Hey everyone, Chappers here.
I've spent the last few weeks catching up on threads and forum posts as I have been otherwise busy with life in general. So you can imagine my shock and awe when I start to read threads about the community and moderators not getting on, threads being locked for one reason or another, and being quiet frank alot of people being pissed off at this website's management of the site. To even hear of talk that people will not be renewing memberships, not being as active on the site as they have been pre 'update' and even talk of people walking away from the site entierly! Sorry but WTH!!
Firstly this is all my own opinion, and if this get me into trouble with the powers at be then so be it. I feel that strongly about all this.
Ever since the 'update' was implimented things have taken time to 'iron the kinks out' and get the community section of this wonderful website working well, and even as I type this work is still ongoing to continue this process. Having had previous experience in running a website with a forum attacted to it (though nothing to this size or complexity) I can sympathis how frustrating it is for both users and moderators/IT personnel when the community section gets into technical difficulties. Such as pages taking time to load up, slow or unable to load photo's, e-mail notifications not working and so on. Quiet simply put, the more complex the website/community forum the easier it is for something to go wrong on it whether it be a small something or a very large something. However, this is all pretty logical stuff i'm talking about. So, why am I posting?
When things get a little tense and not all is working well, we humans can get pretty tetchy with one another. We moan and grown about this and that and on the flip side the one's that are working hard to try and solve the problems feel like they are being miss treated or picked on i.e. "You should have gotten it right in the first place!" type of feelings and conversations.
Well, at least this is what I believed in untill resently. I actually had time for the moderator's and the IT staff trying their hardest to make this work, but like I said at the beginning of this post, I have become shocked and awed at the way members of this community have been treated by the management of this forum! Now i'm no clever boy here and wouldn't want to even guess at how many people work behind the scene's to keep the site running, however when you place yourself out there for all the public to see, you have been given a incrediable amount of responsibility to represent the RSPB voice and opinion.
Just going slightly off topic for just a second, my point will come clear shortly. When I was a younger man, I spent 13 years in the retail trade selling suits to food, being a saturday part time staff to a manager, served Sir Paul McCartney to being held a knife point for the cash in a till. I'd pretty much seen it all, AND done it all. I loved my jobs I did, and the best bit. being trained on how to give the customer the best customer service possible they have ever experienced. I became besotted with it, working harder and harder to maximis my ability to make that one person for so bloody special that they would come back again and again. I have left the retail trade now for a more fullfilling role, but I have never forgotten the idealolgies of what I was taught and use the ever single day whether it opening a door for a lady and letting them go first, or smiling at people as you walk down the high street (you will be surprised how many people smile back!) I have come to understand that it earn and gains you respect, trust, loyalty and friendship.
Here's my point. Moderators, where is your respect for the members of this website. Paying members of this website!!
Money that in this day and age some of us still give full well knowing that the cut backs and increase of living make things ever more difficult to live on.
We all still give to a cause that we as members feel strongly about! So why are we, the customer (because we are customers, no diiferent if we were going into a RSPB shop than logging onto the community forums here) treated like something scrapped off the bottom of your shoe. Like I mentioned before, placed in positions of responsibility to interact with the public. Where is your customer service and your respect?!
Infact, where is your feeling when you reply to something or someone's post or thread. All I read is copied and pasted replies or 'we're sorting it' or 'please refer to previous post' or my favorite 'merging this post with previous one's.' Oh locking a post just becuase your saying 'were looking into it, or its solved or whatever' is NOT the way to deal with the situation, if you want to give great customer service you keep your customer informed at all times. By leaving the post open you are able to show great customer service not only by informing whats going on, on a regular basis but also allowing you more time to research and solve the problem, thus being able to go back to the post and reply that is been solved, job done.
Huge known fact, people are more tolorent of situations when they are kept informed, then if they are not. By not, thats when the frustration kicks in and tempers fray a little. And for what, it only takes 15 seconds to type 'Just to let you know, still working on issue. Thank you.'
Trust me when I say it goes along way towards building bridges between customers and companies, or in this case a charity.
Take the fabulous example of how you can walk into a RSPB shop, lets take my beloved Minsmere for example. The volunteers in the shop smile, say good morning, are polite and wish you a good day EVEN if you haven't bought anything. The most I see from you lot is 'Thanks.' To me, that say droves.
