Better in game customer service

[Jirel of Joiry]

Would you be willing to pay for better in game support with increased subscription rates?


I would happily pay $20.00 a month for UO if it gets us real GMs and actual in game support. No more can o’ crap messages! For me, this would mean I would be spending $120.00 a month for 5 UO accounts. I have no issue with it as long as I was guaranteed a 100% improved in game support system.

I am extremely frustrated because on Legends we have a “problem child” that uses global chat to harass people. This person has over 25 characters with the same name that he uses. If you put him on ignore, he simply makes a new character. He will follow his target from room to room. He says very disturbing things like: “Why don’t you kill yourself in real life; I’ll loan you the gun, why don’t you slit your wrists and die”, and many, many more equally disturbing things. Unfortunately for everyone you can not page on him using the harassment option. When you try it says his character does not exist. I’m not the only person that has gotten this message there others who can verify this as well. This is a known issue with the paging system that dates back to Jeremy’s time as Community Rep.

I have had to use the live chat at ea.custhelp.com to report him. They assured me it would be escalated to the disciplinary action team. I really, really hope they come through on this for everyone’s sake. It is unfortunate that we have to go through such extremes to get something done. I am of the understanding that problems similar to this have driven off UO players in the past.

I really believe that better in game support is a step in the right direction for UO. Another good step would be a serious overhaul of EA’s privacy policy concerning disciplinary action. If someone is being harassed in game do they not deserve the peace of mind that would come from knowing that something was actually done and not just hoping that maybe something might have been done.

Anyway that is my 2 gps for what its worth.

Thank you for taking the time to read this thread/post.

Jirel

 

[Mitzlplik_SP]

Would you be willing to pay for better in game support with increased subscription rates?

I thought we already did this once.....

 

[Suzzy]

In all my years playing UO, I've only had to call for in game support maybe a handful of times. As a result, I wouldn't want to pay more for support that I never use to begin with.

 

[Cear Dallben Dragon]

Would you be willing to pay for better in game support with increased subscription rates?

I thought we already did this once.....

this. part of the reason UO was taken from 10 to 13 was for better Customer service ingame. lets not to that again.

dont get me wrong. love the game. but CS did get worse in comparison to that era.

 

[Mapper]

I want to vote no, But don't agree it will harm UO..

 

[Crysta]

I thought we already did this once.....

We did.

 

[GL_Seller]

If i have to pay more so they can again screw me over then can i at least have all the money back from the last time they raised rates for this so calld customer service?

They already tried this crap and guess what the service we get now is what it was supposed to improve on.

 

[kelmo]

We do need better police in chat.

 

[Falseprophet]

is this the second thread on this tonight, or am I having Deja Vu again.

 

[Beer_Cayse]

You forgot an option and apparently have some agenda counter to opinions in your other thread - which were very much against your idea. <shrug>

MISSED OPTION: NO - The prior 50% increase did nothing to improve CS even tho promised. This would not work either.

 

[Beer_Cayse]

yup ... some folks are just a tad stubborn. Yeah, stubborn ... that's the word.

 

[Budweiser KDL]

LOL @ the poll results!

See LINK IN SIG.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

For those people who voted no, may I ask your take on how to handle the situation I described in my post?

Maybe you think I'm over sensitive, but if you have ever been through dealing with a loved one that is depressed and suicidal you can understand why I find such words so extremely disturbing.

Sometimes we forget that there are very REAL people on the other side of the keyboard, with real emotions and real problems.

My fear is that words like that could be the catalyst to push someone over edge. Someone that perhaps is having a very, very difficult time in real life and like so many of us uses UO as a escape, a temporary vacation if you will from the things in real life that are, bothering them. I don't know if my concerns are unfounded or not. I'm not Dr. Phil, nor do I have a degree in Psychology or Psychiatry. I do know that in fact there are cases of cyberbulling that cause the target to commit suicide. Please feel free to google this as I read the articles on legitimate news sites but i can't remember all of it and do not wish to misquote anything.

After all is said and done we are all paying to play UO. Why on earth then should a player who is badly behaved and way out of line be allowed to run unchecked and do as they please?

I am open to suggestion on how to handle such issues, but they can not be smiply left unchecked.

