Ticket response

[Rufflebottom-bloodhoof (Rufflebottom)]

@Sababank-faerlina

I want to talk to someone about it. Idc if you think that’s unreasonable. It doesn’t have to be Devs. They should have a support staff. They are worth $68B…

The Devs have a support staff. They are the Community Managers that monitor the Community forums, like Classic General Discussion. You don’t get to talk with them on the phone. You get to post in the forums or use the in-game suggestion feature. They then correlate the feedback and suggestions and present them to the Devs. If the Devs agree with the suggestion they act on it. If they don’t, or it isn’t feasible, they don’t act on it.

Stop harping on the money. How much they have or don’t have doesn’t change things. It won’t miraculously make the queue disappear.

1. Hiring people to take care of a temporary issue with the ticket queue is not fiscally responsible. Blizzard answers to share holders.
2. Blizzard is working on the queue times by making free transfers available. If the realm population is lower the queue time goes down or disappears.
3. The population limits on the realms isn’t because of the servers. It has to do with rendering client-side.
4. You don’t “need” to talk to someone at Blizzard about this. You “want” to talk to someone at Blizzard about this. If you have an idea about the queue times, give it in the appropriate place. If you don’t have an idea about how to fix the queue time and just want to talk to someone about it, talk to a friend.

@Sababank-faerlina

I’m not a SE… i don’t know the technical details on what they can or can’t do… i simply don’t believe that there is nothing.

@Sababank-faerlina

it’s pretty clear that their stance is that there is no fix to the Queue problem with any hardware or software upgrades. I simply don’t believe that and that’s exactly what i would tell the customer service rep on the phone - not rudely, but just to let them know I don’t believe that there is no fix

You don’t know what systems Blizzard is using. You don’t know what hardware Blizzard is using. You don’t know what the capabilities of what is being used is. You don’t even seem to have a concrete idea to suggest. What purpose would a one-on-one with someone who doesn’t make any decisions about the software and hardware being used serve?

Blizzard has already said they are using the best hardware they can get. There’s no hardware to upgrade to.

@Sababank-faerlina

(even if that is just someone to hear your problems and let you vent)

GMs aren’t friends, family, or therapists.

@Sababank-faerlina

But talking to a real-life human and just sending in a feedback response from the Esc menu are two ENTIRELY different things.

That’s a “you” issue.

[Sababank-faerlina]

@Rufflebottom-bloodhoof

The Devs have a support staff. They are the Community Managers that monitor the Community forums, like Classic General Discussion. You don’t get to talk with them on the phone. You get to post in the forums or use the in-game suggestion feature.

The fact that I have to post publicly to get an answer to a question is troublesome. Take this thread for example. Many replies - like yours - are very helpful and much appreciated. Others are not. I don’t consider myself “Entitled” because i think that I should be able to speak to a rep from the company I pay money to for support.

@Rufflebottom-bloodhoof

How much they have or don’t have doesn’t change things.

Sure it does. If it were a free-to-play game, it’d be an entirely different scenario, no?

@Rufflebottom-bloodhoof

What purpose would a one-on-one with someone who doesn’t make any decisions about the software and hardware being used serve?

That’s literally the job of a Customer Support Rep at ANY corporation. No customer support rep actually has any power to change things. They may have the power to credit you back some money to keep you happy, but that’s their job… trying to smooth things over with disgruntled customers.

My entire thing this whole time has been how it feels that Blizzard doesn’t feel the need to do that. One-on-one interactions are crucial in making people feel valued. I don’t think that’s entitlement… I think that’s simple decency.

@Rufflebottom-bloodhoof

That’s a “you” issue.

Really? You find that putting an anonymous note in a Suggestion Box the same thing as bringing up an issue to someone face-to-face? Especially someone that you paid money to for a job that isn’t up to your standards?

[Rufflebottom-bloodhoof (Rufflebottom)]

@Sababank-faerlina

If it were a free-to-play game, it’d be an entirely different scenario, no?

Why?

@Sababank-faerlina

Really? You find that putting an anonymous note in a Suggestion Box the same thing as bringing up an issue to someone face-to-face? Especially someone that you paid money to for a job that isn’t up to your standards?

It’s better to put it in a box. You get the opportunity to edit what you are saying before someone else sees it. You get to say everything you want to say without someone interrupting you. You know they have a copy of what you told them.

You pay them to access all servers, not one specific server. Technically you pay for retail. Classic comes with your retail game time. You don’t pay for Customer Service.

