New SWG community manager has meltdown

LaTigre

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/posts/list.m?&topic_id=925655

A classic example of how NOT to deal with customers.  I don't understand why he took criticism of TCG personally.  This is way worse than GreyPawn's sudden meltdown.  Read it before it vanishes down the memory hole.

 

PreCU

there was one quote that really stood out to me.

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I have a daughter to feed and raise

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Valeran

Pretty unprofessional...If they didn't like the TCG attacks then they should have just moderated without the erage comments.  Reaks of Noobpawn and Eliass.

Trident9259

Originally posted by PreCU


there was one quote that really stood out to me.
 

I have a daughter to feed and raise

 

 

on which page did you see that? i read through it all and must have missed that one.

PreCU

last post before it was locked

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I locked this post so that I can make a final comment.

My approach is not to do what I sat here doing with people through the night. It's a great example how fighting with each other achieves very little.

My apologies again for those that get stressed over heated discussions. I don't like these threads either. To be honest, you really have nothing to comare to in regards to my little tolerance for personal attacks towards me or the team that works with me unless I demonstrated that frustration. That one demonstration, as bad as things were, is enough for me.

Anger, in general, is often ugly in nature and very disruptive to anything being accomplished.

I prefer and request constructive conversation. If that is not something that can be done for some people we can just enforce the rules without coming to "blows" in threads.

I like each and every one of you because you are new to me. I have no resentments against anyone here but I know, just walking in the door, many of the community do towards me.

Learning all that I had to do to get that out was tough and under a lot of pressure to get it done. It's a topic for many that is very frustrating and knew that it would not go over well but some things you just have to do. I have a daughter to feed and raise too. I wish I had nothing but great news for everyone. You don't have to support the topic but it would be wonderful if you could support my over all efforts.

For those that do support my efforts I thank you soooo much and for those that don't.... well I just ask that you leave the insults for posts that never see the submit button.

Not going to reply to any of the replies on here since I went to bed a few hours ago. Just going to lock this down because we, I, etc need to move on today with work that needs to be done and events I am trying to plan.

I wish you all the best day today. I hope we all can agree to disagree on this topic and to agree not to treat each other this way moving forward.

Best wishes to everyone here,

Draakull.

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Obee

Originally posted by PreCU


last post before it was locked
 



 
 I have a daughter to feed and raise too. I wish I had nothing but great news for everyone. You don't have to support the topic but it would be wonderful if you could support my over all efforts.

 

 

Sounds like he was told his job was gone if he did it again.  The whole post reads like 'Please don't upset me or I might lose my job and my kid will starve'.

 

 

Trident9259

hmm as if he were the only parent on Earth.

The issue here is that he KNOWS he is not qualified for the job and gets defensive as a result. The community was not targetting him - except from one post which called him a fail but was quickly corrected by other community members. He took it personal, showing he has very limited experience in this kind of work.

PreCU

I think he's saying that he doesn't like what he's doing and can sympathize with the complaints but he has to do it and at the very least, his effort should be appreciated.

kind of a backhanded comment towards the higher ups that tell him what to do.

eyeswideopen

So this is professional conduct? The yellow is Draakull.

Draakull

CRM



Joined: May 19, 2009

Messages: 209

Location: ATX

Online

MajorXP wrote:

I honestly wonder if you were expecting a backlash against a Friday Feature focused on TCG.

If you didn't have a choice on the content (as some are suggesting) then your boss should know better. It shows a complete lack of understanding / knowing the community to post this.

You know, we aren't allowed to post stuff about the TCG here. Even when there was an issue a few weeks ago when we could not claim LOOT IN SWG, it was locked.

 

Doing a Friday Feature about something we aren't allowed to post about is asking for people to get upset. No friday feature at all would have been better than offending your customers with something like this.

 

I'm sure Elias is looking at this thread quietly laughing to himself.

