Other than the folks that apparently were missed being handed to me for complete, and a check in on Mordai's house to see what happened there, it's finished. The official list is done and now it's just discovering those that apparently fell through the cracks.
good on you grimwell for looking into mordai's situation. i would like to say i was very disappointed in mine as well. it looked like someone just came in and threw a dozen or so items at any empty space they could find. all that was different was they put in the piano/ bench(with some papers) and alot of crude handcrafted paintings (6 i think) and 2 vases 1 crude 1 pristine, and 2 indium candlesticks. all of which just stuffed where they could fit them. not much of a renovation and not very aesthetically pleasing. not being one to complain (usually) i just went ahead and did my own renovation not thinking much of it. so my house look different from the way they left it. however grim you might want to look at your before and after pics of my place and have a word with whoever did mine.
I don't mean to seem rude, but are these renovations ever going to be finished? The contest ended in May and yet there are still rooms undone. And please don't say, well everyone's rooms are done but the few that were over looked. That just means that the renovations are not done. I know my friend has tried to find out what is going on with pm's, yet when he does get a reply, what he's told seems to be just to placate him. I would really like to know what's going on and if they will be finished soon.
4 Times since august 27th I have been told, oh I will get you done by the end of the week. Still nothing has been done. Considering that the winners were announced in may this is just ridiculous. I tried to be patient and see if this was going to done, but it does not seem like it will. This is very disappointing. A reasonable company that ran a contest would have come up with some kind of sollution by this point. What about 5 months later and I am still waiting? Maybe you should not do anymore contests in the future until you can at least be sure you can handle it when people win them. This is totally unacceptable from any company, let alone one that I have been a loyal customer of for so long. For anyone that would defend them on this you need your heads examined lol. I tried to work this out with Grim but he seems to think always saying I will get you this week then doing nothing is ok. I like the game but I have more respect for myself to give my business to a company that treats people this way. So when you can give me a real answer and stop expecting me to be so moronic that I will except the garbage you have been giving me let me know and I might reactivate my account. We, as some say should be thankful we have companies like this one that give us these games to play. That is true to an extent. But they should be thankful that we give them our money and time to support their games and not mess us over and expect us to take it. If you recieved bad service from some place in RL you would not give them your business anymore. But here in our MMO world some people think that these companies can do no wrong and when someone takes issue with them they get torn apart. Makes you wonder if some people should get outside more because they have obviously lost a grip on reality. If I had not been feed crap at every turn and been told anything worthwhile this would not be as bad. But enough is enough. Next time you want to run a contest ( especially one that had already alienated some of your customers) do not do it until you get your act together!
Meh.. I believe this probably the last thing on Grim's priority list to be honest. And, I'm ok with that! I'd rather see my bland Neriak flat collect dust bunnies knowing that he's busy working on stuff that betters the overall game. A contest is a contest.. and the prize wasn't tangible. Its not like we're all waiting for 120 day game codes or something. Sit back fellow contest winners.. play the game and relax. The state of your home decor will not effect your game play in any manner unless you're roleplaying Rachel Ray or Martha Stewart.
If it was beyond their abilities, perhaps they shouldn't hold anymore contests. And it's more then just not having a renovated house. To be promised something and told time and again that it would be done, just for time and again it not, is very irritating at best. He's right, if this was a company we walked into and bought rl items from, not mmo based, it would not be surprising that people would start taking their buisness else where. It does not take that long to renovate someone's place. I've done my friends' room in a couple of days and that included making the items. If there is so little time to renovate, just drop them items off at least and I will place them nicely in his place myself. At least it will get done that way.
Say what you will about how it is ok with you, but as I said if he had not told me (Through mail) many times he would get it done in a certain week only to not do it is not acceptable. If you are to busy to get something done then do not say you will. I will bet that you would say if you won the lottery that it would be ok that you did not recieve that money, that it is cool because they are busy=/ lol No it is not. If you do something like this it should be seen all the way through. We are "customers" and to use your excuse, oh they are too busy is laughable. This is not how loyal customers are treated and if you think it is ok that is your opinion. But do not tell me to relax because as far as I am concerned it is not ok. Grim himself told me I have been more than patient. But then feeds me more garbage, say what you want but there is no excuse for this. Besides what may not be important to you does not mean it is not important to someone else. People that say well they are doing something important so such and such can wait are a joke. You do not think it is important good for you. See my other post about having lost a grip on reality. I pay a monthly fee to play this game and I do not have to suck up to them. They should suck up to us so we do not go elsewhere.
