If Blizzard retaliated?

[Deleted]

As we all now Blizzard is VERY cautious on how they word their sentences, always try to respond in a kind way that doesn't spark outrage.
They go by the saying "The customer is always right"
We also know that Blizzard has put up with so much shit over the years from the players, who are complaining about everything they do.
I feel bad for them for trying to do their best, but instantly get shot down by players

But what if, for once Blizzard retaliated in the same way players are posting on forums/twitter/in-game etc etc.
Like "you know what, stop complaining, you're wrong and this is what we feel is best, and you have to accept that"

Would the reaction be "how can they do such a thing to us, we haven't done anything to them" or "I guess you're right, sorry"?

Thoughts?

[Deleted]

pretty sure GC did this at one point.

[roflwaffle]

yeah GC did that. just wasn't blunt about it lol

[Deleted]

Any company that deals with customers word's this way towards them.
It's the first thing you learn in professional organizations when handling customers, even if he's the biggest prick and wrong on all levels, you still have to handle him with respect and give him the feeling you are doing something to help him.
It's nothing special really, basic customer support training, and what you described will never happen because of that, or at least not in the way you described it (right out being blunt).

If you are interested in this, there is a basic training model called "nonviolent communication", a theory where you basically can respond in 4 ways to any given situation. 2 of those ways are always bad and 2 of them can be good.

For example someone says to you "You are bad at your job".

The two wrong ways ro respond:
- You are bad at your job yourself (negatively projecting back to the other speaker).
- I can't do anything about that! (negatively projecting towards yourself).

The two ways that can be situationally good:
- I notice you are disappointed in something i did, what can i do to make you feel better? (positively projecting towards the other speaker)
- Yes you are right, i did this wrong, i will take your input and do a better job in the future (positively projecting towards yourself).

Look it up if you are interested in this, it's a good basis for getting better at customer relations

[Synstir]

Blizzard is a company and has customers.
there are ways to behave towards one's customers you know.

We are buying something from Blizzard and if Blizzard starts talking in a degrading way towards the people who buy their product, well that won't be good for business.

I understand that there are a lot of players who are addicted to wow and will take whatever blizzard chooses to throw at them, but I don't think the majority will.
At the end of the day Blizzard wants as many happy customers as possible, as they are getting a monthly sub.

[Deleted]

They would look like unprofessional asshats?

A big thing with public relations is not treating your customers with contempt you know.

[Senka]

http://wowpedia.org/Tseric Although he supposedly quit, it's my guess he was fired. He was also called childish by "mature" members of the community. That's what happens when they retaliate.

[Deleted]

Also what do you mean retaliate?

Its not like someone calling Blizzard lazy or greedy is bullying, they're a company owned by a multi-million dollar corporation.

You're sounding like a bit of a fanboy, since you're doing the fanboy thing of anthropomorphizing an organization you like in order to defend them. People have feelings, corporations don't.

[The Kao]

But what if, for once Blizzard retaliated in the same way players are posting on forums/twitter/in-game etc etc.
Like "you know what, stop complaining, you're wrong and this is what we feel is best, and you have to accept that"

Personally I'd love it. Blizz would actually rise in recognition with quite a lot of people. But it's utopia, they actually like to disarm every last of "our" arguments by saying we're basically right BUT <insert half-sarcastic pseudo-reasoning here> ... wait isn't that even more evil? One has to wonder.

[Shrouded]

If you haven't figured it out yet, that's what they're telling you each and every day - they just dress it up.

[tankbug]

http://wowpedia.org/Tseric Although he supposedly quit, it's my guess he was fired. He was also called childish by "mature" members of the community. That's what happens when they retaliate.

His "just pop enrage" reply on a "warriors need a buff" thread also raised concern about the community managers knowledge of the game, so I guess he wasn't a favorite at Blizzard from before.

[Deleted]

Well that is an easy answer, someone would post it here at MMOC and we would argue if Blizzard is a dick or not. We would then forget such a thing ever happened, and in the future, some bitter people would use it to further point of how evil and horrible Blizzard is.

[Deleted]

We are buying something from Blizzard and if Blizzard starts talking in a degrading way towards the people who buy their product, well that won't be good for business.

Doesn't have to be degrading.

I happen to be working for an oil company in customer service and we have the "customer is always right" policy as well but if they get too insulting we can and will tell them to stop, put the record straight and tell them to either calm down and let us help them, or close the call and return once they've calmed down.
Sure it's not the same kind of product we're talking about but still.

- - - Updated - - -

Also what do you mean retaliate?
Its not like someone calling Blizzard lazy or greedy is bullying, they're a company owned by a multi-million dollar corporation.
You're sounding like a bit of a fanboy, since you're doing the fanboy thing of anthropomorphizing an organization you like in order to defend them. People have feelings, corporations don't.

I'm not a fanboy, but I don't hate them either.
I just think that players shouldn't have the last word about changes to the game. Constructive feedback is fine, and good for the game but more often then not it's just a big wall of insults and namecalling.

[Synstir]

Doesn't have to be degrading.

I happen to be working for an oil company in customer service and we have the "customer is always right" policy as well but if they get too insulting we can and will tell them to stop, put the record straight and tell them to either calm down and let us help them, or close the call and return once they've calmed down.
Sure it's not the same kind of product we're talking about but still.

I think it is different if you are on the phone....... Blizzard will be the same I guess, as I never have used bad language so I don't know.
But if one is using bad language on the phone, the blizzard employee will try to stop them or having them call at a later time.

But on a forum it is a different ball game. The posts are there and can be copied and discussed. The original poster won't even know so explaining the context won't be possible. Talking on the phone or writing posts on a forum follow different rules.
[I read the OP as posting/discussing on forums]

[cFortyfive]

Very certain there were enough blueposts hinting at that on more than one occasion.

[bmjclark]

They kind of do on twitter sometimes. And there was a case of a CM lashing out a few years ago, pretty sure he was fired though.

[Deleted]

Blizzard aren't abusive enough, I see this as weakness!

Seize them!

[sam86]

if they retaliate, stop giving them money, simple
Yeah customers are "bad", but they "bought" that right with money, when blizzard pay me money, they can insult me, or i can refuse take money and deny them that right, simple
And that isn't really "blizzard" only, since i work on call maintenance it is every human living thing

[Granyala]

They stated often enough that while they appreciate fdeedback, ultimately, WoW is not an open source project.

They do retaliate and they are quite blunt at times, but they write it in a polite way.

[Amerissis]

For example someone says to you "You are bad at your job".

The two wrong ways ro respond:
- You are bad at your job yourself (negatively projecting back to the other speaker).
- I can't do anything about that! (negatively projecting towards yourself).

The two ways that can be situationally good:
- I notice you are disappointed in something i did, what can i do to make you feel better? (positively projecting towards the other speaker)
- Yes you are right, i did this wrong, i will take your input and do a better job in the future (positively projecting towards yourself).

Where is option 5? "You are wrong."