Dual firmware announcement - Page 55

peterbbb · 11-06-2009, 01:24 PM

They will not tell you. I tried that. Just technical issues and it will be soon. That was a week ago.

delphidb96 · 11-06-2009, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Don't consider you're speaking for everyone there !
Though I agree the knowing more about the reason of the delay would be nice, i see no point in asking questions they probably won't respond to.

Ah. But by the whole darned community getting up and roaring in their faces, Bookeen *might* be terrified into putting out a real response. (I said "might".

)

Derek

GeoffC · 11-07-2009, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Ah. But by the whole darned community getting up and roaring in their faces, Bookeen *might* be terrified into putting out a real response. (I said "might".

)

Derek

They have a link to Bookeen Cybook here on MR from the web site. I am sure that they are aware of the comments posted here.

(Not that that excuses the lack of more direct response to some of those comments).

Krystian Galaj · 11-07-2009, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

They have a link to Bookeen Cybook here on MR from the web site. I am sure that they are aware of the comments posted here.

(Not that that excuses the lack of more direct response to some of those comments).

I'm rather sure they don't read any forums, as long as they don't get paid for it. I work as a programmer, porting games, and my boss prefers to pay me for porting them, not for reading forums and worrying about support. If they don't have anyone whose job is to worry about support and sales, no one is reading anything but their support emails.

GeoffC · 11-07-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj

I'm rather sure they don't read any forums, as long as they don't get paid for it. I work as a programmer, porting games, and my boss prefers to pay me for porting them, not for reading forums and worrying about support. If they don't have anyone whose job is to worry about support and sales, no one is reading anything but their support emails.

thank you ...

Krystian Galaj · 11-07-2009, 01:28 PM

Well, I've known from experience a practice of reading the emails, but not replying to the ones to which there's no simple solution. It happens when there are no set policies on how to handle such cases in the company, and when it isn't a responsibility of a specific person to handle them. Then, even if you could resolve something in 5 minutes, it involves deciding a company stand on this particular (even if trifle) matter by yourself, and that's an effective deferrent if you're supposed to be doing something else anyway and only answer support emails in free time. Or if you don't know foreign langue the email is written in well. And when this happens over the years, it erodes employees' approach to support - I hope not permanently.

K-Thom · 11-07-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Well, I've known from experience a practice of reading the emails, but not replying to the ones to which there's no simple solution.

Honestly, what's Bookeen supposed to do? Write a post "Folks, you're right! We goofed. We still do. Big time. We just don't seem to get the firmware done. If we remove one bug, two new pop up right away. Don't know when or if the firmware ever will be done. Sorry."

I would applaud to any company for such a straightforward honesty - and ask myself at the same time if they are in their right senses.
The "technical difficulties - please stand by" screen since early television days also works in the online world. Nobody has to know what doesn't work out. Just tell people that you are aware of the issue (not: the problem) and are working on it.

And if somebody asks you when the improvement (never: the bug fixing) will be out, answer "soon". If this is quite definitely about to happen, offer a date. But never ever sooner.

As much as it bugs me - the way Bookeen behaves is the only one I could advise.

Idoine · 11-07-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K-Thom

Honestly, what's Bookeen supposed to do? Write a post "Folks, you're right! We goofed. We still do. Big time. We just don't seem to get the firmware done. If we remove one bug, two new pop up right away. Don't know when or if the firmware ever will be done. Sorry."

I would applaud to any company for such a straightforward honesty - and ask myself at the same time if they are in their right senses.
The "technical difficulties - please stand by" screen since early television days also works in the online world. Nobody has to know what doesn't work out. Just tell people that you are aware of the issue (not: the problem) and are working on it.

And if somebody asks you when the improvement (never: the bug fixing) will be out, answer "soon". If this is quite definitely about to happen, offer a date. But never ever sooner.

As much as it bugs me - the way Bookeen behaves is the only one I could advise.

K-Thom, thanks for putting into words what I would like to have said !
I'm not enough confident in my english to try to explain my views on this subject, and I'm glad one post finally expressed my thoughts !