[Nephe-caelestrasz (Nephe)]

The only difference between feedback suggestion box and talking to someone in person is that you can scream at that person, belittle them etc etc to make your ego feel a bit better.

Be honest now.

After all, you are the small to medium business owner who seems to know all about the operations of a massive gaming entertainment company and you just want to tell them how they should be doing their job - in person.

[Sababank-faerlina]

We just disagree on it i guess then… and that’s perfectly ok.

@Rufflebottom-bloodhoof

Why?

Because if it’s free-to-play then there’s nothing lost. If you got a chair for free and the leg broke after a week… that’s fine. If you paid $100 for that chair and the leg broke… then you’d return it.

@Rufflebottom-bloodhoof

It’s better to put it in a box. You get the opportunity to edit what you are saying before someone else sees it.

I don’t agree… I think direct communication is always better. Both directions. If I got a human answer to my ticket with the information you provided:

@Rufflebottom-bloodhoof

The population limits on the realms isn’t because of the servers. It has to do with rendering client-side.

…then it’d go a long way. I know it seems minor… but again, treating people with respect and decency and at least writing out the info (that may even be available on Forum or a Blue Post) goes a long way imho.

@Nephe-caelestrasz

The only difference between feedback suggestion box and talking to someone in person is that you can scream at that person, belittle them etc etc to make your ego feel a bit better.

Be honest now.

For sure… 100% agree. But that’s the risk of being a multi-national corporation. You take that on the chin and get better. Pay the Customer Support better for having to deal with infantile gamers. I don’t yell… and it’s much less likely people get ramped up when actually SPEAKING to someone. Tone is easy to misinterpret in text. You’re telling me that you wouldn’t feel more valued if a Blizzard rep called you directly to apologize for the inconvenience of the server issue? I’m not suggesting they do that… but they could… and it would work with some/most people.

[Rufflebottom-bloodhoof (Rufflebottom)]

@Sababank-faerlina

at least writing out the info (that may even be available on Forum or a Blue Post) goes a long way imho.

[Classic] The unacceptable state of Classic servers

I totally understand that concern. I’d posit that these moves and consolidations are less aimed at you, and your very well established social circle, at least not at first. This is aimed more at those who are maybe less attached and are merely following the crowd when deciding where to play, or are returning after a long absence and have found their previous friend groups have moved on. How many threads have we seen where someone says “Just returning to the game. what server is good for Allian…

[Nephe-caelestrasz (Nephe)]

@Sababank-faerlina

You’re telling me that you wouldn’t feel more valued if a Blizzard rep called you directly to apologize for the inconvenience of the server issue?

Yes, I’d be more bemused but neither more or less valued because they’d be apologising for something I (and everyone else that plays and clicked “I AGREE” on) I’m well aware about - that nowhere is it claimed the game will be accessible 100% of the time for whatever reason.

And if I were truly unhappy with things, I will stop playing any Blizzard game and move on. After all, this to me is a past time, a hobby and not as if they’re providing a service that I truly depend on where outages are much more critical - such as a Telco, an ISP, or a financial institution.

[Sababank-faerlina]

…that’s my point. If i got a response from a Blizz rep addressing my concerns and forwarding me to the Community Council post you just linked it’d be one thing. Instead, I got some information about Overwatch 2…

either way I think we agree on most things… and the things we disagree on are gucci. I appreciate your time… i still think this information should come from paid Blizzard reps and not the Community Council (unless they get paid too). I do appreciate the community… it is why I play the game

[Rufflebottom-bloodhoof (Rufflebottom)]

@Sababank-faerlina

that’s my point. If i got a response from a Blizz rep addressing my concerns and forwarding me to the Community Council post you just linked it’d be one thing. Instead, I got some information about Overwatch 2

I had the link bookmarked. A GM likely wouldn’t have had it. The advice they gave about going to the forums was correct even if the game mentioned wasn’t.

@Sababank-faerlina

I appreciate your time… i still think this information should come from paid Blizzard reps and not the Community Council (unless they get paid too). I do appreciate the community… it is why I play the game

The forums are for players to interact with other players. You are never guaranteed a Blizzard response.

Feedback, like bug reports, tends to be a one-way street. You only see a Blizzard post for those when they want more information, or they want it to stay in one thread. No response doesn’t mean it wasn’t read. It doesn’t mean your feedback/suggestion isn’t being considered. It doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be implemented.

You can give feedback on how your ticket was handled in the survey that is generated when your ticket is marked as resolved. That goes directly to the Customer Service management.

