Jonathan Oxer
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Blog > Rackspace redeemed?
>> Rackspace redeemed?
Mon, Mar 3rd 9:42am 2008: Linux
Last week I was pretty harsh in a post about some issues I've had with Rackspace technical support. Maybe I should become a restaurant critic or something so my mean streak can be somewhat justified.
Anyway, there were three possible outcomes that I expected as a result of that post. In increasing order of goodness and decreasing order of likelihood:
1. I receive a "cease and desist" from Rackspace's legal department requiring the blog post be removed; our dedicated server disconnected on the spot; and a bill sent out for the remaining contract period.
2. They cancel the account and wash their hands of the whole issue.
3. They contact me and try to figure out what went wrong with the arrangement, what they could do to improve their service in future, and what I as a customer specifically need in this instance so they can fulfil that need.
I gave #1 about a 40% probability, #2 about a 60% probability, and didn't think #3 had a snowball's chance in hell.
To their enormous credit, Rackspace proved me totally wrong.
In what must have been one of the most aggravating phone calls he has ever had to make, my Rackspace account manager called me personally on the weekend, apologised for the various miscommunications that had led to the situation, and tried to clarify what it was that I needed so they could do a better job of providing me the specific service that would suit my requirements.
And the kicker is that not once did he even mention removing my original blog post, amending it, or posting a positive follow-up. The overall impression I got was that the call *wasn't* just a PR damage control exercise: it was a genuine attempt to figure out what had gone wrong with me as a customer, and fix it if they could.
Colour me impressed. Hopefully there'll be a good ending to the story after all.
UPDATE: In this post I said that my Rackspace account manager made an aggravating phone call to me. What I was trying (badly) to say was that making that call must have been aggravating to him, not to me. I was very happy that he made the call, but he must have had to bite down on the urge to tell me to go play in traffic.
Last week I was pretty harsh in a post about some issues I've had with Rackspace technical support. Maybe I should become a restaurant critic or something so my mean streak can be somewhat justified.
Anyway, there were three possible outcomes that I expected as a result of that post. In increasing order of goodness and decreasing order of likelihood:
1. I receive a "cease and desist" from Rackspace's legal department requiring the blog post be removed; our dedicated server disconnected on the spot; and a bill sent out for the remaining contract period.
2. They cancel the account and wash their hands of the whole issue.
3. They contact me and try to figure out what went wrong with the arrangement, what they could do to improve their service in future, and what I as a customer specifically need in this instance so they can fulfil that need.
I gave #1 about a 40% probability, #2 about a 60% probability, and didn't think #3 had a snowball's chance in hell.
To their enormous credit, Rackspace proved me totally wrong.
In what must have been one of the most aggravating phone calls he has ever had to make, my Rackspace account manager called me personally on the weekend, apologised for the various miscommunications that had led to the situation, and tried to clarify what it was that I needed so they could do a better job of providing me the specific service that would suit my requirements.
And the kicker is that not once did he even mention removing my original blog post, amending it, or posting a positive follow-up. The overall impression I got was that the call *wasn't* just a PR damage control exercise: it was a genuine attempt to figure out what had gone wrong with me as a customer, and fix it if they could.
Colour me impressed. Hopefully there'll be a good ending to the story after all.
UPDATE: In this post I said that my Rackspace account manager made an aggravating phone call to me. What I was trying (badly) to say was that making that call must have been aggravating to him, not to me. I was very happy that he made the call, but he must have had to bite down on the urge to tell me to go play in traffic.
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