Thank you

Jirel

 

[Budweiser KDL]

For those people who voted no, may I ask your take on how to handle the situation I described in my post?

Maybe you think I'm over sensitive, but if you have ever been through dealing with a loved one that is depressed and suicidal you can understand why I find such words so extremely disturbing.

Sometimes we forget that there are very REAL people on the other side of the keyboard, with real emotions and real problems.

My fear is that words like that could be the catalyst to push someone over edge. Someone that perhaps is having a very, very difficult time in real life and like so many of us uses UO as a escape, a temporary vacation if you will from the things in real life that are, bothering them. I don't know if my concerns are unfounded or not. I'm not Dr. Phil, nor do I have a degree in Psychology or Psychiatry. I do know that in fact there are cases of cyberbulling that cause the target to commit suicide. Please feel free to google this as I read the articles on legitimate news sites but i can't remember all of it and do not wish to misquote anything.

After all is said and done we are all paying to play UO. Why on earth then should a player who is badly behaved and way out of line be allowed to run unchecked and do as they please?

I am open to suggestion on how to handle such issues, but they can not be smiply left unchecked.

Thank you

Jirel

Leave channel.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

is this the second thread on this tonight, or am I having Deja Vu again.

I'm sorry but this is the only thing I have posted tonight. Feel free to verify this using the Stratics Forums search feature and select search by author.

Thank you

Jirel

 

[Taylor]

is this the second thread on this tonight, or am I having Deja Vu again.

I'm sorry but this is the only thing I have posted tonight. Feel free to verify this using the Stratics Forums search feature and select search by author.

Thank you

Jirel

http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=180732

 

[Taylor]

I like the point you are making, in theory. In practice, I have too many accounts and too little money. In the end, I rarely require EA customer support, so although better service would be preferable, I am not thrilled to pay for it.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

Leave channel.

He follows you from channel to channel so that means that you can not use the chat feature at all.

I am sorry but its seems to me like that is punishing the victim. Why would you wish to punish the victim of the bully instead of punishing the bully?

I am just trying to get my head around you way of thinking. I believe a victim has rights.

Budweiser KDL if it were your son or daughter being bullied wouldn't you want something done to stop it?

 

[kelmo]

Leave channel.

That is an interesting argument. Your contention is that global chat belongs to the bullies and sociopaths?

Trust me there is no way anyone can get under my skin. Not all UO players are as jaded or life experienced as I.

I just do not understand how the game is rated one way yet global chat is unrated.

 

[canary]

Anyway that is my 2 gps for what its worth.

Actually it is 4 gp's as you already had a thread on this very same topic.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=180732

OMG!! I am so very sorry! I started this at work in MS Word while I was eating lunch and pasted it over there. I got busy and never finished the post because I was going to put a poll on it as well.

I had NO idea it had posted maybe Kelmo could merge them pretty please.

Obviously this will teach me not to try to do 10 things all at once at work

 

[kelmo]

*shrugs* The two threads have gone divergent. Combining them would just be confusing.

 

[Taylor]

OMG!! I am so very sorry! I started this at work in MS Word while I was eating lunch and pasted it over there. I got busy and never finished the post because I was going to put a poll on it as well.

I had NO idea it had posted maybe Kelmo could merge them pretty please.

Obviously this will teach me not to try to do 10 things all at once at work

For the record, I really like this poster, even though we disagree on this point. She's got a passion that I admire.

 

[canary]

For the record, I really like this poster, even though we disagree on this point. She's got a passion that I admire.

It is said that one is the loneliest number.

 

[kelmo]

*smiles* She is firey. Sometimes she is right.

 

[Snakeman]

This already happened once a few years ago & it got us NOTHING. In fact GM customer svc on problems got worse as far as actually seeing a GM on a problem. All we received for our extra $3 a month was a Orange Dot Canned message, (and a thank You for Playing DAOC !!!) and 1/2 of the time if not more, the orange dot canned message had nothing to with the problem you submitted!

You needed one more choice: No, We already tried this once & nothing better become of it.

 

[Gellor]

Where is the "hell no, I'm waiting for my 30% better customer service from last fee increase" option?

I voted no but it has nothing to do with "harming UO". It comes strictly from the fact that EA hasn't kept a promise from the last fee increase "for customer service".