There are certain moderators on here that er the exception. But very few. For a charity that relies on its members (customers) thats pretty poor! I've even read new members to the RSPB replying in some disbelief to the way some people have been treated on here.
Which brings me nicely onto my second subject. Myself not being a member for very long (only april 2011) I was practically seething to hear that the all members that had recieved a Good Egg Award pre the update and now lost it! Way to go!!!
Here have a reward, thanks for all the loyal service, help, guidance and joy you have brought to all the other members, new and old and helped by upholding the good name of the RSPB.....
BANG!
oh sorry, due to the new way we have updated the website your reward is invalid now. Thanks all the same. I BEG YOUR PARDON!
Some of these people that were given Good Egg Rewards have clocked up thousands of hours on the forums, been an inspiration to some and super helpful to others. Have given the RSPB their voice of nature they have been looking for! Seriously, I know of certain members that have totals of 5000 (maybe more) post in the time they have been here. I wouldn't be surprised if they were the one's keep the forums afloat when it wasn't as popular as it is now and this is how your treat them!!!!!
Thats like saying. Here, have a badge like a certain kids TV programme used to give out. Its to show that you have contributed in some very special way. Oh hang on a second, you can't wear them anymore, the pin on the back is to dangerous for you to wear it. Heath and safety.
I have struggled to think of a more insulting way of treating your loyalist members (of which I know some have supported the RSPB longer than I have been alive) then what you have done concerning the Good Egg Award. Sure, I support the new system...well sort of, it a bit of a cope out to be honest. Infact it sounds like a cover up for someone who spotted well into the programming of the new site that Good Eggs wouldn't work no longer. But i'm clutching at straws here.
So, why has no one actually come up with a solution to the situation and gaven all the previous Good Egg rewards owners something different instead. Something on the lines of showing their loyalty. BINGO a contributive icon, that only appears on their profile page, or on any posts they do. Again, customer service. Sorry it don't work now, but here is something to replace it. NOT here's nothing to replace it and good luck in getting a temp reward! Truely, if your members mean anything to you, this need to be sorted out and pretty quickly. Some members that have been here for a long time are questioning whether to reduce activity on here or even leave! Sure you getting new members all the time. But its the principle that counts here.
Finally my third issue and funny enough the one that makes the most sence (well to me it does) and confuses me all at the same time. Why oh why did you update something that worked prefectly well. The infastructure was sound, it was easy to use, people knew where to find things. Sure it was fast but i'm guessing that was part of the hopeful 'improvements' but people knew what they wanted, where to find it and most of all, and this is the important bit here, people felt like a community, close, secure. Like you were popping next door to have a cuppa.
Now! now to navigate yourself round the forums you need a bloody sat nav! Why add the blogs, people knew where the blogs were.
A forum by definition is:
'Educate' me, on the wonders of nature.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chappers360/
Unknown said:Graham and other moderators. Can I add my 2 pennyworth in here because I know Graham and he is not the demon portrayed on various posts here and elsewhere.
You mean you know Graham personally? I always thought it was a "pen name"
Best wishes Chris
Click Here to see my photos
Hi All,
First of all thank you for your feedback, we do read hundreds of posts each week and listen to everything that you, our community say. We are always learning and growing with the community, as it has become a massive part of how we stay in touch with our supports.
I hope it’s clear we really do care and that we are looking into the causes and will keep you updated on the dedicated thread here.
The Good Egg award changes have been in the pipeline since before the upgrade and we have tried to keep this open for all views since we announced we were looking to get your thoughts on how it could be improved back in February. We have taken this really seriously and for about the past 5 months the topic has dominated our team meetings where we have discussed ways to account for all the feedback we received with the old system. The new system aims to highlight a selection of the gems from you all because we know we can’t possibly honour everyone and all the great posts, but want to try to at least give a flavour of the great contributions you all give in the community.
Users that have received the Good egg in the past will always be Good Egg Award winners and the new system was also devised to now enable existing winners to “win again”, which just seemed fairer to us.
