Smashwords customer support

amoroso · 08-19-2010, 06:37 AM

Within the past week or so I contacted Smashwords' customer support 3 times (to report the same issue) via the "Comments/questions/customer support? Click here!" link at the top of their site pages, but received no reply.

Is this typical of their customer support? I don't expect Amazon-style stellar support, but this seems definitely below average.

Lady Fitzgerald · 08-19-2010, 09:33 AM

I haven't had exactly stellar results with amazon. If it's a product they warehouse, no problem. But heaven forbid you ever have a problem with one of their subvendors.

amoroso · 08-19-2010, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

I haven't had exactly stellar results with amazon. If it's a product they warehouse, no problem.

Yes, I did mean their products. But I guess they at least answer queries most of the time.

amoroso · 09-18-2010, 06:04 PM

I was contacted by Smashwords founder Mark Coker after commenting on a blog post of his. He said that they did receive my inquiries, but didn't respond because I reported that the formatting issue was minor (I would have appreciated an autoresponse anyway). He also offered to contact the book author and ask him for a corrected version.

avantman42 · 09-18-2010, 06:29 PM

I reported a bug on their web site earlier this week, and I got a reply very quickly thanking me for the report. Later that day I got another e-mail to let me know that the bug had been fixed.

I don't know if your experience or mine is the more typical, but I was very impressed with the response that I got.

mjhudston · 09-18-2010, 06:41 PM

I've contacted mark before about his web site when it's had problems and he's responded very quickly. Maybe an auto response when your reporting minor formatting errors is preferable to no response at all.

GraceKrispy · 09-19-2010, 05:06 PM

I sent in an email about a month or so ago, asking a question. Never received a response either. Granted, it wasn't anything earth shattering, and perhaps could be read more as a suggestion type question, but still... I got an immediate automated response saying that I would receive a response within 24hours. Turn the automation off if that's not the case, if there's no response forthcoming for all queries.

Stormchild · 09-20-2010, 06:06 AM

I reported an Author and received a reply from Mark the next day. I replied and he again replied the next day. Very good response.

neilmarr · 09-20-2010, 08:28 AM

Yup, Mark and team are usually pretty quick off the mark with responses. It's a busy wee place, though. Cheers. Neil

HamsterRage · 09-20-2010, 10:46 PM

Generally, you should be unambiguous about what you want whenever you contact a company's customer service department. Something like, "I would like you to do such and such to rectify this problem", or "Please tell me what you can do to help me with this issue". Stuff like that.

indie · 09-21-2010, 02:56 AM

Most emails that I see on other sites suggest that they usually do respond, but I don't know for sure.

08-19-2010, 06:37 AM	#1
amoroso Groupie Posts: 185 Karma: 1004070 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Italy Device: Kindle for Android, Google Play Books	Smashwords customer support Within the past week or so I contacted Smashwords' customer support 3 times (to report the same issue) via the "Comments/questions/customer support? Click here!" link at the top of their site pages, but received no reply. Is this typical of their customer support? I don't expect Amazon-style stellar support, but this seems definitely below average.

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08-19-2010, 09:33 AM	#2
Lady Fitzgerald Wizard Posts: 2,013 Karma: 251649 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tempe, AZ, USA, Earth Device: JetBook Lite (away from home) + 1 spare, 32" TV (at home)	I haven't had exactly stellar results with amazon. If it's a product they warehouse, no problem. But heaven forbid you ever have a problem with one of their subvendors.

09-18-2010, 06:04 PM	#4
amoroso Groupie Posts: 185 Karma: 1004070 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Italy Device: Kindle for Android, Google Play Books	I was contacted by Smashwords founder Mark Coker after commenting on a blog post of his. He said that they did receive my inquiries, but didn't respond because I reported that the formatting issue was minor (I would have appreciated an autoresponse anyway). He also offered to contact the book author and ask him for a corrected version.

09-18-2010, 06:29 PM	#5
avantman42 Wizard Posts: 1,090 Karma: 6058305 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I reported a bug on their web site earlier this week, and I got a reply very quickly thanking me for the report. Later that day I got another e-mail to let me know that the bug had been fixed. I don't know if your experience or mine is the more typical, but I was very impressed with the response that I got.

09-18-2010, 06:41 PM	#6
mjhudston All round good egg Posts: 229 Karma: 1005039 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Apple Ipad 3rd Generation	I've contacted mark before about his web site when it's had problems and he's responded very quickly. Maybe an auto response when your reporting minor formatting errors is preferable to no response at all.

09-19-2010, 05:06 PM	#7
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	I sent in an email about a month or so ago, asking a question. Never received a response either. Granted, it wasn't anything earth shattering, and perhaps could be read more as a suggestion type question, but still... I got an immediate automated response saying that I would receive a response within 24hours. Turn the automation off if that's not the case, if there's no response forthcoming for all queries.

09-20-2010, 06:06 AM	#8
Stormchild Evangelist Posts: 466 Karma: 878943 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Cornwall UK Device: BeBook 1. BeBook Mini. BeBook Neo and Club. BeBook Live. BeeBook Pure.	I reported an Author and received a reply from Mark the next day. I replied and he again replied the next day. Very good response.

09-20-2010, 08:28 AM	#9
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	Yup, Mark and team are usually pretty quick off the mark with responses. It's a busy wee place, though. Cheers. Neil

09-20-2010, 10:46 PM	#10
HamsterRage Evangelist Posts: 435 Karma: 24326 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	Generally, you should be unambiguous about what you want whenever you contact a company's customer service department. Something like, "I would like you to do such and such to rectify this problem", or "Please tell me what you can do to help me with this issue". Stuff like that.

09-21-2010, 02:56 AM	#11
indie Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 30 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	Most emails that I see on other sites suggest that they usually do respond, but I don't know for sure.