SOE Customer Service Puts Too Much Faith in New StationCash Promo Code System
Within any company of Sony Online Entertainment’s size, there will always be technical glitches in their public facing websites, launchpads, etc. that must be resolved. And I’ve been quick to jump to the defense of the overworked Customer Service team. They generally work as hard as they can to answer mountains of angry e-mails, and this time, they are doing so just days before the Christmas break. Yet this year, I am feeling somewhat less generous with my giving of slack.
Last week’s Bonus Mystery StationCash promotion clearly required code development by the Web team and/or Platform. Someone had to create a StationCash discount/bonus code that’s is only valid for 1 day. Someone had to develop code to detect and record that players have Opted In to all SOE Promotions, as well as which day they did so. Someone then needed to run a report to create e-mail lists of players who meet all the criteria and then send them out without flooding SOE’s mail service or the e-mail “middlemen” carriers between us and SOE.
Why I Doubt
Now let’s look at SOE’s Customer Portal. My first issue is that Logins time out after just 4 1/2 minutes. I believe my bank is less ruthless on its timeouts than that. 4 1/2 minutes may sound like plenty of time, but figure in swapping to your e-mail client, searching for the code, verifying that it’s one you haven’t already used, switching back to SOE’s website, pasting it in, plus life’s usual distractions, and any number of people were getting timed out before finishing the process. Worse, players who did manage to apply a StationCash discount code and then went to another room to grab their wallet could easily come back to their PC to a “You’ve been logged out” screen. When they logged back in, it was then unclear if the discount was in effect!
If the timeout is going to remain this short, then a countdown clock would be advisable, as well as a strong recommendation to players that they have their credit card, StationCash codes, and everything handy and ready to go all in one shot with no distractions. Otherwise, disappointments like the following Customer Service response are likely in exchange for an infinitesimal increase in account security:
Since you are locked out from too many attempts, unfortunately there is nothing we can do to go around that so you will need to wait the 24 hours before trying again. I do really wish there is something else we can do at this point to help you but there is no way for us to resolve this today.
Fixing a Credit Card Detail
I know I personally have gone in several circles on SOE’s Customer Portal site trying to remove a credit card for which I’d entered an erroneous expiration date. Despite knowing the exact URL, each attempt to load the page threw various error messages. Despite taking different paths through the site, it was only on my 5th or 6th attempt that all the various behind-the-scenes puzzle pieces fell into place and I was allowed to view and manage my stored credit cards.
Entitlements Page?
I’ve repeatedly posted and tweeted about the missing “Details” links for each of SOE’s games which used to appear on the Account Info page before April 2014’s All Access revamp. Only by shear luck did I save a copy of the direct link to the EQ2 Entitlement Details page and I have taken pains to share it with any player who asks on Twitter or the official Forums.
Get to the Point!
So my point to all this is, I have a real concern with Customer Service putting their complete faith in the infallibility of the SOE Customer Portal, especially a sparsely tested new bundle of programming that promises to track when players Opt-in to SOE Promotions. I know I personally signed up on December 10th and announced having done so to the world. Yet in back-to-back e-mail exchanges with Customer Service, I received these two variations on the same theme:
This account did not opt in for the promotional emails at the correct time. You will not be receiving any promotional codes during this promotion.
or:
Our records show that you had not opted into the email newsletter in time and this is why you have not received your code. You will, however, be able to receive codes for future promotions, however due to not being opted in at the correct time, you will not be receiving codes.
Once I escalated my issue, it was promptly taken care of with a manual fix, but what about other players? I doubt the “You didn’t opt out when you say you did” issue is isolated, as several friends reported the same issues. Other friends didn’t receive e-mails at all, including a number of players who have never had trouble receiving the promotions regarding EverQuest II expansions, bonus XP weekends, etc.
There’s Nothing We Can Do
If there’s one thing you don’t want to tell a player that did nothing wrong, it’s this:
I am sorry we do not have a way to give a code for customers who did not opt in. The rules where very clear as stated in the forum post and the newsletters. I am sorry you feel as you do but there is nothing we can do please sign up for the next promo so you are sure to get the newsletters. Please make sure for the future that you are receiving newsletters. When we checked on the date of your contact there was no opt ins found.