Grimwell wrote: This sentence confuses me .. How do you lose someone? Operation Home Renovation Winners Antonia Bayle - Wakichoto Akirameru The Bazzar - Josgar Blackburrow - Jeehi Befallen - Firesoul Butcherblock - Chronojr Crushbone - Cantha Everfrost - Smortak Guk - Caelestis Kithicor - Loascophoo Lucan DLere - Rullar Mistmoore - Aylarra Nagafen - Brutalicus Najena - Ayaka D'Haine Nektulos - Simulcrum Oasis - Lisabethy Permafrost - Minnie Splitpaw - Oskar Unrest - Mehop Venekor - Spyderbite Vox - Barmekk ---- So who on this list is still missing a house visit? And, wasn't there supposed to be pictures of before & after on Eq2players someday? ! Oh and hey! I just realised Minnie was on Perma, have you had your house redone? Can I come visit?
Spyderbite@Venekor wrote: I don't think that's the point, Spyderbite. To quote: Firesoul wrote: I wrote an article not that long ago which I based largely on years of personal experience in various roles in Customer Services for various companies. I've helped to set up CR departments for three different Fortune 500 companies in and around the Twin Cities area. One of the suggestions I make for all companies is based on some pretty basic advice I received early in my career from one of my first managers: "When you give a customer an ETA, consider that a promise - because they will": From "When Customers Speak, Who Listens?' at Clockwork Gamer: The issue here isn't that it's taking so long for the prize to be delivered. The issue is that a customer's been told an ETA for resolution multiple times...and yet the customer's still waiting for resolution. Do you think it matters to that customer how busy everyone at the company is? Do you think it matters how high or low a priority this issue may be? Expectations were set for a customer...and not met. Now, it's possible that the customer has it wrong here. It's possible that we're only getting part of the story. But, in reality, since it's taken so long to deliver the prizes in the first place, which story is more likely to be believed by other players - and more to the point, which side's reputation has more to lose in this situation? It takes years to build loyal customers. It takes moments to lose them. Many times, you don't even have to do anything directly to lose those customers - they'll lose themselves if they merely hear enough bad things from other customers who were upset. I don't pretend for a moment that customer service is easy. However, the basic concepts behind customer service are.
Kaisha@Permafrost wrote Firesoul on Befallen is still waiting as well and a lot more patiently then I would be waiting.
This is Rullar winner on the LDL server. Since mine is apparently done I will let everyone else decide how it looks with a few screen shots. The first few will be of what was either added or moved in my house the rest are what I already had set up before winning the contest. Only the stuff in the center of the screen was added on this one. http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/.../EQ2_000029.jpg In this one all the stuff was already in the room he just put all the pictures on one wall and the altars on another. http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/.../EQ2_000030.jpg He moved the counter and 4 chairs back further into the room than they were originally and moved the keg from the next room. http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/.../EQ2_000031.jpg Other than a few items just moved a little to the side this room didn't get changed. http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/.../EQ2_000032.jpg Now for the rooms I already had set. Nothing was touched in these rooms. http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/.../EQ2_000033.jpg http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/.../EQ2_000034.jpg http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/.../EQ2_000035.jpg http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/.../EQ2_000036.jpg
Kendricke wrote: I realize that. I was just trying to make light of something that people were getting kind of heated up over. Believe me.. I know customer service well. Its my job.. I'm a trainer and manager for a major call center. "Who moved my cheese?" ring a bell? I've seen it 300+ times. XD Anyways. I'll admit, I too was a little disappointed when I saw the before and after photos of the first house done. Based on the timing of the event I was sort of expecting all kinds of the new Neriak furniture being shown off in all of us winner's homes. I didn't mean to belittle the situation. I'd love to see my home made over eventually. Especially since its on Venekor and I believe Grim's character is a Q there! XD
Spyderbite@Venekor wrote: I'm not trying to belittle the situation, either. When I think SOE is getting unfairly smacked around, I'll come to their defense. In this case, however, I find it hard to justify the delay, especially after seeing some of the before/after pictures. This contest was simply too ambitious. It picked up lots of press from around the fansites, and then seems to have been apparently dropped. Even if the majority of winners were given great renovations and most people are happy, I still can't fathom how anyone should still be waiting on a prize to a contest five months later. Those still waiting are apparently getting apologies tied to ETAs...which are then not met. If a customer calls one of your reps and is apologized to for a mistake on the part of your company, and your rep gives an ETA...but fails to follow through, I'd presume you'd have a few choice words for that rep? If that same rep was caught doing that multiple times, how would you treat that rep? That's really my point. Like you, I don't feel the rewards are game breaking unto themselves if players have to wait a few months for them. If the winners were told that up front or even as a reset expectation after the fact, I could see it being no problem. But IF customers are being told this week or next week and then nothing happens - SOE has no leg to stand on. After all, they set the expectation of time if that's the case - not the customer. We're probably only getting part of the story here. I can appreciate that. But we're getting an angry, unhappy, displeased part of the story. There's no SOE defense here to refute the story, and so the only story we have is the ones we're receiving from customers who feel jilted or brushed off. SOE needs to step in and make this right. SOE needs to correct the stories or at least clarify them. SOE needs to set realistic expectations for the ETA's for the remaining "winners" who are still waiting for their prizes. Because otherwise, we're back to class hats all over again...