After the last fee increase, I never saw ANY increase in quality of customer service, quality of updates, frequency of updates.

As an example of how bad the customer service is nowdays, I paged over spawn being lured away from the spawn area and hidden. Last I recall, the removal of spawn from an area was not allowed. After my 40 minute wait, I get the standard GM message of "we can't do anything" That was AFTER being told to target the player(s) who lured the spawn away. Hard to target a player who did the illegal action 8 hours before I even logged into the game rolleyes:

OTOH, the GM's ham it up when they get the "sink the boats" call. Some of the return messages from those are a crack up

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

This already happened once a few years ago & it got us NOTHING. In fact GM customer svc on problems got worse as far as actually seeing a GM on a problem. All we received for our extra $3 a month was a Orange Dot Canned message, (and a thank You for Playing DAOC !!!) and 1/2 of the time if not more, the orange dot canned message had nothing to with the problem you submitted!

I feel your pain. I'm just not sure what the anwser is.

LOL my sister actually got the "Thank you for playing DAOC!" on a response to a UO page some time ago. (I think it was a stuck something or other in her house). She calls me into our home office, points at the screen and says READ THAT!

I did, and I didn't know wether to laugh or cry. Its pretty sad when they don't even know what game they are anwsering questions for.

 

[kelmo]

My choice is not listed. I will not vote in this poll.

My choice would be GMs patroling the global chat forums. It can not be that difficult.

 

[Zyon Rockler]

No, that's not a good reason to raise subscription costs. I have never had a problem with a GM and they have always helped me when I had a problem.

One time, I was in the q, and I had to log. The next day I logged in and went in the q again to have the problem resolved. I told them that I had asked for help the day before but had to log. When I got on my other computer and read the email, here not only did I get in game help and had my problem fixed but I received 3 emails, 2 copies of the help q's and a personal q asking how the service was.

I think it's great the way it is. Why pay more for an already excellent service?

 

[Lady Michelle]

as I said before in your other thread I can't afford to pay more so no.
Anyone who tells anyone to kill themselves should have all their accounts perma banned on the spot, and never allowed to play UO again. cyber bullying should not be tolerated at all even if its on a game. in a chat room,on forums, on my space ect.

 

[Guido_LS]

Would you be willing to pay for better in game support with increased subscription rates?


I would happily pay $20.00 a month for UO if it gets us real GMs and actual in game support. No more can o’ crap messages! For me, this would mean I would be spending $120.00 a month for 5 UO accounts. I have no issue with it as long as I was guaranteed a 100% improved in game support system.

I am extremely frustrated because on Legends we have a “problem child” that uses global chat to harass people. This person has over 25 characters with the same name that he uses. If you put him on ignore, he simply makes a new character. He will follow his target from room to room. He says very disturbing things like: “Why don’t you kill yourself in real life; I’ll loan you the gun, why don’t you slit your wrists and die”, and many, many more equally disturbing things. Unfortunately for everyone you can not page on him using the harassment option. When you try it says his character does not exist. I’m not the only person that has gotten this message there others who can verify this as well. This is a known issue with the paging system that dates back to Jeremy’s time as Community Rep.

I have had to use the live chat at ea.custhelp.com to report him. They assured me it would be escalated to the disciplinary action team. I really, really hope they come through on this for everyone’s sake. It is unfortunate that we have to go through such extremes to get something done. I am of the understanding that problems similar to this have driven off UO players in the past.

I really believe that better in game support is a step in the right direction for UO. Another good step would be a serious overhaul of EA’s privacy policy concerning disciplinary action. If someone is being harassed in game do they not deserve the peace of mind that would come from knowing that something was actually done and not just hoping that maybe something might have been done.

Anyway that is my 2 gps for what its worth.

Thank you for taking the time to read this thread/post.

Jirel

Given your clarification from your last post, the answer is still NO. Call customer support - it's an 866 number. Use a different option on the reporting. Use the online chat. These are all *features* that are already covered by our subscription price.

No. No. No. Don't ask me to pay for your problem.

 

[Eyes of Origin]

Given your clarification from your last post, the answer is still NO. Call customer support - it's an 866 number. Use a different option on the reporting. Use the online chat. These are all *features* that are already covered by our subscription price.

No. No. No. Don't ask me to pay for your problem.