/

ahhhh.. you hurt me... I am...... I..... I am crying.. what ever. IT IS LOOT CARDS. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT for in GAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMME and that brings in new PLAYERSSSSSSSSSSS. and new players mean more members for guildddddddddddddddddssssssssssssss.. and I am am tired of reading all this about TCG and getting nothing done for events I wanted to do let alone badge ideas. Now I just want to make a badge with a crying smiley on it and blast it out on here.

I get it. You don't like it. Attacking me got you on a list you would rather not be on with me. May as well go talk to yourself now.

 

Thanks.

 

someforumguy

I agree its pretty weak from the new community manager. He also started out on a way too personal level I think. Basically acting like fodder for the ppl who like to flame others. And then be upset it actually happens sometimes lol.

Valeran

Originally posted by someforumguy


I agree its pretty weak from the new community manager. He also started out on a way too personal level I think. Basically acting like fodder for the ppl who like to flame others. And then be upset it actually happens sometimes lol.

 

You would have thought that they would have taken a "lesson learned" from the last TCG Friday Feature.

2 TCG Friday Features...2 threads gone down in flames and locked

PreCU

yikes, the more I read the more unprofessional that guy gets. If I had to guess what he does, community relations would have been the last choice. He lets things affect him way too easily to be in the position that he is in.

thadenge

Sheesh...talk about taking things WAY too personal.  I applaud the idea of getting rid of trolling and flamers and those that throw personal insults, but you have to have a thick skin and at least an ounce of tact.  I remember back when I played WoW there was one CM that went off on the forum (justifiable in my and many others' opinion) and was never heard from again, and it came nowhere near the level of personal attacks and snide remarks this guy has gone to.

I don't play SWG (tried it out, but its not my cup of tea), but reading something like this would definitely make me think twice about playing the game (that is if being an SOE game didn't turn me off enough to begin with).

Since I don't/won't play, its just an immensely entertaining read to get me through my day at work!

PreCU

btw, if I may be so bold - this thread belongs in the general swg section, not veteran refuge as it pertains to the current game.

obviously I understand why it was posted here though.

Obee

Originally posted by PreCU


btw, if I may be so bold - this thread belongs in the general swg section, not veteran refuge as it pertains to the current game.
obviously I understand why it was posted here though.

 

There is a thread in the general forum about it.  It will likely be moved to this forum, or locked, since it is negative towards the game and one of the mods here don't seem to like that.  It has happened with several threads recently.

 

 

Valeran

Originally posted by Obee

Originally posted by PreCU


btw, if I may be so bold - this thread belongs in the general swg section, not veteran refuge as it pertains to the current game.
obviously I understand why it was posted here though.

 

There is a thread in the general forum about it.  It will likely be moved to this forum, or locked, since it is negative towards the game and one of the mods here don't seem to like that.  It has happened with several threads recently.

 

 

 

yep.

Mrbloodworth

I did not read the whole thread. but i don't blame him. there is nothing in that thread that is constructive, just a bunch of children making nasty comments about the developers.

Valeran

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


I did not read the whole thread. but i don't blame him. there is nothing in that thread that is constructive, just a bunch of children making nasty comments about the developers.

 

Then the professional thing to do is to moderate the children and not go on an erage fit against your customers.  The whole thread reaction was foreseeable and they posted it anyway. 

AnvilMAn

Originally posted by thadenge


 I remember back when I played WoW there was one CM that went off on the forum (justifiable in my and many others' opinion) and was never heard from again, and it came nowhere near the level of personal attacks and snide remarks this guy has gone to.

 

tsericdown.ytmnd.com/

PreCU

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Originally posted by Obee
Originally posted by PreCU btw, if I may be so bold - this thread belongs in the general swg section, not veteran refuge as it pertains to the current game.
obviously I understand why it was posted here though.

There is a thread in the general forum about it. It will likely be moved to this forum, or locked, since it is negative towards the game and one of the mods here don't seem to like that. It has happened with several threads recently.

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yeah, I know. I just don't want everyone to become complacent with this ridiculous situation and to spread awareness.

