# Open Letter to our Customers, from Oberon Owner & Founder Brendan Smith



## OberonDesign.com (Nov 30, 2009)

Hi All, Brendan Smith from Oberon design here.

We wanted to send an open letter to all our customers and any new Kindle Board participants that have followed some of the recent negative posts attacking our quality standards and customer service. We want Kindle Board readers to know that these negative posts, repeated again and again on different topics are generated by a tiny group of people out of thousands of satisfied customers we have had the pleasure to serve. We take our quality standards very, very seriously. In fact, it is our belief that it's all we've got and the only way we've managed to stay in business since 1972.

We are very dismayed by the vitriol and want all of you to know that we feel that we have very clearly offered to fix any problems, exchange or refund any dissatisfied customer and take seriously any manufacturing or design problem that is reported to us. Rest assured every return or reported problem results in a flurry of meetings and possible design alterations. What we do here every day, all day is work on improving our quality. We consider our customers our most valuable resource and have made a number of changes to our products based on suggestions by observant and talented Oberon cover users.

We recently changed the stiffener in our tech cover pockets from plastic to high quality hardboard which is stiffer and recyclable and actually costs us more than the ABS plastic we were using. It was a personal decision on my part as I feel passionate about wanting our covers to be totally recyclable and discovered in surveys that many of our customers discarded the plastic. All other negative posts about leather differences and minor image inconsistencies are topics that are fully explained in links on every buy page our of website. We also explained some of these issues in personal emails in which the customer had all options open to them for exchanges or returns.

We encourage anyone reading all the harsh commentary to visit our Facebook page brimming with nearly 5,000 very happy Oberon customers. (link below)

Our apologies to anyone who has felt slighted by our customer service. If the excessive drama of the negative posts has made you apprehensive about ordering from us, jump on the phone and give us a toll free call to discuss your concerns with a real live person more than willing to help. As always, we are more than happy to explain our processes, fix problems or offer exchanges or returns. Thanks for taking the time to read my message.

. Kind regards to you all, Brendan

http://www.facebook.com/oberondesign


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## maries (Dec 29, 2010)

Thank you for posting your thoughts.  I hope your wife shared my email with you since I was not able to locate your email address.

I do not agree with the "harsh commentary" comments though.  This is a site for people to express their experiences and opinions and we need to be free to do that as consumers.  

I am the one your Rep referred to as a Bully over on Facebook.  That is why I prefer this site where, in my opinion, opinions are more honest and unbiased.


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## OberonDesign.com (Nov 30, 2009)

just a small FYI.. Becca is Brendans sister.. not his wife  

also not to get into it further.. I never mentioned names and I said "I felt bullied" that is because I tried to explain our position several times and it became hard to convey what we were trying to get across. We were trying to make it right and explain why we made the choices we did. 

I never called anyone a bully, nor would I. This is how communication gets skewed..

At the end of the day we are all humans, and we are trying to do our best by the customers we serve, that includes everyone! 

Thanks for your comments, I will pass them along


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## maries (Dec 29, 2010)

Sorry I thought Brendan was actually posting to hear from us.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

Thank you Brendan for taking the time to respond to the concerns by some of the members here. I haven't commented on the threads about it but I've seen them.    I've been a customer of Oberon since I got my first celtic hounds journal, in wine, in the early 90's. You have a wonderful product. I'm looking forward to my sleeve for my k3. 

I have read a few of the comments being discussed on this subject recently, and I sort of wonder if maybe the mods should just encourage people to take their further concerns about behavior from other forums to PM. I just feel like if it happened on facebook, maybe it should stay on facebook, or whatever other place it is. Of course that is JM0.


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## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

I have only received the best from Oberon.  Any concerns were immediately handled by your customer service reps.  They were always polite and made sure I was satisfied.  Your products are fabulous and I am very happy with what I have ordered and received.


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## kuklachica (Dec 26, 2010)

I am not even sure how to respond to this. If voicing concerns over quality and sharing company responses is "vitriol" and "harsh" then all of us are guilty for expressing concerns with Noreve, Amazon, and any other company that has any review or thread here. 

The definition of vitriol is "cruel and bitter criticism." I objectively showed my concerns, the company email, and asked for feedback on my thread regarding consistency. I thanked Oberon for the offer to refund the money, and voiced that I would choose not to order the cover again. I shared the Oberon's response. I don't know how I could have been less "cruel" or "bitter" than I was short of keeping my mouth shut. 

