I'm sure many of you know of what the software "Trillian" is, and I'm sure many of you use it. I've been a user of Trillian for many years, even since before it had file transfers....even before version "0.631", which I believe was the last 0.6x version before they drastically altered their site, the software, and the business model. Anyways, since 0.7x, they decided to move to a pay model and a customer support model and things of that nature.
Now the problem I've had with Cerulean isn't their software, after all, at this point in time we've all come to accept their half-working software, false promises, and slow times to release software and fix problems (anything that isn't an immediate issue like a service connectivity problem, they could care less about and will wait until next major revision before adding it).
I've found the Cerulean customer support, whomever they may be, to be rather insulting and unruly. It's to the point where it has bothered me where I've decided to see what anyone else had to say about it.
A bit of back story was this:
There was a discussion on the "paid member" forums, in which I participated in. People were rather upset that Cerulean didn't honor many promises and things of that nature, and I participated. I, too, felt very cheated by the software company at the time. This of course, after laying out $25 to them for their software and what seemed to be revamped support. (After all, I figured with the financial support, they would change their old behaviors that they had with their free software). Nonetheless, the "Super Moderator" and myself had ended up in a bit of a conflict. Words were exchanged, he started to exercise his authority, and I ended up making a post with a rather bit of colorful wording, mostly including the F word and other sorts.
At this point, the moderator had banned me from the paid member forum (I did, however, continue to have access to the other forums). So I had e-mailed them with a customer support ticket to try and see if I could have the situation resolved, after all, being just a tad bit unruly I don't think warranted such an act. So, they treated me in disgust and that was that.
Fast forward about a year and a half to nearly 2 years later, and I decided that I wanted to try out Trillian 3 Alpha. So I fired up my aging account, and dropped in the $5 they wanted for the extra support and the ability to obtain the latest software. So tonight, after about 5 days or so of using the software, I once again attempted to e-mail Cerulean and regain my access to the paid forums. I assumed that after 2 years, the ban would've been removed. It hadn't been.
So, e-mail correspondence went as follows:
Dear Cerulean Studios,
About 2 years ago one of your super moderators (Amoeba) and I had gotten into a dispute. Since then, my account has been banned from accessing the Trillian Member Forums. I haven't had much doing with Trillian in recent years (Though I continually use it daily), and decided to pay the $5 again to obtain Trillian 3. To assist in my usage of Trillian 3, I would like access to the forums to see of any issues in which may arise during my time while using Trillian 3. If it is at all possible, I would like to be unbanned from accessing the Trillian forums.
Thank you,
Mike
Well, after filing this support ticket, I quickly received a reply (within the hour) from a Trillian customer support representative. Due to the graphic nature of this e-mail response, I won't be posting all of it to HardOCP, but it went as follows:
I can see why you were banned. You "went out with a bank".
....!!!......colorful posting here..............!!
So now you want to get back on the "useless" forums?
We don't really need people on the forums that have no regard for the
rules. Given your history, how could we be sure that this wouldn't
happen again?
Don Petty
Customer Support
Cerulean Studios
The largest problem I have with this response isn't so much of the fact that he decided to bring up my past experience on the forum, which I had expected. The problem I have with this is that he went as far as insulted me (the reference to 'bank' was a mispelling I made of the word 'bang').
So after this, I decided to respond--rather humanely, twice. One email consisted of me saying that it was a shame that they are so quick to judge me over such an incident, but if that was the case I guess that's the case. The 2nd email consisted of me expressing my distaste with being insulted by their customer support, which is as follows:
Let it also be known please, that despite my rather matured and changed behavior--I do not appreciate being insulted by a customer support representative of Cerulean Studios. It is astounding that this is the way a company treats its customers--even its sometimes most unruly ones. It's petty, and over such a petty argument also. It's a real shame--I must say.
So in the end here, it seems that despite my unruly behavior--they still don't wish to change their ways. After 2 years, and they are not willing to accomodate one unruly customer who wishes to make some ends.
I'm not sure about everyone else, but I'm sure there are times when you've gotten a bit unruly with an insulting customer support representative. After all, I surely don't say such things unless they REALLY deserve it (I have grown a tolerance to a lot of things after being a volunteer worker for many years at a large east coast convention), and I've also learned that you simply don't treat people with disrespect--especially customers. In any normal business, if you had asked to speak to the management because someone on their team insulted you, which subsequently got you fired up, that person would be dealt with. It's like common business ethics. I mean, don't get me wrong...I don't cuss out customer support and then complain to their management about it, haha....It's just that there is a level of expectation between buyer and seller when the seller should honor its duties. I don't put up with insults by businesses because they think of me as a 'consumer'.
