feel better. I think I’ll ask her where in China she is…
UPDATE 11.49pm:
I replied with the following:
I know you don’t live in the UK or US - I presume you live in China. I did a whois lookup on the *** domain before I first replied to you and it’s registered through HiChina Zhicheng Technology.
Do you mind me asking where in China you are?
I’m here: (long complicated Google Maps URL)
UPDATE 15th July:
She replied the next day with the following:
I am in Shanghai, China.
All customer service team is in Shanghai, and development and sales are in Canada and USA.
I think the reason it’s registered in China is one of our co-founder is from China, you may check ***.ca which was belong to another co-founder.
I left it there. No mention of whether she could access the Google link and I am still intrigued to know what life is like there, but it was a perfunctory reply and I am also starting to wonder what she actually said to the other customer. I think the recent news about working conditions in the Chinese electronics industry probably coloured my perceptions intially, but in the end I think it was simply unprofessionalism. So I might pick this up again if they release an update for the software and I feed back about it, but for now - that’s it.