The 30,000 Problem
SOE has long had a hard limit of purchasing no more than 30,000 StationCash per day. Yet players who attempted to purchase exactly that amount (the $85 option to purchase 10,000 StationCash, tripled to 30,000) received an error message that they were over the limit. It’s unclear how many of these players were able to resolve the issue through contacting Customer Service, but I know a number of players simply said “Forget it!” or purchased a smaller amount.
Conclusion
Clearly, there are issues with SOE’s new StationCash bonus codes, the new Opt-in system, and the automated e-mail system. If Customer Service is going to assume the player is at fault, despite being presented evidence to the contrary, then they’re going to get some less-than-friendly responses.
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Comments (23)
Kuulei
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Fixing the CC detail was an issue I ran into. which totally made no sense since I used the same CC for my monthly billing. The station cash link said it was invalid because no expiration date? 😯 However I finally found a work-around in time to use a double SC code 😉
This platform of trying to get their player-base to spend more could be better if they had worked out some of the known issues and tested it with some fluff item to claim as a reward for those that had been opted in or attempted to during the promotion.
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Malleria
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When I saw the promotion and SOE encouraging me to opt in, I almost didn’t bother. It took some nagging from my wife before I went and checked. Of course, all 3 accounts were already opted in (I have received emails from SOE in the past, though only for 2 accounts, despite all 3 supposedly already being on their mailing list). I updated the games I wanted to receive promotional material for and saved the settings. This was probably the 13th of Dec.
I haven’t received a promo email on any of the accounts. So not only did the opt in process not work, it apparently removed the 2 accounts that were receiving emails from their mailing list 🙄
Not even gonna bother petitioning, because I wouldn’t have bought SC anyway. But my point is I agree completely that their systems are poorly set up. Email hasn’t worked at SOE for a long time. I have no idea why they would think it a good idea to utilize that same flawed system for a limited time promotion.
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Miragian
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Kind of unrelated but interestingly enough everything on my entitlement page appears to be duplicated. Wee
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Tulerezzer
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I got codes for all 3 accounts the 1st day. Only 2 accounts received codes the 2nd day. On the 3rd day I did not get an email on any of the three accounts. I would have bought SC if I had gotten at least a double up code. The best I got was +50%.
Definitely some failure in that promotion.
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Noctew
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Yes, SOE could really benefit from a more competently run web development/operations team. My guess is that web and even worse web QA has been completely outsourced – always a problem unless you have both on- and offshore project managers controlling their every move.
Eovania, the German community manager, has been unsuccessfully trying since the transition back from PSS1 to get control of the German website handed back to her – the German everquest2.com landing page still advertises the Freeport revamp and the update notes from August 28th, 2013 so the web site misbehaving is about par for the course.
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Seablade
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When I realized I wasn’t going to receive an email, I sent a message to customer service. I got the response that I wasn’t opted in, or didn’t opt in or some such as others here have indicated.
I never “opted in” because I was already “opted in” for emails (not just for EQ2 but other games as well) and had been for years. I followed the instructions just to make sure I was looking at the right section and sure enough, according to the instructions, I was “opted in.” Awesome! It didn’t make sense to me to uncheck the receive emails, save, then re-check the receive emails. I just (incorrectly) assumed that the fact that it was checked was sufficient enough to receive an email.
Regardless, I sent a message back to SOE about this and told them to close the ticket. The whole thing was an exercise in futility and pointlessness.
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faedhuildor
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I got an email the first day (and none since). When I clicked on redeem code, it didn’t tell me how much (%) it was for, it just went straight to “what payment source do you want to use.” Not being willing to answer that without a % discount first, I just exited. Really bad programming.
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Pipsissiwa
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Agree – I did the exact same thing and just closed the tab. I wasn’t proceeding with a purchase to find out the discount near the end of the process.
It should have let me see what discount my code gave me, THEN proceed to the purchase.
I don’t need the SC, but if I’d had a x3 I may have bought some. I’ll never know.
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Hushed
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I almost did the same, but instead picked a payment source. Once I picked a payment source, it gave me the bonus. I haven’t purchased. I won’t consider purchasing unless I get 3x.