You’ll all be aware that after the upgrade we’ve had technical problems and we’re dedicated to ironing these out. We rely on your help to report these, but appreciate that the way we’ve done this hasn’t always hit the mark. We would never aim to give poor customer service or to make any of our community members feel like they don’t matter to us. That’s simply not what we’re about. So again if in our haste to sort out these issues we’ve in any way failed to be what we hope to be – thoughtful, appreciative and honoured you want to share your time and excitement for nature here on this community, then please accept our heart-felt apology – we are always striving to be the best we can.
Again, thank you for your all patience and sticking with us while we try to get everything ship-shape.
Thanks again for bearing with us,
Tom
On behalf of all of us on the RSPB community team.
Why not check out the news from the wildlife enquiries team?
Thank you for the post. I know you are all working hard behind the scenes and must be tearing your hair out at the moment, and I don't envy you one bit.
I'm pleased to see we Good Eggs are still Good Eggs. I was having serious doubts. However, it would be nice to have some official recognition of this fact otherwise your statement doesn't mean anything.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Nice one Chappers - I'd hire you myself as a Mod anytime;
Good reply Tom - keeping the forum informed ( and involved) seems to cut down the frustration.
I sound like a Wimbledon commentator :)
Any chance all Good Egg winners could get free food at RSPB reserve cafes?
No? Shame..........
S
For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides, binoculars, scopes, tripods, etc - put 'Birding Tips' into the search box
Hi all again,
I wish to take this opputunity to apologise for the repeated spamming of my post to the forums. In my defence, I had just finished typing the post out (which had taken the best part of 3 hours and a couple of weeks to compile) and had clicked the spell check button to make sure it had no mistakes. In doing this the post then 'hung' and I could not get out of the page. In my panic I pressed the post button repeatedly but to little effect. I then had to leave what I had done and attend a birthday meal. It was only today after finishing and having had a rest that I have returned to the site, expecting to have to retype the post to then find it had actually worked and unknowingly posted it mulitple times to the forum. For this reason alone I apologise to the entire Community, Moderators and users for the mistake. But as you are now aware, I actually had no knowledge of it having done this nor could I have actually done anything about it.
I now wish to answer some of the feedback I have recieved from others to my post.
Thank you again for taking the time to read my thoughts.
Kind regards
Chappers.
Hi Chappers pleased you are still with us sticking it out and not being turfed off either,had to smile as well with so many duplications which can easily happen,embarressing and funny at same time.The comment must have taken ages to put on and wonder you did not repeat yourself.We have a good reply from Tom as well and feel sure they are even more frustrated than us.
Well done Tom for replying and leaving Chappers with us.
michael s said:Well done Tom for replying and leaving Chappers with us.
Even the RSPB moderators are merely moderators. They aren't unfair monsters
Unknown said: Graham and other moderators. Can I add my 2 pennyworth in here because I know Graham and he is not the demon portrayed on various posts here and elsewhere.
Graham and other moderators. Can I add my 2 pennyworth in here because I know Graham and he is not the demon portrayed on various posts here and elsewhere.
Hi Bob. Firstly congrats on your Good Egg award. I'm unsure if I had said that to your previously or not, so mentioning it now.
Thank you for adding your comments, however, I was disturbed to read your opening thoughts. In no way was my post directed at individual moderators of this website. To do so defeats the objective of what accentually feedback is suppost to do.
Like I mentioned in the orginal post, I have been a mod of a forum and total understand and comprehend the amount of work that goes into managing such things. My comments were to be recieved as constructive criticism and nothing more. I would be offended to think that the post, after so much careful preperation came across as an attack on certain Moderators!
Unknown said: That is why I am here. I do find it increasingly difficult to do that because the forum is full up of people talking about forum issues and that is understandable because it is causing problems at the workface (our workface). I missed most of SeymourAves June photo quiz simply because I couldn't get on by which time they were hidden and overtaken by this problem. I think people just want the RSPB to provide an interesting educational forum which will answer their bird issues. I do wonder how many have crept through unanswered. The RSPB must want the same, it is one way of getting new members.
That is why I am here. I do find it increasingly difficult to do that because the forum is full up of people talking about forum issues and that is understandable because it is causing problems at the workface (our workface). I missed most of SeymourAves June photo quiz simply because I couldn't get on by which time they were hidden and overtaken by this problem.