Customer Support will only refer you to submit a feedback form to UO.
Unless you are paying them for your accounts over the phone, they are worthless.

Coming from a customer service background, it actually pisses me off that the customer service provided by EA is so bad =/

And I agree anyone who says things like someone should go kill themselves should be banned. No one should have to put up with a "cyber bully" and EA shouldnt tolerate it either.

 

[Babble]

Your choices to the questions are uhm ... crap?

How do we know that higher fees with better services would harm or benefit?
Is there even an relation?

Is a better game with less customers better or worse?

My answer is still no though as EA thinks customer service is somthing nice in dians should do.


For your problem demand from EA to resolve the issue.

 

[Miss Smoocher]

if i had to pay more i would drop 3 of my 4 accounts how is that making them more money they would be losing. because i am sure i am not the only one who would do that.

 

[Terrorknight]

I think it would kill the current player base. Right now they have about 100k sub. according to other sites and they currently charge $10-13 a month depending on the option you choose. So at $10 a month x 100k sub. thats $1,000,000 a month we are paying them. (12 mil a year) thats plenty of money to pay for in game support. The sad truth is they are probably using the funds from UO to pay for other failed projects while we get stuck footing the bill. I think that EA will realize they can't keep taking money and not fixing major issues. I just hope they realize before its to late.

 

[RichDC]

While i agree with the problem and agree action needs to be taken i disagree with the method suggested to acheive this.

Especially in times of low employment, low disposable income etc. UO has always remained a cheap thrill. For the price you ay UO is a very reasonable way to stay entertained without spending a fortune.

I Personally think the way to best deal with this would be to add Seers again. Non paid Player GM's...Not essentially with the power to ban, but with the power to call a GM instantly. These players could Mod the chat...nothing more, and report to the GM's if things are getting out of hand.

That would be my suggestion anyway. Probs not the best solution though.

 

[Aran]

For Profit companies + Volunteers = Lots of trouble.

 

[Aurelius]

Any money we pay disappears into the corporate EA funds. As has been proved in the past, they will claim they want more money to make things better, take the money and laugh all the way to the bank, and change nothing.

Perhaps, were UO run by an independent company, so we knew exactly where the money was going and had a more direct access to the executives running it, I'd maybe consider paying more.

What we have now deserves no extra at all, not least because the problems Jirel has experienced should have been dealt with as a top priority by the existing levels of customer support but are not because EA cuts all such support and treats it as an unnecessary expense the instant it thinks the EA corporate entity is not making enough profit..... the problem is not the money we pay, it's the core attitudes of the company we pay it to.

 

[Heartseeker]

I never used in game support, so a big no.

And yes you are over sensitive Jirel.

When I am in game I am to busy playing and not being a busy body like some.

 

[XLaCeDX]

I voted No because I feel you need a swifter resolution to you and your sis's problems in UO :

Raise the monthly sub fee for UO to $1000 a month and within 30 days or less all your UO problems will be over.

A $20 a month sub fee would simply allow your cyberbully to crack open his piggy bank and spend the $120 he got for Christmas for a 6 month sub just so he can continue to get his kicks in life by being mean to you in UO.

Oh my!

I was gonna suggest that you might wanna head on over to My Pretty Pony Island if you're seriously looking to escape from reality and relax in an online game, but I bet there's some really mean 6 year olds over there.

 

[the 4th man]

For those people who voted no, may I ask your take on how to handle the situation I described in my post?

Maybe you think I'm over sensitive, but if you have ever been through dealing with a loved one that is depressed and suicidal you can understand why I find such words so extremely disturbing.

Sometimes we forget that there are very REAL people on the other side of the keyboard, with real emotions and real problems.

My fear is that words like that could be the catalyst to push someone over edge. Someone that perhaps is having a very, very difficult time in real life and like so many of us uses UO as a escape, a temporary vacation if you will from the things in real life that are, bothering them. I don't know if my concerns are unfounded or not. I'm not Dr. Phil, nor do I have a degree in Psychology or Psychiatry. I do know that in fact there are cases of cyberbulling that cause the target to commit suicide. Please feel free to google this as I read the articles on legitimate news sites but i can't remember all of it and do not wish to misquote anything.

After all is said and done we are all paying to play UO. Why on earth then should a player who is badly behaved and way out of line be allowed to run unchecked and do as they please?

