Quick and personal

Wollongong · Sep 20, 2012

Seems they have some new guys at support.

I filed two support cases (1: Why do I need a GC to login to the sometrics bit. I just want to be able to waste time at work putting cash in my account, no need to block this section and, 2: when will we get our politics).

I got my replies within 24 hours, which I think is a new record.

And...
for the first time, I got a personal reply. Not:\

Hi,

bladibla

but

Hi Wollo,

bladibla

I can't recall that a company ever called me Wollo, not even games. My full name is always Wollongong, and friends tend to shorten it to Wollo, but this is the first time a company does it. It surprised me (strongly), but not in a negative way.

It's a small detail, but it makes the reply seem so much more personal.

/me like

danimal01 · Sep 20, 2012

Wollongong said:
Seems they have some new guys at support.

I filed two support cases (1: Why do I need a GC to login to the sometrics bit. I just want to be able to waste time at work putting cash in my account, no need to block this section and, 2: when will we get our politics).

I got my replies within 24 hours, which I think is a new record.

And...
for the first time, I got a personal reply. Not:\

but

I can't recall that a company ever called me Wollo, not even games. My full name is always Wollongong, and friends tend to shorten it to Wollo, but this is the first time a company does it. It surprised me (strongly), but not in a negative way.

It's a small detail, but it makes the reply seem so much more personal.

/me like

Support is lazy Wollo is easier to type

~Danimal

Sissi · Sep 20, 2012

I have had the same experience, WTG MA :thumbup:

Matho · Sep 20, 2012

Joined
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Avatar
Jerry "Wollo" Wollongong
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Wollongong · Sep 20, 2012

Matho said:
Joined
Mar 2006
Gender | Ingame
Male | Undisclosed
Location
Calypso
Avatar
Jerry "Wollo" Wollongong
Society
Calypso Citizens
Posts
3,344
Blog Entries
4
Images
42

I am quite aware of that, but I would have expected Jerry, and usually, I just got "hi"

wizzszz · Sep 20, 2012

Support has to call you "Sir" or "Madam".

Everything else is far too intimate for someone working at the helpdesk of a company that you pay for a service (providing a game).

It's not like they are your friends or are in some other intimate kind of relationship with you - that form of address is, at best, appropriate for a kid and not for a paying customer.

Yes, i've seen that you liked it - come over here li'l boy, i'll pat your head a bit.

Sit down.

Good boy.

:silly2:

RickEngland · Sep 20, 2012

well you see it all depends on how much ped you turnover, and how many depos you make.

The last reply I got from MA support said:

Dear Mr Rick England, oh masterful one, it is a pleasure to hear from one our our greatest players in game, you are extremely important to us...oh and can we have your autograph please?

then they went on say.....We have dedicated our entire support team on your case, and even passed your case to the Managing Director for his consideration, and will sort out your problem in the next two minutes.

Anyhow all was solved and they saved me when I was stuck in space.

They also went on to say....can you do us a favour and tell the comunity not to waste our time with trival issues, support is really for genuine assistance to get your avatar moving when problem occur.

I said I would do what I can.

Rick

Wollongong · Sep 21, 2012

wizzszz said:
Support has to call you "Sir" or "Madam".

Everything else is far too intimate for someone working at the helpdesk of a company that you pay for a service (providing a game).

It's not like they are your friends or are in some other intimate kind of relationship with you - that form of address is, at best, appropriate for a kid and not for a paying customer.

Yes, i've seen that you liked it - come over here li'l boy, i'll pat your head a bit.

Sit down.

Good boy.

I think you and I come from a different culture... over here, we are a bit less informal than you. However, treating someone as a lapdog is still a bridge too far (well, for most people here anyway).

wizzszz · Sep 21, 2012

Wollongong said:
over here, we are a bit less informal than you.

I presume you meant "less formal"?

Wollongong said:
However, treating someone as a lapdog is still a bridge too far (well, for most people here anyway).

I was exaggerating, to illustrate my point.

Wollongong said:
I think you and I come from a different culture...

Yes, but i think cultural differences do not go that far:

If you go to a shop, is it normal that a clerk says "Hello sir, how can i help you?", or do thay say "Yo, buddy, sup?" when you enter?

I am quite sure that the latter would be inacceptable in your country, too - you're not their friend, you are a customer, and expect to be treated with respect.

Here they used your avatar name (a part of it), but what would you think when they used your RL first name to address you? (first name only, or as they did here, your RL nickname) Would that still be ok to you?

When would _you_ call it respectless?
When they use the name your gf/wife uses (or however your mom called you when you were a little toddler) to address you in an email?

:silly2:

Just being curious.

Wollongong · Sep 21, 2012

Indeed, I meant "less formal".