If we are not free to post here about thoughts on companies, apparently this forum is looking out for companies and not customers. 

I am shocked at this response. You can be sure that I will not be posting here in the future, and you will not have to be subjected to my "vitriol" in the future.


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## OberonDesign.com (Nov 30, 2009)

LauraB said:


> Thank you Brendan for taking the time to respond to the concerns by some of the members here. I haven't commented on the threads about it but I've seen them. I've been a customer of Oberon since I got my first celtic hounds journal, in wine, in the early 90's. You have a wonderful product. I'm looking forward to my sleeve for my k3.
> 
> I have read a few of the comments being discussed on this subject recently, and I sort of wonder if maybe the mods should just encourage people to take their further concerns about behavior from other forums to PM. I just feel like if it happened on facebook, maybe it should stay on facebook, or whatever other place it is. Of course that is JM0.


Just for clarification purposes.. the problem started here and ended here.. we have had no issues on the Facebook or any other pages which is why he chose to do the open letter in this forum. We WANT to hear about the concerns, we have addressed the emails, the phone calls, the page issues and dozens of other ways we know how to deal with it. We just wanted to assure our customers we committed to the same fine quality and service we have always had. Thanks again for your post.


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## maries (Dec 29, 2010)

Laura - I took my concerns about things here being discussed on Oberon Facebook to a KB moderator and to Becca and Brendan.   I totally agree with what happens in one forum should not be discussed on another.   My comment was a response to being encouraged to go to Facebook and my reason why I prefer this board for hearing both the good and the bad.  Along with the freedom for people to have differing opinions and preferences.   I have 3 Oberons and fortunately all were perfect.  If I did receive one with issues though I would want to feel free to share that on a consumer site like this.  As I stated elsewhere I am about to buy a Noreve and appreciate the heads up that some people have had issues.   As a consumer I want facts and opinions from other consumers to make as educated a buying decision as possible.   There will be occasional quality and other issues with products.  Knowing how a company handles this is part of that valuable info.  Whether a customer is happy and satisifed is the customer's perception of the experience.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Stepping in here...

As has been evidenced time and time again in threads here on KindleBoards, members are welcome to post their opinions, positive and negative, about products whether advertised here or not.  Kuklachica, no restrictions were made on your recent thread about your husband's cover and it is still open as I type.  A previous thread was locked not because of the topic subject but because members were attacking each other's posts; it had ceased to be a discussion that served our membership.

This thread will also be remain open at the Oberon Rep's request as long as our usual KB civility is maintained.

Thanks,

Betsy
Accessories Moderator


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## OberonDesign.com (Nov 30, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Stepping in here...
> 
> As has been evidenced time and time again in threads here on KindleBoards, members are welcome to post their opinions, positive and negative, about products whether advertised here or not. Kuklachica, no restrictions were made on your recent thread about your husband's cover and it is still open as I type. A previous thread was locked not because of the topic subject but because members were attacking each other's posts; it had ceased to be a discussion that served our membership.
> 
> ...


Thanks Betsy,

I agree.. we cant' fix things we don't know about.. no one is being silenced. No one requested that. We just made an open post to explain how WE feel. It's really that simple. Thanks again!


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## AshMP (Dec 30, 2009)

Thank you Brendan for taking the time to respond to what is currently being said on the forum...

However, I think it needs to be said that a forum is a educational resource for consumers.  It's not intended to be a place where only glowing reviews are posted and gold star stickers are handed out.  Of course that's one part of it--there are plenty of people who love something enough to take the time to encourage others to take piece of that happiness for themselves.  But, there is the flip side to every coin and that is an unhappy buyer who feels the need to relay their experience as a cautionary tale.  This may or may not influence others, but it is every bit as valuable as the "good experience review" is.  

Oberon is by far and away NOT the only brand to take heat on this site--Noreve is under fire in a few of the front page threads, and I'm sure in the past other brands have been on the chopping block, so to speak, as well.  That's the nature of the beast.  When people really **love** something and are constantly pumping that product, expectations grow in turn and if those aren't met there is a level of frustration that is a reflex.  You can post all the "buyer be advised" you want...but it's only the tactile that will really make the impact.  

