[Vandy]

Hello, All.

Settle back with your cuppa joe and relax. This is going to be a long one...

I've taken the time to read through this thread a couple of times and must say that the level of knowledge seems to be on par with the level of disgust towards **noobie** users. (Using the unflattering noobie term was done on purpose.)

I am a VERY GREEN user of Calibre but found it quite simple to get it to do what I want it to do -- convert other book formats to .mobi. I found it very simple to figure out and do up to and including using the batch mode and editing data.

Please accept my thanks and appreciation for providing such a wonderful software application for our use.

In my 38 odd years of working within the Data Communications / End User Computing Customer Service World (of some form and fashion), the ONE TRUTH I've learned is that if you are going to provide a service to your customer don't do it half-a**ed. The goal of customer service is to, not surprisingly, provide the customer service. In this respect, service can be defined as answering questions, pointing the customer to an appropriate resource, helping to solve a problem / bug, etc.

Now... Having writing the above, Customer Service does not mean that you should be a doormat for your customer. I can commiserate with every one of you who have related your customer service horror stories -- I've had them as well. HOWEVER, being short or downright spiteful (I believe the term I read was "being a dick...") doesn't do anything to help the customer, the applications or the programmers who wrote and maintain it.

In my career, I have created, staffed and managed three separate helpdesks in three different companies. NOT ONCE did I ever turn a customer away who asked for help. Let me further clarify my statement. I made sure the customer either got the answer to their question or, was given a resource from which they could find it themselves.

There is always going to be a "bad apple" type of customer who doesn't want to do any of the leg work to get an answer and, as I've read throughout this thread, believe they have the right to said answer (entitlement). This is where true customer service can shine.

Someone who is providing world class customer services NEVER stoops to the level of the customer's "state-of-mind". If you do, you've lost the battle before it begins. I am a firm believer in empathizing with your customer BUT... NEVER sympathize. Again, you're dropping yourself to their level and any "business separation" has been compromised when the customer senses that they've drawn you in.

It is NEVER WRONG to politely point the customer to a resource they can use to get their own answers AS WELL AS let them know that THIS is the proper way to get help for their questions. Direct interaction between the customer and customer service person should be reserved for those times when true help is needed -- a problem in the application; a feature whose function and /or purpose can't be found in the documentation; a feature request; etc.

Actually, there isn't any reason why a Feature Request Thread couldn't be created and customers directed to that thread to post their requests.

Let me suggest a few ways in which Calibre Customer Service can become world class:

1) Have documentation that is written for and at the customer's level.
I'm not advocating that there shouldn't be technical terms, jargon, explanations, etc. It should be self-evident in today's technological world that this cannot be avoided nor should it be. However, an explanation should be provided or a resource made available to the customer for them to find their own explanations.

Well written documentation is the foundation for any good application. Having written that, we ALL KNOW that the "lead the horse to water..." analogy will always apply. There are some customers who just won't and /or refuse to ready the documentation. This is not an excuse, however, for not having the documentation.

2) Have resources (either internal or external) made available to the customer.
I like the ideas I've read within this thread concerning sub-forums, use of sticky topics, etc. These are excellent ways to provide the customer with an internal resource source. Likewise, using a Wiki externally is an excellent resource to provide.

3) Treat ALL customers with respect and politeness -- even the difficult ones.
Answering an angry customer in kind isn't going to solve any problems -- rather, it will only serve to exacerbate an already volatile situation. I'm not advocating that all customer's questions should be answered all the time and immediately. Rather, take the time to politely point the customer to the appropriate resource if it is a routine question or, in the case of a detailed "plea" for help or an issue (bug) with the software, make yourself available to assist the customer.

Along the lines of the above statement, it is completely valid and reasonable to expect the customer to provide a set of standard information in order to better assist them and their issue. I would suggest that a locked sticky be created (if there is already one, my apologies for not knowing...) which contains a post detailed the information required in order for help to be provided. Without this information, help cannot be provided.

4) Balancing on-line support with real life.
Having spent a number of years as a moderator on a very active forum Website, I certainly understand what it is like to have a full time job, a home life and THEN be expected to be available (for free) at a moment's notice and at a customer's beck and call. We all have real lives in addition to our on-line lives. Customer's MUST understand and respect the fact that the moderators on this forum are not being paid to provide customer service. Rather, they are providing this service from the goodness of their hearts and because they believe in their product.

A customer inquiry which requires an answer should be acknowledged and the customer notified that someone is looking into their issue. Some sort of timeframe would be useful to give to the customer as to when they can expect and answer. Any such timeframe, however, must be very flexible given people's own real life needs, wants and desires.


Okay. I'm sure I've "bored" y'all enough with my comments and suggestions. Let me close by providing an offer of help.

I certainly don't know the Calibre application well enough to act as an answer provider. I do have had several years of technical writing as well as technical training experience and am more than willing to help out with the documentation in order to provide our customers with material that is explained from both a practical and technical point of view.

Just let me know if I can be of help.

Thank you and, again, thanks to all the developers and programmers of this excellent application.

Regards,