Krystian Galaj · 11-07-2009, 06:57 PM

I prefer using products whose makers are freely informing their users of their condition - so yes, I would prefer an answer, and if they know it will take half a year yet, I would prefer if they told me that, and also why there are problems.
If they prefer to tell me that it will be resolved "soon", they'd better resolve it before my understanding of "soon" passes.

tompe · 11-07-2009, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K-Thom

As much as it bugs me - the way Bookeen behaves is the only one I could advise.

The most criticized behavior is to not acknowledge reception of email and to answer them even if the answer is just as you propose. So it seems wrong to advice them to not answer or acknowledge support emails.

peterbbb · 11-08-2009, 04:26 AM

[QUOTE=K-Thom;650791]"Honestly, what's Bookeen supposed to do? Write a post "Folks, you're right! We goofed. We still do. Big time. We just don't seem to get the firmware done. If we remove one bug, two new pop up right away. Don't know when or if the firmware ever will be done. Sorry."

Yes, that would be a good move. To admit that there are continuing technical, or whatever, difficulties would be a very good thing to do. Clearly Bookeen know very little about how to work with customers. They just have a focus on the technical issues and an arrogance to assume that we don't have any part to play, as customers. Rather French attitude I might say - but I expect a negative response from a certain poster here. Let me just remind her that the Gallic shrug is an example of that attitude.

It would take very little for them to put a note onto their website, or here, to say just that. I doubt they will, 'cos the just don't get it.

EowynCarter · 11-08-2009, 04:31 AM

Glad to see some are beginning to get down to earth.

Quote:

Rather French attitude I might say - but I expect a negative response from a certain poster here.

You mean , me ? Yeah, avoid that kind of generalisation !

Quote:

They just have a focus on the technical issues and an arrogance to assume that we don't have any part to play, as customers

Do we ? Is there anything we could to to make things going faster ?

Quote:

Clearly Bookeen know very little about how to work with customers.

Clearly you don't know how companies works. Are you living in a country where "professional secrecy" don't mean anything ?

GeoffC · 11-08-2009, 05:56 AM

Let's not forget that this firmware has been on the brink of being released for at least 6 months .... I accept that there are many reasons why it hasn't been, but it has not done Bookeen's reputation any good by making a promise that has come to fruition. They did tell me one Friday that it would be issued on the following Monday. Others on these boards have had similar replies.

How much simpler and honest it would have been to have stated from the outset - "Sorry, we do not have a release date, yet".

The Paris MR meetup at which they offered an upgrade to attendees has done nothing but make the remainder of us feel like we no longer count as customers.

But what the 'eck - the Gen3 remains my only e-reader and I do not have any reason to rue my decision to get one. It contains a stable firmware and it does what I want it to do.......

Would I get another ......... YEP ........... though this time I'd get it from a shop where I can walk in and say 'it doesn't work properly', and they will offer an instant replacement or refund instead of having to rely on Bookeen and the courier services.

Krystian Galaj · 11-08-2009, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Glad to see some are beginning to get down to earth.

That's strange, as all people know is that Bookeen is a French company. It doesn't mean its employees are French... probably at least the company owner needs to have French nationality to start a company in France, but it doesn't mean that person had to be French from birth, so I don't know why people make such assumptions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Clearly you don't know how companies works. Are you living in a country where "professional secrecy" don't mean anything ?

"Professional secrecy" is understandable when it comes to the secrets of the trade, things that could be easily repeated by competition if disclosed, but the way to write firmwares in this particular business is rather well understood. I believe Bookeen can disclose much more about their development, the problems with it and the resons for delays without giving any information that could help the competition, and that "professional secrecy" is not the reason for their silence.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

They did tell me one Friday that it would be issued on the following Monday.

I may be mistaken here, but I remember they promised to disclose the summary of features that will be available in a new firmware on Monday, not the firmware itself. That summary was released on August 27 on their blog.