I am a small seller on Etsy.  It is common practice for purchasers to leave feedback, positive or otherwise.  It not only allows a business to grow but is truly valuable to others looking into buying from someone.  I can say that I take all feedback to heart and it's made me a better business person all the way around.  If my shipping is slow, I look to enhance that...if my pictures aren't clear enough, I make sure to pay closer attention next time...and when the review is good, I take that and work to make whatever positively stood out part of my common practice.  That would be my encouragement to you now.  Rather than come on the forum to "scold" (my word, not yours) those that have issues and speak openly about them, look deeper into making it right.  It's great that you have 5,000 happy consumers...but even 1 unhappy one can carry really significant weight.  

This isn't the first time a buyer has taken issue with your customer service and this isn't the first time you've taken to the boards to openly discuss it, I guess at this point maybe searching for a different solution would be preferable to your business image.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Wow

There are so many people here who defend you guys and then you post this. I have read the posts in the two contested topics. I don't think they are vitriolic or mean spirited or harsh. They are a few frustrated customers opinions regarding the problems that they had with your company. You had people defending you in those topics. You have a multitude of topics on this site that sing your praises.

I know that it is hard to read negative posts but coming back with a post that is this defensive and negative is just wow...

It gets to the heart of the problem, as I see it. The tone of the posts used to address folks who have questions or are not happy with Oberon tends to be terse, defensive, brusque, and a bit rude. That takes a difficult situation and makes it even worse. 

I wish that you could understand that someone who is telling you that the leather product they received seems to be of poor quality, pointing to some inconsistencies in the dye color and surface issues, is not going to want to pointed to the company disclaimer and told that the leather was in acceptable standards. Obviously it wasn't for that customer. There should be a better reply then, essentially, lecturing the customer on acceptable leather standards. Maybe offering to pay for shipping for both covers and fixing the strap on the first cover.

Responding to the customers unhappy posts and the posts of people who agree with her on a message board by labeling negative posts as harsh commentary and vitriolic is only going to further alienate that group of individuals and is not going to help you develop new clients.

Of course you have a ton of happy customers posting on your page at Facebook. That is what people do at Facebook. Not to mention you can control the content there. An open site like this, were people can post what they like and dislike and why is far more telling. And you are doing well here as evidenced by the number of supportive and happy posts and people recommending your work. You took out ad space here because you know that you are well received here. So what about a few topics and posts that are not as positive scares you?

You do amazing work. I greatly enjoy the Christmas tree ornaments I have from you. I cherish my Kindle covers from you. They are works of art and I am thrilled to have them. I just wish that you could learn how to handle criticism better. It would only help your business.


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## OberonDesign.com (Nov 30, 2009)

Again. We have always offered to correct a problem or issue. We believe that is clear in the post. We have said this in public and in private. We were also asked to respond to the negative postings . We did. 

As always input is appreciated!


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

Italiahaircolor said:


> Thank you Brendan for taking the time to respond to what is currently being said on the forum...
> 
> However, I think it needs to be said that a forum is a educational resource for consumers. It's not intended to be a place where only glowing reviews are posted and gold star stickers are handed out. Of course that's one part of it--there are plenty of people who love something enough to take the time to encourage others to take piece of that happiness for themselves. But, there is the flip side to every coin and that is an unhappy buyer who feels the need to relay their experience as a cautionary tale. This may or may not influence others, but it is every bit as valuable as the "good experience review" is.


I suspect the problem is that Oberon feels that they have bent over backwards offering options, either to return or replace these few items from only 3-4 people (out of several thousand.) but those 3-4 people have made dozens of posts, ignoring comments, explanations and options from Oberon. I was one of the people who said it looked like cyber bullying. In point of fact, one of the most vocal anti-Oberon voices on this board, who has in fact made many MANY critical and negative posts has admitted that s/he has purchased SEVERAL covers and they are ALL "perfect."

This whole thing over the last several weeks has been a firestorm of negative posts driven by a few people who seem to have a mission of damaging this business. I can't understand why these few individuals are collectively allowed to make dozens of posts running them down. Some here are saying they have a right to "review," their experience. Absolutely true, but a couple of the strongest critics have not even ever bought the product, and a couple of others have, by their own admission, received a superior product and had no direct issues.