Assumption is the mother of all f-ups, but luckily, not all children of assumption are f-up.

In a shop, I wouldn´t mind if I was approached with `Hey Jerry, how ya doing today.´ which is kind of how this is (apart from the fact I never met the operator in this case).

Now, what if they used my real name... no objection there. They know it, so why not use it? When does it start becoming respectless.... well... I think "Hey whiner, quit ya bitchin' " would do the trick.

If they use the way my gf adresses me, well... I don't think I can describe that, because then the mods will pull out the PG13 flag

Ferial · Sep 21, 2012

RickEngland said:
Reference

Damn I love your posts!

OnT:

This discussion seems to have two "parties" where one side prefers the formal interaction between support and customer and the other side which prefers the informal friendly approach. I guess this is a matter of cultural differences and this fact makes it hard for the support to cater to the preferences of everyone.

I, for one, find the formal approach to be a bit too, well formal for me. To me a formal reply sounds too "scripted" so to speak. But I am well aware that others might find it disrespectful to be approached in the "buddy" way.

Perhaps the support representative in this case noticed something in the request that Wollo typed that would imply that a friendly interaction was preferred?

wizzszz · Sep 21, 2012

Wollongong said:
In a shop, I wouldn´t mind if I was approached with `Hey Jerry, how ya doing today.´ which is kind of how this is (apart from the fact I never met the operator in this case).

I meant a shop where you've never been before, but i deleted that because it doesn't really resemble the situation here, as you are a "long term customer" for MA - still, you haven't met or talked (phone) to one of them before, i take it, so a more formal approach would be more appropriate imho.

Wollongong said:
Now, what if they used my real name... no objection there. They know it, so why not use it? When does it start becoming respectless.... well... I think "Hey whiner, quit ya bitchin' " would do the trick.

Judging by the name i take it that you're from australia?
We are a bit more anal about things like that here, first name is for friends/family/co-worked mostly, everything business related should be more like "Mr. Wollongong".

Funny, because shop assistants here are said to be way more unfriendly than i.e. in the US. :laugh:

But, i doubt they use different ways to address people, based on where they live.

Wollongong said:
If they use the way my gf adresses me, well... I don't think I can describe that, because then the mods will pull out the PG13 flag

Wasn't this forum 16+, too?

:silly2:

Wollongong · Sep 21, 2012

wizzszz said:
(...)

Judging by the name i take it that you're from australia?

Aahh

There it is, the assumption being very wrong

We are a bit more anal about things like that here, first name is for friends/family/co-worked mostly, everything business related should be more like "Mr. Wollongong".

Out here, which would be the Netherlands, it is okay to use a first name pretty much anywhere. Your teacher, (in highschool), your dentist, your banker, your lawyer, your doctor, your inlaws... we are (or like to think we are) quite egalitarian.

Funny, because shop assistants here are said to be way more unfriendly than i.e. in the US.

Here... being... Germany... ah yes... the country of du and Sie. Darf ich Sie dutzen?

wizzszz · Sep 21, 2012

Wollongong said:
Aahh There it is, the assumption being very wrong

Actually, it was a question.
A question preempting a likely answer.

Assumptions are ok though, as long as you don't base any deduction on them.

Strange choice for a name, or is there some connection to "Wollongong, Australia"?
(You don't have to answer that, if you don't feel like it)

Wollongong said:
Out here, which would be the Netherlands, it is okay to use a first name pretty much anywhere. Your teacher, (in highschool), your dentist, your banker, your lawyer, your doctor, your inlaws... we are (or like to think we are) quite egalitarian.

Well, THAT comparison aint fair anyway, dutch are probably the most relaxed people there are. :laugh:

(no, i did not hint that this is because of weed being freely available

)

Wollongong said:
Here... being... Germany... ah yes... the country of du and Sie. Darf ich Sie dutzen?

I think it should be "duzen" instead of "dutzen"

(grammar police FTW!)

But yes, it makes quite a difference here, but when you are from the netherlands, you'll probably know that anyway.

Steveyneo · Sep 21, 2012

Ferial said:
This discussion seems to have two "parties" where one side prefers the formal interaction between support and customer and the other side which prefers the informal friendly approach.

The Support Team usually (although I haven't actually checked through them all) addresses me as "Weltmeister" because of my avatar's middle/nick name, although my preferred name is Steveyneo.

Had I known/realised way back then that Weltmeister would have been my 'main' name, I would have used Steveyneo instead. Plus, I didn't realised that Weltmeister translates as 'world champion' or so in German, prompting many players to think I was from Germany :laugh:

Anyway, for what it's worth I've always enjoyed a prompt, polite and thorough service from MA Support over the years. Good job guys and gals.

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