[Sababank-faerlina]

@Rufflebottom-bloodhoof

No response doesn’t mean it wasn’t read. It doesn’t mean your feedback/suggestion isn’t being considered. It doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be implemented.

But if it’s not directly acknowledged then no one knows wtf is going on or if there’s any real progress being made. My intention was never to interact with other players… it’s always been to get a response from Blizzard, because (again) that’s who I’m paying. (and I didn’t make these posts to get their attention, unlikely as that is)

Maybe i’m just jaded because I have customers that always let my Staff know their concerns directly, and we address those concerns directly in turn (preferably ASAP). Just because Blizzard is a huge corporation shouldn’t excuse them from doing the same, right?

[Nok-winterhoof (Nok)]

The main thing I’m taking away from this thread is that a customer wants to discuss Blizzard policies with a representative from Blizzard.

With over 40 years in IT management for a wide variety of companies, I never worked in a company that would discuss marketing, development plans, infrastructure, or internal policies with a customer who just calls in to talk.

Discussions around those topics are not left to a single employee. Teams get involved. The outside party needs to be vetted and also go through an NDA process to ensure that anything said by the company isn’t all over Reddit within 2 hours.

I’m confused about to what end such a conversation would serve.
If it’s just to present a great idea, facilities already exist for presenting it. The customer refusing to use them would trigger an alarm bells to me.

How long of a discussion are we talking about, particularly if it’s to argue a “case”? Is the customer able to accept No as an answer or are they counting on wearing down Blizzard?
Frankly, I would question the motive behind insisting on only personal communication. It seems to be more than just talking to a Blizzard employee.

[Terise-blades-edge (Terise)]

Here’s the thing and the main question: Do you want your feedback and suggestions heard and actioned by the right people? If so, Customer Support (via tickets) is most definitely the wrong place. You said earlier, even if a CS agent said “I understand”, that would be something. However, I hope you realize that CS does not pass along feedback. It’s simply not within the scope of their jobs. Instead, they would direct you to the appropriate place to send feedback.

@Sababank-faerlina

Maybe i’m just jaded because I have customers that always let my Staff know their concerns directly, and we address those concerns directly in turn (preferably ASAP).

That’s good your company does that. Some companies have the resources (time and employees, with time being the most important factor) to address concerns in real-time. However:

@Sababank-faerlina

Just because Blizzard is a huge corporation shouldn’t excuse them from doing the same, right?

This is like comparing apples to oranges. Blizzard is a company with millions of customers all wanting to be heard and acknowledged.

Going into the hypothetical here: Let’s suppose Blizzard receives 50,000 suggestions or concerns per day (not including tickets). Now Blizzard has to read every single suggestion or concern, pass it along to the correct team, and finally send a message back to the submitter stating the suggestion or concern was passed along to the appropriate team. That now opens up a whole new can of worms.

So now your suggestion or concern was passed along to the correct team, as stated in the message you got 2 months later stating as such. Yes, it took Blizzard 2 months to reply to your message and pass along the suggestion or concern to the appropriate team. Now the appropriate team has an inbox full of suggestions and concerns they have to go through. It would be a never-ending battle of incoming suggestion, acknowledgement, forward to appropriate team, appropriate team sends acknowledgement some time later.

It simply would not be feasible for Blizzard to do what you want them to do. All they would do would be to acknowledge feedback, suggestions, and concerns. They would not get anything else done at all.

Everyone needs to be realistic when it comes to things like this. What works for one company might not work for another. So yes, you do need to stop bringing up your company and how they do things as your method would create an even greater backlog than Blizzard already has. It wouldn’t resolve the issue, it would compound the issue more than you think it would.

As an aside:

@Sababank-faerlina

i still think this information should come from paid Blizzard reps and not the Community Council

The post that Rufflebottom linked was posted by a WoW Developer, not a Community Council member.

[Sababank-faerlina]

@Nok-winterhoof

a customer wants to discuss Blizzard policies with a representative from Blizzard.

More or less yes. Nothing proprietary that would require an NDA… a simple acknowledgement from a real-life human in response to a direct question. Even if they can’t provide much info and re-directed to a specific Forum or Blue Post with more info, if it’s already been addressed. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

@Nok-winterhoof

I’m confused about to what end such a conversation would serve.

It would serve as proof that there is a team dedicated to, at the very minimum, providing it’s customers with acknowledgement that they care… even if it’s BS. At least try to make it look like you care by having a real human give a real-time direct response. Basic customer service.

