My Bad Experience with BlackBerry
First, My Thoughts on the PlayBook
If you get a chance to test-drive the BlackBerry PlayBook, you will realize that it’s actually a good product. The form factor and size are ideal for many, the UI is fluid and easy to use. The hardware is aesthetically pleasing and well assembled. To me, it just feels far more superior than a typical RIM product.
Yes, I understand that their App World is more like an App Ghost Town when compared to the iOS and Android stores. And sure, the $499 (CAD) starting price point is nothing to brag about since $20 more would land me a 10” iPad. Nevertheless, a few minor (okay maybe not so minor) adjustments can put the PlayBook in a good spot.
Price Adjustment
A few weeks ago, RIM decided to start selling the 16Gig PlayBooks for $199 here in Canada as a limited time offer (they are back to $499 now). The sale was enticing but I wasn’t quite sold until my brother contacted me and told me that he had an e-coupon for “a buy one get the second for 50% off” sale. I was very excited because I figured that I can buy a couple for family.
I told him to order two just in time for Christmas and he promptly did so. A few minutes later, we were emailed an invoice and it showed one PlayBook for $199 and the second for $99 … sweet! What a great experience, I thought, now I can tell others about how BlackBerry is going to make a come back!
Umm, Sorry but No
A couple of days after the PlayBook order, my brother sent an email to RIM to inquire about the shipping date. He got no direct response but instead he received an email requesting for him to contact them by phone in order to approve a “price adjustment”. uh ohhhhhh.
When he contacted them he was told that the coupon was a scam because it only applied to BlackBerry accessories and not to PlayBook hardware. He then asked: “was it a scam or programming mistake?” … the customer service rep hesitantly said: “probably a mistake”. To that my brother followed up: “shouldn’t you honour the sale because it was your mistake?” and the response was: “RIM is not honouring the coupon”. At that point, my brother made it clear that he wished to cancel the order. He also reminded the rep that RIM is losing money because of their lack of sales and even on the warehousing of the overstocked Playbooks (not the rep’s fault of course).
$199 a Great Deal?
Not a bad deal since I believe that the 16Gig PlayBook normal selling price should be $299 and not $499. The problem is that RIM can’t follow Amazon’s footsteps and sell their hardware at a loss because they have no content. That is exactly why I was not sold until I was tempted by the coupon offer. The lack of content made me feel as if I was buying a video game system that has no games.
Moral of the Story
For the most part, big rich companies strive to have great customer service. They generally fix their mistakes by favouring the customer in order to maintain a good image. This is usually an immediate loss for them, however it normally pays back in the long run because it helps to retain or attract customers which can be a source of recurring income. The issue is when big companies lose control of their niche markets, their pockets become smaller. It’s at that point that the true colours of a corporation start to show.
For me, I will personally wait for the Kindle Fire to make its appearance in Canada and then I will decide if it’s worth gifting next Christmas. As for my personal usage, I’m still waiting for the iPad 3 in order to see if it’s worth buying or if should get a discounted iPad 2 or maybe even a Galaxy tablet.
Great software talent means renaissance developers who have passion, creativity, discipline, domain knowledge, and user empathy.
Welcome
Welcome to my blog. I will be using this domain to share some of my ideas & thoughts, experience, successes & failures etc…
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