GeoffC · 11-08-2009, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj

I may be mistaken here, but I remember they promised to disclose the summary of features that will be available in a new firmware on Monday, not the firmware itself. That summary was released on August 27 on their blog.

May be, but the answer to me was earlier than that date and specifically stated a release of the firmware itself....

8th May 2009
We shall release the new firmware on Monday. Be sure that we are, at Bookeen, really looking forward to release the upgrade and enhance your reading experience.

15th May 2009
Our technical team is still working on fixing some bugs. The release will be done in a few weeks. The next firmware will have new functionalities that have been waiting for a long time from our readers and also lots of new possibilities that will enhance your reading experience.
We are sorry for the delay but please be sure that satisfying your interest is really our main goal.

19th May 2009 :
Thanks for your interest!
We might come back to you soon.
Be sure that we are, at Bookeen, really looking forward to release the
upgrade. We will release on Monday what, beside epub, will come with the new upgrade.

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11-06-2009, 01:24 PM	#811
peterbbb BoyReader Posts: 151 Karma: 308 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Llangollen, North Wales, UK Device: Cybook Gen3 and now Kindle 3	They will not tell you. I tried that. Just technical issues and it will be soon. That was a week ago.

11-07-2009, 01:28 PM	#816
Krystian Galaj Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 11012 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Bookeen Cybook	Well, I've known from experience a practice of reading the emails, but not replying to the ones to which there's no simple solution. It happens when there are no set policies on how to handle such cases in the company, and when it isn't a responsibility of a specific person to handle them. Then, even if you could resolve something in 5 minutes, it involves deciding a company stand on this particular (even if trifle) matter by yourself, and that's an effective deferrent if you're supposed to be doing something else anyway and only answer support emails in free time. Or if you don't know foreign langue the email is written in well. And when this happens over the years, it erodes employees' approach to support - I hope not permanently.

11-07-2009, 06:57 PM	#819
Krystian Galaj Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 11012 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Bookeen Cybook	I prefer using products whose makers are freely informing their users of their condition - so yes, I would prefer an answer, and if they know it will take half a year yet, I would prefer if they told me that, and also why there are problems. If they prefer to tell me that it will be resolved "soon", they'd better resolve it before my understanding of "soon" passes.

11-08-2009, 04:26 AM	#821
peterbbb BoyReader Posts: 151 Karma: 308 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Llangollen, North Wales, UK Device: Cybook Gen3 and now Kindle 3	[QUOTE=K-Thom;650791]"Honestly, what's Bookeen supposed to do? Write a post "Folks, you're right! We goofed. We still do. Big time. We just don't seem to get the firmware done. If we remove one bug, two new pop up right away. Don't know when or if the firmware ever will be done. Sorry." Yes, that would be a good move. To admit that there are continuing technical, or whatever, difficulties would be a very good thing to do. Clearly Bookeen know very little about how to work with customers. They just have a focus on the technical issues and an arrogance to assume that we don't have any part to play, as customers. Rather French attitude I might say - but I expect a negative response from a certain poster here. Let me just remind her that the Gallic shrug is an example of that attitude. It would take very little for them to put a note onto their website, or here, to say just that. I doubt they will, 'cos the just don't get it.

11-08-2009, 05:56 AM	#823
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Let's not forget that this firmware has been on the brink of being released for at least 6 months .... I accept that there are many reasons why it hasn't been, but it has not done Bookeen's reputation any good by making a promise that has come to fruition. They did tell me one Friday that it would be issued on the following Monday. Others on these boards have had similar replies. How much simpler and honest it would have been to have stated from the outset - "Sorry, we do not have a release date, yet". The Paris MR meetup at which they offered an upgrade to attendees has done nothing but make the remainder of us feel like we no longer count as customers. But what the 'eck - the Gen3 remains my only e-reader and I do not have any reason to rue my decision to get one. It contains a stable firmware and it does what I want it to do....... Would I get another ......... YEP ........... though this time I'd get it from a shop where I can walk in and say 'it doesn't work properly', and they will offer an instant replacement or refund instead of having to rely on Bookeen and the courier services.