@Nok-winterhoof

How long of a discussion are we talking about, particularly if it’s to argue a “case”? Is the customer able to accept No as an answer or are they counting on wearing down Blizzard?

“No” or “we cannot provide more information on this matter” is perfectly ok. But, at least answer the question to your best ability. Acknowledge the frustration of being disconnected for 10minutes after being in a 4hr queue, only to be put back into a 4hr Queue.

I’m not asking for technical details. I’m asking for simple decency and not having to wait 5-10 days for a response. Idk why that’s so much to ask. If they don’t have enough Staff… hire more staff, even seasonally. Yes, that’ll hurt the bottom line… but maybe it’ll placate players

[Sababank-faerlina]

@Terise-blades-edge

Do you want your feedback and suggestions heard and actioned by the right people?

Not really tbh. I’m sure anything i suggest has been suggested before. What I do want is an answer to the best ability they can answer it. If i ask about Queue times on Faerlina, I don’t want a response about Overwatch 2. That 100% tells me they don’t care at all about customer satisfaction (actually happened).

@Terise-blades-edge

This is like comparing apples to oranges. Blizzard is a company with millions of customers all wanting to be heard and acknowledged.

Why? Expedia, Delta, Marriot, etc all have dedicated teams 24/7 that have customer service support. Sure it’s outsourced overseas, but that’s fine. Blizzard doesn’t need people with technical expertise… they need Customer Support (as in someone to just hear customer bi*ch when they aren’t happy). That’s a big part of customer service…

@Terise-blades-edge

Blizzard receives 50,000 suggestions or concerns per day (not including tickets). Now Blizzard has to read every single suggestion or concern, pass it along to the correct team, and finally send a message back to the submitter stating the suggestion or concern was passed along to the appropriate team.

Yes. How many of those are repeat questions than can have basically the same response. if they have a dedicated team of 1000… that’s 50 a day… not crazy. I don’t think they’d do that because they answer to shareholders, and shareholders don’t care about customer satisfaction, but that’s my point.

@Terise-blades-edge

All they would do would be to acknowledge feedback, suggestions, and concerns.

Even if it’s just that… that’s better than what’s happening now.

@Terise-blades-edge

as your method would create an even greater backlog than Blizzard already has. It wouldn’t resolve the issue, it would compound the issue more than you think it would.

Why does Blizzard have a backlog? Can they not afford more staff? Why are the customers that are the backbone of the company incurring this debt?

[Terise-blades-edge (Terise)]

I tried to be rational, but you are wanting more than Blizzard can provide. What you’re not realizing is different companies have different policies and procedures for how feedback and complaints are handled. In your mind, it should all operate using one method.

I really think we’ve reached the end of this discussion, as it really is just turning into a circular argument. You won’t be happy until Blizzard makes radical changes, but you do need to realize Blizzard will not do that for one person. Even 10,000, or a 100,000. In order for Blizzard to make changes like this, it would have to be the majority of the players complaining about the exact same thing (in this case, how complaints are handled). You don’t have that data, only Blizzard does.

Since I won’t get drawn into a circular argument, I’m going to leave it here.

[Sababank-faerlina]

Unfortunately, I already got sucked in. And I’m not trying to sway anyone in any direction. This is what I chose to do tonight instead of actually playing the game (stupid). Appreciate the feedback… and sorry if i came off harsh

[Wolfess-khazgoroth]

The customer is not always right and its not bad service to say no to someone.

Regarding Faerlina, or any other popular server, every launch, queues hit max. Faerlina is known as the streamer server and is one of the most active for classic. You get the same issue on retail, the top popped servers will get queues for the first few weeks. It equalises after a month or so when the returning players get bored or over the nostalgia. Blizz already uses top end hardware for servers, they dont need to update anything to deal with what is a player created temporary problem. Anyone who has played the game for a decade + knows thats the process.

[Myrandriel-sentinels]

@Wolfess-khazgoroth

The customer is not always right

Quoted for the absolute TRUTH. It’s attitudes like yours, Saba, that caused the so-called Great Resignation (among other reasons, but people who operate under “the customer is always right” is a huge part of it). Why do you deserve a small refund just because you can’t play on one single server, when your money entitled you to all of them? Why do you deserve to be placated? You either play, or you don’t.

You ask why Blizzard can’t add staff? Because no one wants to deal with attitudes like yours.

[Sababank-faerlina]

@Wolfess-khazgoroth

The customer is not always right and its not bad service to say no to someone.

Did you even read the thread? It’s not that they said “no”. It’s that i asked about WoW queues and their response was about Overwatch 2