Yesterday was quite the interesting day for a marketing firm called Ocean Marketing. You see, this firm was managing the distribution and marketing for a controller but ended up not only ticking off its own customers but also the owners of Penny Arcade and PAX, the greater internet community and its employer as well. When Penny Arcade got a hold of the whole deal, that is when things went from bad to epic.
You see, the whole thing started out as a simple question from a customer. This customer wanted to know where the controllers he pre-ordered were. He was hoping that he would get them before Christmas but that never happened. This query was met with indifference from Ocean Marketing. Eventual that indifference rose to the level of first holier than thou then to pure unadulterated bile.
First we have indifference:
Dec 17
They still haven’t shipped yet on the way here from china
They are in the USA now in customs so its wither before or after Christmas.
Then we have holier than thou:
Things happen in manufacturing if your unhappy you have 7 days from the day your item ships for a refund. You placed a pre order just like any software title the gets a date moved due to the tweaks and bugs not being worked out and GameStop or any other place holds your cash and im sure you don’t complain to activision or epic games so put on your big boy hat and wait it out like everyone else. The benefit is a token of our appreaciation for everyone no one is special including you or any first time buyer . Feel free to cancel we need the units were back ordered 11,000 units so your 2 will be gone fast. Maybe I’ll put them on eBay for 150.00 myself. Have a good day Dan.
Finally we have pure unadulterated bile:
LOL Thanks for the Free PR I know the Editor N Chief of Kotaku , IGN , Engadget I’ll be meeting them at CES .The noise complaint was for people high up on the food chain in a corporate world of real estate you have no clue about. Thanks for the Rice Rocket Compliment too love me some motorcycle . Send that over to Engadget you look like a complete moron swearing and sending your customer service complaints to a magazine as if they will post it or even pay attention do you think you’re the first or the last what are they going to do demand us to tell you were your shipment is or ask for a refund on your behalf … Really … Welcome to the Internet ? Son Im 38 I wwebsite as on the internet when you were a sperm in your daddys balls and before it was the internet, thanks for the welcome to message wurd up. Grow up you look like a complete child bro. I Don’t have my controller so im gonna cry to the world … Really ?? Hey take that free time and do something more productive. All you had to do was check the like everyone else , people have inquired but you’re the douchiest of them all J
…
Oh and FYI When a street date gets pushed by a publisher on a video game you pre ordered do you cry to them too ?
You just got told bitch … welcome to the real internet check kotaku in 2 weeks when they are reviewing free PS3 Avengers we send them as well as G4 and all the other majors hell yeah , don’t forget to check Amazon, gamestop.com, play n trade , Myers , Frys and a ton of other local stores coming your way you think you speak for billions son your just a kid you speak for yourself no one cares what you think that’s why were growing and moving 20-50 thousand controllers a month. We do value our customers but sometimes we get children like you we just have to put you in the corner with your im stupid hat on. See you at CES , E3 , Pax East ….? Oh wait you have to ask mom and pa dukes your not an industry professional and you have no money on snap you just got told.
Seriously, who is this guy? Who in any level of marketing treats a customer this way and still has a job? Its one thing to treat your customers with indifference, after all most customers are used to that as it seems to be standard customer service at most businesses. However, it is far worse to start belittling and bullying your customers for their complaints. This should never have reached this point.
It was at this point that Ocean Marketing pretty much lost what ever control of the situation he may have had. You see, in that little diatribe, he name dropped PAX. It just so happens that Penny Arcade, one of the news outlets this customer sent his latest letter to was listening in and decided to make his voice heard and pretty much told him off. OM never saw it coming.
This ended with Mike Krahulik posting the whole thing to Penny Arcade. That is when Gabe realized what behemoth he woke up. He then went grovelling to Mike begging to have the beast pulled off him. This is Mike’s Reaction:
I think there is a big difference between being sorry and being sorry you got caught. I have a real problem with bullies. I spent my childhood moving from school to school and I got made fun of everyplace I landed. I feel like Paul is a bully and maybe that’s why I have no sympathy here. Someday every bully meets and even bigger bully and maybe that’s me in this case. It’s the same thing that happened with Jack Thompson. It might not always make the most business sense and it is a policy that has caused us some legal problems, but I really don’t give a shit about that. When these assholes threaten me or Penny Arcade I just laugh. I will personally burn everything I’ve made to the fucking ground if I think I can catch them in the flames.
Frankly, I think this guy deserved everything he got. There was nothing that he did in this situation that was worthy of his position. None of this answered his customer’s question, resolved his concerns or got him the controllers he had pre-orderd. Why would anyone resort to such childish behavior? It now turns out that this guy and his company have lost their contract with the controller company and will most likely ever work in marketing again. I can’t say I feel any sorrow for him, only pity.
If there is one thing that I have learned in all my years of retail service is that the customer is king. If your customer is not happy, you are not doing your job right. This is a fact of life that is instilled upon every retail clerk or associate from day one. You must go out of your way to make your customer happy. Sadly this guy either never learned that lesson or is hugely effected by one of the laws of the common laws of the internet. Either way, he deserves what he got. I hope he learned a valuable lesson in all this. Judging by his “apology” he most like didn’t though.
