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I wonder about the business practices and systems that some of these larger companies implement. In the course of planning and building ReelClever.com (a fairly large website ) I looked into ways to save time and money by working with some third party “plugins” that really looked like they fitted our bill.
Now perhaps these companies look at a start up and think we are not wasting our time with them, they cant afford it so never mind.
I sent 6 separate emails and tried using different email accounts to Movable Type to inquire about their community Blog solution. Their site says they will contact you within 2 business days I never once got a reply to any address (checked my spam on a very regular basis). So we just ended up building our own.
I sent an email to Adobe – on the 5 Nov 07 got a reply 9 Jan 08 – Telling me to contact some other company who handles that side of their business. I then sent that company 4 separate emails the first on the 9th Jan 08 and didn’t get a reply till 20 March 08 – So that equates to around 4 and half months before getting a reply. Not such great service in the information age.
I also Sent 2 emails to Muvee no reply….
My guess is if I emailed them from an existing “known” business or big brand company I would have got a reply the next day. The thing these companies need to realize is that small sites can quickly become big and never pre-judge a client as you never know what sort of budget or seed funding they have.
I actually want to thank these companies for not getting back to me because it lead us to develop everything internally and we don’t have to wait for 4 months for replies to support emails – If we get a reply at all.
All companies regardless of size need to act like small ones, every email and potential client needs to be treated as precious. Promptly reply to all product and service inquires even if you cannot help. The most important thing is to never pre-judge a client (we have all heard versions of the story about the guy who walks into a fancy car dealership in scruffy clothes. No one serves him or helps him – the next day he comes back in an Armani suit and the sales men rush to help and show him around. He then points down the street and shows them the Ferrari he brought yesterday from the dealer down the road. The one who did not pre-judge him by his appearance.