Kendricke wrote: I'd still be content with a shot at taking Grim's token or 20 minutes of "alone time" in Longshadow Alley with Domino.. ^^ With rewards such as those.. I don't mind if my house remains stagnant and my salesman's crates are my the only noticible form of decor. XD
It looks like oversight. I didn't have you on my master list of people to care for (and didn't have anyone else for Befallen). I'm going to clear up the data and will take care of ya this week. sorry! I was ganked from the office for 9 days on business. We'll get ya done this week. Sorry! Crazy week. I will have the solution for you within the week. I won't bother making excuses, you are right and have been very patient. I deeply appreciate that Those are just 3 of the responses I got from Grim on this. I would put them all on here if I knew a way to copy them from my forum mail to here. He also told me he would send me a mail yesterday with the exact time it would be done this week. Again he mentioned he would get it done this week except he never got back to me. I will say this again if they had not given me specific time frames and then never did them this would not be as bad. I would still think 5 months later was way overboard but with a reasonable explanation it would have been better. The reason no one from SoE has not been on to correct what I have said is because it is true. Just as I am sure that at least some of the renovations done were only a renovation you would want if you could not even find 1sp. This is my last post on this unless someone from SoE wants to call me out on this lol Be safe all
Winners Still Waiting for their Redo: Befallen - Firesoul Venekor - Spyderbite Winner still waiting for a finished Redo: Lucan DLere - Rullar ----- When all is said and done, though, I seriously hope this doesn't stop Grimwell (SOE) from doing more contests. This was his first contest, so hopefully he has/is learning what NOT to do next time. Should he ever do this again, hopefully, he is better prepared. One thing he could have done is to create a new thread with the winners list and then do the winners in alphabetical order and as each person is done create a link for that person's name to the before & after pictures. And, he could have even put his schedule date/time for his visit next to the person's name, in that thread. That way not only does it give him a reminder's list but it also keeps the winners & the public informed. As Kendricke said .."When you give a customer an ETA, consider that a promise - because they will" .. because of what he didn't say .. "They will hunt your (censored) down". Speaking of hunting someone down, I'm still waiting for my prize from last year's poem contest. I guess I will have to make time to go to next year's Fan Faire. I prefer to do my hunting in person.
Let's add a little clarity here. It always helps. The time it took to complete this is indefensible. That won't be argued by me in any manner. Things happen, and items start falling through the cracks. I apologize to those who haven't seen a thing done, because it frankly sucks to hear "Winner" and watch a season go by and see nothing. In reference specifically to Firesoul and Spyderbite and why they have seen nothing, my part of ownership is that I've not gone in there. How did I miss them before my 'complete' message? When the winners were announced, they were each contacted and asked to print, sign, and fax a waiver that indicated that I could go into their home and do the work. We wanted to be that careful, and it was a part of the mandate in making the contest possible (internally). So I was provided the winners list to announce, and then the list of people who sent in the waiver. Some folks never sent it in and they were technically not able to be renovated because I didn't have permission to do so. I'm assuming in the case of Firesoul and Spyderbite that it's not that they didn't send in the waiver, but that their sending was never communicated to me. So when I posted 'Complete!' and was told "Um, what about me?" I looked into it, couldn't find reliable data either way, and decided to redecorate. After all, they have certainly indicated that they would like it. That's good enough by my standards. So each of those guys has an email that I've just sent giving them a time that I"m going to go into their house tomorrow and get this done. Perhaps that will be a bit of too little, too late for them - and I totally understand that - but the renovations are an open item for these two folks, and I'd like to close it so they have what we said they would get. In reference to the folks that are let down by their renovation, I can only offer my apologies. There may have been a perception disconnect from what you thought you were going to receive and what you actually did receive; but it wasn't deliberate. When the contest was brainstormed and hashed out across multiple departments, my main concern was not putting a limit on it where I'd have to give the exact same everything to every player. In the end a common core was used to keep some folks sated that it would be somewhat equitable between each winner, but I also had the freedom to try to compliment what they had in their house. In each and every case, the goal was to give 30+ items (when there was room) to the winners and try to enhance what they already had. It was never supposed to be a top to bottom replacement of everything and room by room redesign of the houses. So, tomorrow I'll take care of Firesoul and Spyderbite and extend my sincere apologies to them on having to have waited so long (they are the only thing on my schedule in that afternoon, and I will jump in front of a train if I fail them on that). For the people that weren't satisfied with what they did get, you also have my apologies. Sometimes you try to do some thing cool and it does not work out as well as planned. I'm just taking notes and making sure that these lessons aren't soon forgotten.
Grimwell wrote: I would like to thank you for the rennovation you did for me over the summer... it was VERY awesome! Don't let the people who didn't like your decorating skills get you down.
Grimwell wrote: Its all good. I never received the waiver but that could be for any of a thousand reasons. Email these days seems to be becoming as reliable as the USPS. Thanks for the update none the less! Oh.. can I still have your token? Its GOT to be worth at least 10k in status points! ^^
