Yesterday I paid homage to Take180’s Kelly (Shoes) sponsorship, but also critiqued some technical problems on the site. I have to give Take180 the “Blip Customer Service” award (and award so rare it’s named after the only company that 2 years ago had a founder interrupt his dinner to help a random guy).
Within hours of the post, David Williams,the product manager for Take180, wrote, “I’m particularly distressed by your experience with the site. I recognize you’re patience has probably been exhausted, but I’d really like to get to the bottom of some of the basic problems you encountered.” I provided more detail on my problems with the site, and a screen I took helped the technical team realize a bug. The upload functionality couldn’t handle all-cap extensions (which is one of the many reasons I’m puzzled that more sites don’t leverage an existing technology rather than customize). The bug was fixed hours later.
I also received a note from Oren Kaplan, a YouTuber who was discovered by Take180 and now directs a show called “My Alibi.” A modern-day Breakfast Club, but self-aware of its character simplifications and at a more quirky and rapid-fire pace.
“As an employee there, I know that technically we have a very long way to go, hence the current “beta” status, but your feedback… really helps,” he wrote. Oren (Orenfilm.com) also explained that Liam is the third YouTuber used by the site.. LisaNova and Matthew Lush also did promotions, and more potentially downstream.
There are still bugs to work out, but I was reminded the site’s in Beta. Ideally they’ll take show visitors, for example, to a page that lists the episodes in order (I too easily fell into the second episode of My Alibi, not realizing there was a first). I also prefer to see the timeline beneath the video, and the 180 player hides it until mouseover (making me initially think the show’s duration was a mystery).
Bottom line: Many companies ignore blogger feedback, or decide to turn it over to a powerless PR person who sends generic notes and never seems to solve it. Instead, I get a note from a product manager who solves it. And a fellow video creator who makes me more excited about the site (many companies get worried when multiple people contact the same blogger or journalist, but it worked well here). There’s a PR lesson for larger companies. Fixing problems can elevate your company higher than it was before they emerged. More than 14 years ago UPS screwed up a shipment of batteries before a wedding I was to videotape. The customer service representative asked how they could make it up, and I told them I’d love a UPS mug. It was at my doorstep the next morning. My impression is higher of Take180 than if I had never found the bugs in the first place.
