Why is all the fun missing from XenForo.com?

[Chris D]

Don't know about adding fun here, but I am sick and tired of being spoken to, like I am something found on the bottom of the shoe - by some of the staff here.

Hearing comments such as these are always disappointing.

Certainly some staff are straight to the point. Myself included, at times, but sometimes this is necessary to ensure messages are clear and succinct and clarification, should anything be too vague, is always available if asked.

I thought I'd have a quick look at your message history. I can't see any particular evidence of what you mention here. Not to say that it doesn't exist, but, I just can't specifically see it.

Could I rant about it? Oh yes. Will I? not at all.

I appreciate this point, however, sometimes feedback is important. A "rant", as you put it, probably isn't constructive, but certainly if you have issues with specific staff member(s) then there are others you can speak to.

 

[Glockie]

Hearing comments such as these are always disappointing.

Certainly some staff are straight to the point. Myself included, at times, but sometimes this is necessary to ensure messages are clear and succinct and clarification, should anything be too vague, is always available if asked.

I thought I'd have a quick look at your message history. I can't see any particular evidence of what you mention here. Not to say that it doesn't exist, but, I just can't specifically see it.


I appreciate this point, however, sometimes feedback is important. A "rant", as you put it, probably isn't constructive, but certainly if you have issues with specific staff member(s) then there are others you can speak to.

Thank you.
I appreciate that, and I should have edited - it's not all staff.
In all fairness, whenever you and I have spoken, you have always been very polite, friendly and courteous.
I should have highlighted this and apologise now for not doing so.
Even when quickly replying to quick fixes and edits, you have always been friendly and professional

I can understand being prompt to ensure clear, well advised and constructed content, is passed on to the consumer(s) - I will agree that straight to the point will be at times, necessary.
However, being abrupt, rude and arrogant is not a good way to treat your clientèle.
Which is often the case....
Unfortunately.

 

[zappaDPJ]

Don't know about adding fun here, but I am sick and tired of being spoken to, like I am something found on the bottom of the shoe - by some of the staff here.
That much I can tell you.
Could I rant about it? Oh yes. Will I? not at all.
Grown man I am, and a customer and I certainly don't need to be treated like a naughty boy in school.

I am always polite, courteous and speak to everyone with respect. Always.
Is it too much to expect to be spoken to with at least *some* respect?

And I am not alone in thinking that the attitude of some is just shocking.

So in regards to the OP?
Yes, maybe add some fun, as it may loosen up the staff - as they act like they're working in a morgue when they speak to you.
If you've faced it, you will know exactly what I am on about too.

No, you are certainly not alone, I stopped posting here a year or two ago for the same reason. I do look in now and again as I have done today but nothing much has changed.

Like yourself I chose not to make an issue of it, I'd rather spend the time running my forums.

 

[Amaury]

There's a difference between being rude and being direct, though often times it is indeed hard to interpret online tone, and this applies to everyone, not just staff. This is something I struggle with sometimes. If someone replies in just the right away, I'll stop and think, "Are they mad at me?" Especially if it's a one-word response like "yes" or "no" ("nope," however, doesn't come across as negative, at least not to me, when I have those moments), where it'll come across like it was a bother for them to answer a question.

 

[Glockie]

There's a difference between being rude and being direct, though often times it is indeed hard to interpret online tone, and this applies to everyone, not just staff. This is something I struggle with sometimes. If someone replies in just the right away, I'll stop and think, "Are they mad at me?" Especially if it's a one-word response like "yes" or "no" ("nope," however, doesn't come across as negative, at least not to me, when I have those moments), where it'll come across like it was a bother for them to answer a question.

Yes of course, there is a huge difference between being direct and being rude.
But whilst the tone in which it is sent may be difficult to distinguish when online, the wording is not.

I have never experienced such a demeaning attitude from people - staff, as what I have here.
Not once or twice; regularly.
Frankly, I am tired of it.
And I've been online for 12 years plus.. if not more...

I have seen many metaphors used here on this site, so allow me;
You wouldn't walk into one shop and ask for the other shops' products no?
Great...
But if you walked into that one shop, and said;
"Excuse me, but where is the fruit from today please?" and the reply was; "whatever! over there somewhere, I don't like the look of you, you shouldn't be here - I am better than you and you don't deserve my time"
Would you go back?

Exactly.

I won't say anymore to be honest as I have better things to do with my time.
But I most certainly won't recommend XF based on staff friendliness.
And if the mods/admins can't take what is being said from a customer, who is unhappy with his treatment but has dealt with it correctly - and they decide to lock the thread?
Then it shows how much they value our 'custom'........

 

[Mike Edge]

I have never experienced such a demeaning attitude from people - staff, as what I have here.
Not once or twice; regularly.
Frankly, I am tired of it.
And I've been online for 12 years plus.. if not more...

I have to say I agree with this, to the point I've felt some staff have a personal vendetta against me, even to the point I discussed it with Mike in private. I have never seen a company other then maybe fast food treat a customer the way some staff do here. On the other hand, xenForo has some amazing staff as well like Chris and Jake, who I can't recall ever coming across as rude or condescending or Mike who's not rude, just very straight forward shooter and doesn't sugar coat things. Personally I been put on moderation several times here for defending my company against outright lies.. It made me feel like I was in Kindergarden and put in time out during milk and cookies time. I have never seen any other company ever do anything like that to anyone, let alone a paying customer. In the end we are still customers, some with more then one license and other official add-on products, without us there is no company.

I do also have to add, Mike is spot on with keeping track of customers and following up on things with them. Example, with a rule change yesterday of only one advertising thread, since mine was a holiday promotion that expired, he contacted me direct to see if I wanted to keep that thread as is, edit the title or have them delete it, giving me an option to create a new thread in the future.

 

[Chris D]

Personally I been put on moderation several times here for defending my company against outright lies.

None of your warnings (which are what trigger moderation, automatically) have been issued on content where you have been defending your company.

There seems to be a lot of hyperbole here about various staff, and their actions. That isn't what this thread was even about.

I suggest we get this thread back on track and should anyone have any grievances with staff, they should be taken up with the staff member in question where possible, in the first instance.

 

[AzzidReign]

I have an idea for fun. Grammar school. We should start with "then" and "than". I would certainly have fun teaching

 

[Lucas]

People seem oversensitive nowadays.

 

[The Grand Potentate]

I have an idea for fun. Grammar school. We should start with "then" and "than". I would certainly have fun teaching

I'm down so long as I get to administer the beatings with paddles. Or slap people on the hands with rulers.

 

[Sheratan]

I have an idea for fun. Grammar school. We should start with "then" and "than". I would certainly have fun teaching

How about you're and your?

 

[Amaury]

How about all of these?

http://homepage.smc.edu/reading_lab/words_commonly_confused.htm

 

[Tefka]

I get threads like this every once and a while at my forum, blaming Staff for a variety of things, deep emotional spills of "what happened to the good old days" even though my main forum is only 2.5 years old... deep emotional spills of forum members' relationships that have no business being in a public thread.

They're fun to watch, but I just tell my Staff team not to get involved in an official capacity. They always burn themselves out, god forbid we try to tell them its "just a forum, bro".

 

[Glockie]

Then/than, they're/their/there, ize/ise, your/you're, its/it's, our/or as in (behaviour/behavior), ; the list is endless....

@Tefka, not quite.. as my point is - make the site fun perhaps, but start with customer care first. It's not just a forum, as even the staff point out; it's a business capacity - support site et al.
That doesn't mean you can treat clients as unworthy 'beings'.
I wouldn't call that a deep emotional spill... lol!!