I am open to suggestion on how to handle such issues, but they can not be smiply left unchecked.

Thank you

Jirel

Customer service has nothing to do with a persons personal life, for one. You do not resolve business matters through emotions, but logic.

Take note on Electronic Arts position in the game world, they are big, if not the biggest. Customer support at this point in the game, should not have to be beefed up, they should be setting the benchmark, but they do not.

If you want results.....go public to the media as much as you can. Let the ceo know that his shareholders can be affected, you don't pay the mutt, who obviously only cares about HIS bottom line.

Or, call the guy yourself.

 

[XLaCeDX]

That is an interesting argument. Your contention is that global chat belongs to the bullies and sociopaths?

Trust me there is no way anyone can get under my skin. Not all UO players are as jaded or life experienced as I.

I just do not understand how the game is rated one way yet global chat is unrated.

UO game should be rated Mature.

As a mom whose kids played for awhile I can tell you there's a lot worse things going on in UO than someone being mean to two grown women (in this case Jorel and her sister).

If UO had it's proper rating of Mature then Jorel and her sis would have to grow thicker hides.

Judging from Jorel's previous posts about her and her sister's wars with other UO players I would have thought by now they were both as tough as old shoe leather.

 

[canary]

Judging from Jorel's previous posts about her and her sister's wars with other UO players I would have thought by now they were both as tough as old shoe leather.

Well, if you look back to Jorel's posting history, she actually has 'quit' UO several times now, never to return... yet here she is. Not to mention the majority of her posts are like this one, like you said, about her issues with other UO players. *sighs*

 

[Suzzy]

I think it would kill the current player base. Right now they have about 100k sub. according to other sites and they currently charge $10-13 a month depending on the option you choose. So at $10 a month x 100k sub. thats $1,000,000 a month we are paying them. (12 mil a year) thats plenty of money to pay for in game support. The sad truth is they are probably using the funds from UO to pay for other failed projects while we get stuck footing the bill. I think that EA will realize they can't keep taking money and not fixing major issues. I just hope they realize before its to late.

Yep! Warhammer... Mythic spends so much time/money on this failed project and continues to use the resources from their two other games that have stood the test of time towards Warhammer. I think Warhammer only has like 4 or 5 active servers now? Down from 40-50 something.

edit: SA and the EM program was a good jolt to the system... but before that it had been 4 years between ML and SA.

 

[Aran]

UO game should be rated Mature.

It used to be. For game-related content.

The ESRB does NOT rate online interactions. Period. And they shouldn't.

 

[Warsong of LS]

That is what we paid for with the last price increase and the service has not gotten better.

 

[LadyNico]

Maybe there could be a special token made available for sale through the UO shop or something which entitles the purchaser's account to have an account bound in-game NPC EA Rep which can be summoned to make sympathetic noises every time the owner complains.

Like event NPC's (e.g., Inu) the special token generated EA NPC could be programmed to respond to key phrases like:-

"too hard"
"harassing"
"kill stealing"
"luring"
"not fair"
"reporting/paging a GM"

and could offer a variety of comforting phrases & emotes in response, such as:-

*hugs*
"There, there, [enter name here]"
"We're working on that"
"Soon"
"Never woulda happened in Draconi's day"

What other phrases might be helpful?

Maybe the platinum version of the token might include a special once per month fast track GM reporting feature.

Thoughts?

 

[Beer_Cayse]

go read my response to you in the other thread ... it has a tactic that CAN work if you wish to employ it. I used it simply for alts when I was a WizOP in a MUCK years ago. You have to be able to disassociate characters in true RP. Use it in RL as well.

If you choose not to implement it, then it is no fault of anyone but you.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

Given your clarification from your last post, the answer is still NO. Call customer support - it's an 866 number. Use a different option on the reporting. Use the online chat. These are all *features* that are already covered by our subscription price.

No. No. No. Don't ask me to pay for your problem.

Guido-

I did call 1-866-543-5435 and I was told I had to page a GM. That they do not handle in game support issues.

When it comes to UO that phone is just about worthless. I actually had them tell they couldn't help with UO billing issues. I switched credit cards, updated all my accounts info and instead of billing the new card all my accounts closed. Oh, well.