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Wilhelm Arcturus
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I logged in to see if I was opted in the moment the news popped up on Twitter from the various SOE accounts, including Brasse. Turns out I was already opted in, so I did not need to make a change. However, I never saw a promo code over the three day period. Since I had no interest in buying any more Station Cash, I wasn’t put out and didn’t open a ticket. But it was one of those “SOE being SOE” moments and I was pretty sure from what I was hearing that opening a ticket would not yield a satisfactory answer, so saw no point in gumming up the works while people who wanted the promotion were trying to get help.
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Dellmon
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Like others, I have not received any of the promotional emails – despite opting in well in advance of the deadline. I opened a support ticket today. To be honest I am not interested in the Stationcash reward this time around – what I fear though is that the next promotion would be something that I would like. So my thought was to fight-the-good-fight now rather than later. Time will tell what my support experience will be like.
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Caela
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I work for a company that sends promotional opt-in emails. It’s actually a pretty complicated process to send thousands and thousands of emails. I’m sure SOE uses a service – at one time they used Innovyx (not my company, but I know of them) – not sure if they still do.
There are a multitude of reasons, none of which would be SOE’s fault for people not getting emails they are supposed to get. So I give them some slack on the “I was opted in, but didn’t get the email”. It happens way more often than I would think given the amount of promotional emails I get on a daily basis.
I’m on seed lists for various companies, and even I will not get emails that I know were sent to me.
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Striinger
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They should learn from the viagra, weight loss and penis growth pill spammers that send billions of unwanted emails per day.
My guess would be that someone who pulled the list missed a lot of people that were historically opted in. I’m not upset though. NFI what I’d spend the SC on anyway.
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Tada
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I had a similar experience as other folks. First day, received email on my silver account, but nothing on my All-Access. Second day, nothing. Third day, received on silver account but not All-Access. I petitioned and they responded saying they understand there have been problems, but here’s a random code for you to use just this one time – a nice gesture that I absolutely did not expect. I went and used the code because it gave me 3x.
The way I see it, like any other business, it’s all about who you get on the other end of the line.
I’m sorry others did not experience the same luck I did.
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Malade
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I bet they didn’t use DomainKeys, etc and went to SPAM or 4.0 soft bounces.
Spammers have ruined stuff for everyone.
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milliebii
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This promotion thing is all very well (at least it would be if it worked) but the first job SOE have is to convince me that I want to continue to subscribe and then that I just might need some more Station Cash.
They are currently failing dismally on both counts and from your comments above the promotion is a technical failure too.
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Awing
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Just my 2 cents. As a paying recurring monthly, all access, gold or whatever else they want to call my account, I should NOT have to opt in to receive a promotion for recurring monthly, all access, gold or whathaveyou. I don’t appreciate having to play a “game” with SOE in real life just to get the benefits of paying them every. single. month. for. years.
Just send me the emails, if I don’t want to receive them, I can “unsubscribe”.
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Dethdlr
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While I kind of agree with you, for email, they were kind of in a no-win situation.
On the one side, you have people that didn’t get the email because they weren’t opted in who would have liked to have gotten an email anyway.
On the other side, you have people who would have been ticked off by getting an email message asking them to purchase station cash even though they are paying them every single month for years.
What I think would have been even better would have been to randomly generate the discount each account got, then applied that to that account during that time-frame. If you were opted in, you would have gotten an email either stating the discount or pointing them to the page where they could see the discount. If you were NOT opted in, but heard about this through other means (like here for instance), you would still have been able to go to the site to see the discount.
But of course, if the whole point of this from SOE was to get people to opt-in so that they can send them emails in the future, that wouldn’t have really helped their goal much.
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Feldon
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Of course they had no problem e-mailing me about 10 reasons why I should play Landmark. 😉
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Enrico
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I got no emails, checked my account, and realized “I hate email spam. I should opt out of getting emails while I’m here.”
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Cris1138
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this was all really bad, i didnt get the bonus 25%.
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Sub
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Same old story, letting marketing people be the tail that wags the dog. I just wish they would stop their inward focus on squeezing every last groat out of the playerbase and use that marketing budget to actually market the game. It’s 10 years old and for content, it is still streets ahead of the rest.
There are still many, many of us who have absolutely no interest in SC whatsoever.
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Malade
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For the 30,000 limit item, why don’t they just set the hard limit at 30,001 and make happy people? or is it intentional to limit the damage of a triple station cash item?
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