Nonetheless, the entire debacle is a bit disappionting. For a couple of days of fired up postings, and one major post with some colorful language, it appears I am banned for life from the Cerulean Support Forums.
Has anyone else had any problems with their customer support and their company?
Now the problem I've had with Cerulean isn't their software, after all, at this point in time we've all come to accept their half-working software, false promises, and slow times to release software and fix problems (anything that isn't an immediate issue like a service connectivity problem, they could care less about and will wait until next major revision before adding it).
I've found the Cerulean customer support, whomever they may be, to be rather insulting and unruly. It's to the point where it has bothered me where I've decided to see what anyone else had to say about it.
A bit of back story was this:
There was a discussion on the "paid member" forums, in which I participated in. People were rather upset that Cerulean didn't honor many promises and things of that nature, and I participated. I, too, felt very cheated by the software company at the time. This of course, after laying out $25 to them for their software and what seemed to be revamped support. (After all, I figured with the financial support, they would change their old behaviors that they had with their free software). Nonetheless, the "Super Moderator" and myself had ended up in a bit of a conflict. Words were exchanged, he started to exercise his authority, and I ended up making a post with a rather bit of colorful wording, mostly including the F word and other sorts.
At this point, the moderator had banned me from the paid member forum (I did, however, continue to have access to the other forums). So I had e-mailed them with a customer support ticket to try and see if I could have the situation resolved, after all, being just a tad bit unruly I don't think warranted such an act. So, they treated me in disgust and that was that.
Fast forward about a year and a half to nearly 2 years later, and I decided that I wanted to try out Trillian 3 Alpha. So I fired up my aging account, and dropped in the $5 they wanted for the extra support and the ability to obtain the latest software. So tonight, after about 5 days or so of using the software, I once again attempted to e-mail Cerulean and regain my access to the paid forums. I assumed that after 2 years, the ban would've been removed. It hadn't been.
So, e-mail correspondence went as follows:
Dear Cerulean Studios,
About 2 years ago one of your super moderators (Amoeba) and I had gotten into a dispute. Since then, my account has been banned from accessing the Trillian Member Forums. I haven't had much doing with Trillian in recent years (Though I continually use it daily), and decided to pay the $5 again to obtain Trillian 3. To assist in my usage of Trillian 3, I would like access to the forums to see of any issues in which may arise during my time while using Trillian 3. If it is at all possible, I would like to be unbanned from accessing the Trillian forums.
Thank you,
Mike
Well, after filing this support ticket, I quickly received a reply (within the hour) from a Trillian customer support representative. Due to the graphic nature of this e-mail response, I won't be posting all of it to HardOCP, but it went as follows:
I can see why you were banned. You "went out with a bank".
....!!!......colorful posting here..............!!
So now you want to get back on the "useless" forums?
We don't really need people on the forums that have no regard for the
rules. Given your history, how could we be sure that this wouldn't
happen again?
Don Petty
Customer Support
Cerulean Studios
The largest problem I have with this response isn't so much of the fact that he decided to bring up my past experience on the forum, which I had expected. The problem I have with this is that he went as far as insulted me (the reference to 'bank' was a mispelling I made of the word 'bang').
So after this, I decided to respond--rather humanely, twice. One email consisted of me saying that it was a shame that they are so quick to judge me over such an incident, but if that was the case I guess that's the case. The 2nd email consisted of me expressing my distaste with being insulted by their customer support, which is as follows:
Let it also be known please, that despite my rather matured and changed behavior--I do not appreciate being insulted by a customer support representative of Cerulean Studios. It is astounding that this is the way a company treats its customers--even its sometimes most unruly ones. It's petty, and over such a petty argument also. It's a real shame--I must say.
So in the end here, it seems that despite my unruly behavior--they still don't wish to change their ways. After 2 years, and they are not willing to accomodate one unruly customer who wishes to make some ends.
I'm not sure about everyone else, but I'm sure there are times when you've gotten a bit unruly with an insulting customer support representative. After all, I surely don't say such things unless they REALLY deserve it (I have grown a tolerance to a lot of things after being a volunteer worker for many years at a large east coast convention), and I've also learned that you simply don't treat people with disrespect--especially customers. In any normal business, if you had asked to speak to the management because someone on their team insulted you, which subsequently got you fired up, that person would be dealt with. It's like common business ethics. I mean, don't get me wrong...I don't cuss out customer support and then complain to their management about it, haha....It's just that there is a level of expectation between buyer and seller when the seller should honor its duties. I don't put up with insults by businesses because they think of me as a 'consumer'.
Nonetheless, the entire debacle is a bit disappionting. For a couple of days of fired up postings, and one major post with some colorful language, it appears I am banned for life from the Cerulean Support Forums.
Has anyone else had any problems with their customer support and their company?