A real review affords a client one review/one purchase. Yes, you may certainly go to a hundred venues and post one review, but no reputable site would tolerate one customer posting 20 reviews to their single site on a single product purchase, much less allow someone who isn't even a customer to post 20 reviews of the product to their site. And yet, that is what is happening here, along with attempting to argue with Oberon over their company policies on things like customization, by claiming that Oberon doesn't listen to their customers, as if by making the accusation over and over again, Oberon will suddenly start offering full spec production according to anyone's whim.

KB seems to work pretty hard at trying to provide a fairly "safe" forum for readers and writers, so it's surprising to see that this sort of attack campaign is thriving here across many threads, some even only tangentially related to Oberon Design.

I believe KB should consider their legal exposure in this situation.


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## Feylamia (Mar 21, 2011)

OberonDesign.com said:


> We encourage anyone reading all the harsh commentary to visit our Facebook page brimming with nearly 5,000 very happy Oberon customers. (link below)


For the sake of balance, I think it would be wise to point out that people "liking" a company on facebook are not necessarily happy customers or customers at all. Quite a number of them see the link on their wall because their friends mentioned it, check it out, go "oh, that's kind of cool", click "like" and then forget about the company.

If you do check out the facebook page, you will find that a community, not unlike this one, has formed and the majority of posts are by the same people. Among those are people who make fun of people voicing their opinions here, seemingly cheered on by Oberon Design. There is also at least one person who, although not affiliated with Oberon, chooses to attack people (using the private message system on these boards) if they post only so much as something questioning Oberon Design's standards, which ultimately tarnishes Oberon Design's reputation far more than any negative review posted here ever could.
Again, I think this boils down to what I mentioned before and also wrote OD as a private message: There are communication issues at hand and these are completely solvable.

*From what I've read it was never receiving a less than perfect product which prompted people to post negative reviews on these boards but the way in which the communication was handled.*

Also, don't let any of the people claiming there is some sort of "war" against Oberon (just because the issues may have come up in various threads) confuse you: there are hundreds of posts on these boards from happy customers raving about their Oberon products.  The balance is definitely right.
I for one have been rudely accused of trying to hurt Oberon Design just because I pointed out that I feel there are communication issues at hand, saying I did not have the right to voice my opinion as I have never bought from them. This is where the bully is wrong: Customer communication on the web 2.0 is accessible to all, not just people who are actively buying from a company. As such, it will have to meet the standards of all customers, even potential ones (and it is a greatr tool to bring exactly those customers in and make them buy your product).

Since these attacks I did, as planned, buy Oberon Design products anyway - a used K3 cover for me and a business card holder as a gift for a friend. But I did so _despite_ the way in which customer communication is handled and not _because of it_ (which would be the ideal). I imagine this will be the case for many others buying these products as well.


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2011)

I find it funny that the same people who are making snide comments about Oberon not allowing them to share their opinion are themselves slamming the company for sharing theirs!

I have defended Oberon here in the past and will continue to do so. a I have many pieces from them-two Kindle covers, a journal, an organizer, a card case, and a bookmark. All of it has been and still is beautiful. 

The "Share Your Oberon Pictures" thread has been taken over by a small group of people who do nothing but criticize and bash the company, and that's disappointing. Oberon is a great company and the people that run it are human and doing the best they can. I'm not a leather expert but I do know that each hide is unique and takes dyes and such differently. That said, going by the pieces I have and the thousands of photos I've seen Oberon strives to put out products of the highest quality. I own my own business and one of the services I offer is PR. I can tell you that there are times that no matter what a company does there are going to be people that will just never be satisfied. I think some of them are here. I also know that all to often a company ends up being badmouthed not because they did anything wrong, but because a customer demanded some kind of special treatment (custom orders, etc) and was politely told no. There are a lot of people who will scream poor customer service when in reality they are angry because they couldn't get their way. 

I hope the bashing stops because it would be a shame if companies began avoiding the board.


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## maries (Dec 29, 2010)

A quote from Harvey in the 1st "Let's Talk Kindle" thread:
This site is a user board for Kindle, the new wireless reading device from Amazon. 

We're not affiliated with Amazon. We're gadget enthusiasts, and booklovers too. 

Kindle, released in November 2007, has a lot of innovative features - electronic paper display, ability to download wirelessly without the need for a PC, free samples, and more. 