I think people just want the RSPB to provide an interesting educational forum which will answer their bird issues. I do wonder how many have crept through unanswered. The RSPB must want the same, it is one way of getting new members.
Well put Bob, this, in part, is what I was trying to get across too. I am still not convinced that the layout of the website is in the best interests of the community. However I do understand that there would have been a great deal of debating on how it should look, so I take that into concideration when I write this.
But bob's point is correct.
Unknown said:It is not that easy when you want to explore more generally within a wide ranging forum.
If we wanted to read Group Forum Posts then we would. Like Bob I am interested in reading and hearing from other members of their experiences relating to wildlife and though I can not speak for everyone, I asume most feel the same.
Maybe it would be beneficial to return to the table with a new way of presenting the blogs for people to find/read but not dominate the front page of the forums. Quiz's, reports, ID questions and general chat is effected and then subsequently missed due to how much other information is submitted.
Apologises to all Group forum posters of the site, your work obviously is important and you yourselves get alot of enjoyment out of submitting your reports. I just feel there would be a better way of structuring the overview so that the forementioned quiz's, personal reports and ID questions then don't get missed by other forum members.
Hi Chappers,
Please may I interrupt you?
When you say the main page is cluttered up with blogs, which blogs are you referring to? Do you mean posts made in group forums such as the opspreys, or do you mean actual blogs?
Thomas W said: Hi All, First of all thank you for your feedback, we do read hundreds of posts each week and listen to everything that you, our community say. We are always learning and growing with the community, as it has become a massive part of how we stay in touch with our supports. I hope it’s clear we really do care and that we are looking into the causes and will keep you updated on the dedicated thread here.
Hi Tom.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my rather extended post and it is positively brilliant that within the first few lines of reading your post that the type of customer service that should be give was more than exceeded. THIS is what I was striving to get across with my post. Someone had taken the time (Tom in this case) to read, digest and then reply with the feeling and sincereity that is required. In essence THIS is what Customer Service should look like. THANK YOU TOM!
Thomas W said: Users that have received the Good egg in the past will always be Good Egg Award winners and the new system was also devised to now enable existing winners to “win again”, which just seemed fairer to us.
I am pleased to hear this. After all, the ground work that certain members of the community in the past have achieved, I feel, should be praised in some way and not just put to one side as it has been done. Its obvious that these members have been here a long time and have served the community well and inpart could well be contributed to making the forum as popular as it is now. It is for this reason I was making my point that they should not be discarded and that some sort of special icon or reward for previous holders of the Good Egg looked into. Even if its a name badge or possible even like some sort of ranking system to show that they have been here a long time and have shown continuing activity to benefit the community.
Thomas W said: You’ll all be aware that after the upgrade we’ve had technical problems and we’re dedicated to ironing these out. We rely on your help to report these, but appreciate that the way we’ve done this hasn’t always hit the mark. We would never aim to give poor customer service or to make any of our community members feel like they don’t matter to us. That’s simply not what we’re about. So again if in our haste to sort out these issues we’ve in any way failed to be what we hope to be – thoughtful, appreciative and honoured you want to share your time and excitement for nature here on this community, then please accept our heart-felt apology – we are always striving to be the best we can. Again, thank you for your all patience and sticking with us while we try to get everything ship-shape. Thanks again for bearing with us, Tom On behalf of all of us on the RSPB community team.
Tom, this is the most important paragraph in your entire post. Firstly it is nice to hear you say it, thank you. But, I would have not felt so strongly about posting concerning the treatment of users if it weren't for the fact that this has not been to case until now. If, like you say it matters to you and its not what your all about then PLEASE make sure this is the case when all moderators post something.
I say this with a great deal of passion and the evidence is plain to see. Pre to you commenting members we're replying supporting my action to speak. Some adding their own feelings. Then did you notice what happened after you commented. Members immediately excepted what you were saying because finally, someone had stopped to actually take the time to inform the community and put the emphasise back into showing that you do care and can give great customer service.
To this end Tom, I can only thank you as you have reasured me that not all is lost and that I will continue to support and show patience whilst your team battles to solve the ongoing issues of the forums.
I do very much hope that this has broken the ice on all the gathering tension between members and the site team as I feel things were starting to get a little pensive.
Respect and kind regards