SW team does not respond to clients

LS.,

Since we have sold numerous models, we also get responses from our clients. To us: these are the real clients.
Now unfortunately sometimes things go wrong. This can happen. We noticed however that the Shapeways service team is not as active to the real clients as to us designers.

Several compliants I had to receive via the world wide web because of the lack of response of the SW-teams. I sometimes have to get 'in between' our clients and the SW-team. The SW-team than responses to me directly and promises things. But the real clients do not get this kind of response, and seem to be left alone.

Why is SW doing this? Or why is the communication not professional. I mean, if you promise to solve issues wsith the real clients, you should act accordingly.

Is anyone having the same problems?

Maurice
RAILNSCALE

Hello Mitchell,

Several times we have received issues concerning the lack of response from SW-teams. So, indeed 'something went wrong'.
You and the service team already received a mail from us about the case.

I do not always receive emails from clients. Most often I receive personal messages via a forum.

Maurice

Thanks.

Maybe it is a lot easier not to add store credits, but to remake the requested model. This is more logical and less complicated.

Now I got the a better picture on the whole story. It went something like this.

1. Client buys model.
2. Client receives model.
3. Client notices something is not correct and mails SW.
4. SW does not respond.
5. Client addresses issue at RAILNSCALE via www.
6. RAILNSCALE mails to SW and informs client to send mail including photo and ordernumber to SW.
7. SW responds and tells that the client will be informed.
8. Client sends photo and compliant to SW.
9. Client claims not to receive an answer and addresses issue at RAILNSCALE via www.
10. Again RAILNSCALE mails SW and puts issue on Forum.
11. SW answers via Forum. SW answers via mail, and mentiones that store credit was given to client, because apperently it was not clear whether the client had damaged the part. (?)
12. Client responds again via www. Telling he doesn't understand a thing of SW's answer. Client quotes answer of SW. In this SW states that model details were infact too small to be printed correctly, so a reprint would probably have the same issues. RAILNSCALE was informed about this matter.
-> Well, RAILNSCALE was NOT informed, and the very model has been printed 27 times successfully. The features that might be too small were printed successfully 139 times (it is present in morte models)
13. RAILNSCALE again mails SW and asks to print the ordered model and to send this over to the client.
....

Were does this end?

Why on earth can somebody at SW decides behind his desk that a model might be less printable or so -even if it was successfully printed numerous times?

WHY?
What is the problem with just sending a reprint? That's all. I can tell you clients (not the designer-client, but the real clients) are totally not interested in any kind of technical hickup. They just want the ordered models.
Oh yeah, the client is French and does not speak much English to make things more difficult.

So, again I will try to inform this poor client in my best French what's going on. But honestly, this is far beyond explanation.

Now, I'd like to know whether this is standard procedure at SW or not.

Regards,
Maurice
RAILNSCALE

Let's pause for a minute at item #3

3. Client notices something is not correct and mails SW.

What was the "something" that was not correct? If it was some missing piece of detail - that might be the root cause for the rest of the discussion.

If the customer presented their request in such a manner that it seemed that they were unhappy with the loss of detail - that also might have contributed to getting a store credit instead of getting a reprint.

Beyond that, I personally have had emails from CS go "into the either" - it's not their fault.. my ISP decided to reject the emails.
I have also had emails that I sent _to_ CS that were lost - again because of my ISP.

4. SW does not respond.

What period of time are we talking about?
Minutes? Hours? Over a weekend? Over a Holiday?

Hello,

The client asks for a reprint. That's pretty clear.

Answer to point 3:
Details missing at one side of the product. Picture was included by client.

Answer to point 4:
After four weeks the client decided to inform us. So four weeks of silence.

Regards,
Maurice

The key issue here is that there was a language barrier in the beginning and you tried to help. That was very kind of you and we appreciate you bringing it to our attention.

I was then able to reach out to the customer and we corresponded back and forth--as I happen to speak French from time I spent volunteering in West Africa. The customer has mentioned nothing in our correspondence about being confused or upset about the credit. They need only continue our conversation to voice those concerns and have them addressed directly.

In cases where there are multiple voices such as this, it very very quickly becomes confusing for all involved. I would therefore ask that you encourage the customer to reach back out to us (and not you) for any concerns. This way, nothing is lost along the way. We can address the concern at the source.

We do really appreciate the help. It is a very kind and thoughtful gesture. However, at this point, it seems that correspondence between multiple parties is only adding confusion.

Further, Mitchell will be in contact with you about any design concerns and will address your concerns over your models directly with you.

This way, everyone is heard and each gets a solution to their specific concerns.

Edit: Just to be clear, I have been talking to the customer directly over the last 4 weeks. While I cannot share information for privacy reasons, I can say that we have corresponded recently.

Thomas,

Thanks for your reply.
I agree it makes no sense that I have to communicate between the client and SW. The problem is that on multiple occassions clients ask me directly (by mail or via forum) to help since SW did not respond to them.

On our website it is also clear:
http://railnscale.wordpress.com/faq/ (in Dutch, German, English)
http://railnscale.wordpress.com/tips-english/ (also in Dutch, German, French)

Now from multiple clients we've noticed that SW is either not clear, does not respond to quesions or ends up with discussions.

This is the reason I started this topic. Is this happening to more clients of designers/engineers? Is SW going to improve the communication?

Regards,
Maurice
RAILNSCALE

Hello Mitchell, Thomas and others of the SW-team,

Today I get again the same compliant of the very same customer.
This is his remark to me:

Hello,
Je n'ai aucune nouvelle réponse de Shapeways. Je pense sincèrement que mon problème ne les intéresse pas.
Je ne souhaite pas être remboursé, et je ne l'ai pas été.
Je pensais qu'ils auraient pu m'expédier des rebuts (scraps from to scrap) avec des phares (headlights)
Je pense que nous ne pouvons pas améliorer cette situation
Très cordialement

I have no new answer of Shapeways. I think sincerely that my problem does not interest them.
I do not wish to be paid off, and, I was not.
I thought that they would have been able to send me scraps with headlights.
I think that we cannot improve this situation
Very cordially

Now, this seems to me that you STILL HAVE NOT RESPONDED to him. Again, the client received a partly broken set. The ONLY THING you should do is RESPOND and RESEND the stuff accordingly. Simple as that.

So SW stop your blabla, and send the model!

Maurice

Well SW-team, why on earth do I understand the remarks of a client and you not?

What is not clear about the remark:
"I have no new answer of Shapeways. I think sincerely that my problem does not interest them.
I do not wish to be paid off, and, I was not.
I thought that they would have been able to send me scraps with headlights.
I think that we cannot improve this situation
Very cordially"

That's what the clients writes. He wants the model being resend rather than start discussions about printability or refunding of credits.

And this is the point where SW goes totally in the wrong direction. Because SW has suggested that due to some technical details (even with pictures shown to the client!!!!) why maybe the model was good to print but less good to clean/ship. For this reason some person at SW decided NOT to print but to refund credit to the client.
Now this is something totally unheard of. What are you thinking! Furthermore SW did not at all inform us about this matter.

SW is not to communicate about technical details in public or with third parties without first notifying the designer. And, it is completely useless because the client (who I do not have contact with) is suddenly involved in some (nonsense) discussion about printability. He just want the model (that happens to be printed very often with great success!).

So, rather than complaining to me, about me getiing involved in the discussion between the end-customer and SW, you should print the model and send it to the customer! And maybe just sending your apologies to him would be something to consider.

Regards,
Maurice
RAILNSCALE

And what are your next steps?

Do I have to communicate to this client that he should send you an email because SW otherwise doesn't do his job?

Thanks!