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Originally posted by Mrbloodworth
I did not read the whole thread. but i don't blame him. there is nothing in that thread that is constructive, just a bunch of children making nasty comments about the developers.

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that's what he signed up for. It's his job to deal with that in a professional manor. And that's clearly not what he's doing.

iNeoki

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


I did not read the whole thread. but i don't blame him. there is nothing in that thread that is constructive, just a bunch of children making nasty comments about the developers.

Like most of forum posts on official game forums, forums are generally over-run by the immature where as the mature and respected players rarely ever make an entrance to post anything.  But I actually feel bad for Draak... Poor guy got some serious flame, he is still new so they could cut him some slack, but then again it's SOE at the same time, most people are very picky with the Customer Service SOE provides.

Trident9259

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


I did not read the whole thread. but i don't blame him. there is nothing in that thread that is constructive, just a bunch of children making nasty comments about the developers.

 

Read the highlights for yourself.

Then tell me if that is a suitable response from a community manager, regardless of what the community posts.

mantii

What I find funny is the OP can post a personal attack on the SWG guy but the SWG guy isn't allowed to post his own personal feelings back without being criticized all to hell about it.  Plain and simple...dont dish it out if you can't take it.  It's like he kid that punches some kid in the nose and then the kid who was punched in the nose beats the ever living hell out of the first kid.  The first kid then runs to mommy / teacher / authority figure because he started something and isn't willing to own up to the responsibility / reprecussions of his/her actions.

Comnitus

Originally posted by mantii


What I find funny is the OP can post a personal attack on the SWG guy but the SWG guy isn't allowed to post his own personal feelings back without being criticized all to hell about it.  Plain and simple...dont dish it out if you can't take it.  It's like he kid that punches some kid in the nose and then the kid who was punched in the nose beats the ever living hell out of the first kid.  The first kid then runs to mommy / teacher / authority figure because he started something and isn't willing to own up to the responsibility / reprecussions of his/her actions.

Well, it's not that simple. Sure, if the OP and the SWG Community Manager were on the same level, AKA friends, workmates, or classmates, then what you described would be accurate. However, when you're representing a game or a company, you have to control yourself no matter what. The fact is, how you act and behave will reflect on that game/company, and that's why the OP referred to the "SWG guy" as the Community Manager - it's his job, his position, and the way he acted was unprofessional and should be called out/criticized.

Edit: I'm not saying it's easy, and I acknowledge that everyone eventually snaps, especially in high stress environments like a game forum. Still, the above applies.

 

Mrbloodworth

Originally posted by Troneas

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


I did not read the whole thread. but i don't blame him. there is nothing in that thread that is constructive, just a bunch of children making nasty comments about the developers.

 

Read the highlights for yourself.

Then tell me if that is a suitable response from a community manager, regardless of what the community posts.

 

Maybe not, but he is a human. Something people tend to forget. a lot.

 

That site just confirms it, those people were bating, taunting and flaming him. Just so they could run and post everything out of context and go "SEE!!!".

 

Perhaps he should have just banned them? Because about 90% of the posts he was responding to, warranted it.

 

Trident9259

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

Originally posted by Troneas

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


I did not read the whole thread. but i don't blame him. there is nothing in that thread that is constructive, just a bunch of children making nasty comments about the developers.

 

Read the highlights for yourself.

Then tell me if that is a suitable response from a community manager, regardless of what the community posts.

 

Maybe not, but he is a human. Something people tend to forget. a lot.

 

That site just confirms it, those people were bating, taunting and flaming him. Just so they could run and post everything out of context and go "SEE!!!".

 

Perhaps he should have just banned them? Because about 90% of the posts he was responding to, warranted it.

 

 

companies hire professionals.

you talk about humans as if they were wild animals. sure everyone is prone to emotional reactions but when you are in the community management industry or any industry or job which deals with people / customers etc, you are required to have certain skills - such as keeping your cool.

otherwise choose another area to work for.