And while it's innovative, it's not a perfect product either. It looks like we'll have a lot to discuss in the months ahead as the world gets introduced to this new way of getting and enjoying books, newspapers, blogs, and more. 

Thanks for visiting Kindle Boards!


Point is this is the Kindleboards not the Oberonboards.  Oberon is one product discussed here.  Just like the Kindle, people will have issues and share their experiences.  We all learn from these whether they happen to us or not.  We had issues with the covers with hinges.  Boards like this is how I knew that we weren't alone and eventually the source of the problem.  I could have thrown the covers in a drawer and mumbled about the wasted money & Amazon.  Because of what I learned I called Amazon to report the issues.  We received immediate credits and didn't need to return the covers.  Whatever company it is, people will post reviews - good and bad and issues and how the company deals with them.  People will state what they think would be a good idea for a company to offer or how a company should handle something.  I haven't seen any other company come here and suggest people stop saying negative things about them and visit their Facebook page where they have thousands of happy customers.    I haven't seen any one claiming there is a war against Noreve or m-edge if they say anything negative.    It wasn't the cardboard change that makes me not want to buy from Oberon again but the way their Rep handles responses here.  Brendan's letter didn't sound much different to me.  But that is my opinion and my right to decide what business I want to do business with based on the product and how the business presents itself.  I still think they can make a beautiful product and wouldn't tell anyone else not to buy from them.  I would just say that I wouldn't want to deal with them.


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## Feylamia (Mar 21, 2011)

May I use your post to illustrate my previous comments?



NYCKindleFan said:


> the same people who are making snide comments about Oberon not allowing them to share their opinion are themselves slamming the company for sharing theirs!


Here, I think, a misunderstanding is at hand. NYCKindleFan thinks people are "slamming" Oberon Design for sharing their opinion, when the thing people have criticized (note also that there is a huge difference between "slamming something" and not agreeing with something and voicing that opinion politely) is not OD's _opinion_ but their _handling_ of certain issues.



NYCKindleFan said:


> The "Share Your Oberon Pictures" thread has been taken over by a small group of people who do nothing but criticize and bash the company, and that's disappointing.


I just reread the last six pages of that thread and found they mostly contain praise for Oberon's products. Other than that there are a couple (really only a couple) of posts about not being happy with this or that and a couple on possibly customizing the covers, but nothing that qualifies as bashing. There is also Pushka (one of the people probably labelled a "basher" by a small group of posters who choose to "defend" Oberon Design from people they claim are "bashing" them) talking about an issue she had with her order and then thanking Elaine from Oberon for the good outcome after she took care of things.

That hardly qualifies as the thread being "taken over by a small group of people who do nothing but criticize and bash the company".



NYCKindleFan said:


> I own my own business and one of the services I offer is PR. I can tell you that there are times that no matter what a company does there are going to be people that will just never be satisfied. I think some of them are here.


You may think that, yes, but I'm not sure you are right. Kuklachica, for example, very clearly said what she expected from Oberon Design and why exactly she was disappointed. That is, what would have satisfied her. And Pushka was satisfied with how Oberon handled her issues in the end and she voiced that just as she voiced her problems before.



NYCKindleFan said:


> I hope the bashing stops because it would be a shame if companies began avoiding the board.


And again the use of the word "bashing" which I think is far too strong for what happened here. People have voiced their opinions, yes, but the amount of bashing that has gone on is tiny and I honestly think I've seen more rude remarks on Oberon's facebook page than here.

_edit: clarified the basher comment. _


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

The other part of the problem is that when someone posts a negative opinion about Oberon they tend to find a ton of posts that either say your wrong or imply that they are wrong. The loyal fan base is so supportive that if you disliking Oberon is pretty difficult. The number of posts loving Oberon far outweighs the number of posts disliking Oberon. 

There are a few posters who I think are pretty intent on slamming Oberon, the ones I am thinking of have not posted in this topic. As a business, Oberon needs to learn how to deal with or ignore those folks while addressing the people with legitimate concerns. Those few folks are not going to hurt Oberon. Most everybody knows who they are and can ignore them.

I would not have been happy with the emails that kuklachica posted or the replacement cover that she received. It is that simple. I would not be happy if I were her and I saw the post that started this thread.

The vast majority of Oberons problem is how it handles communication with people on this board and in emails. They understand their position but they do little to look at how the customer feels and to understand why the customer feels that way. The one time I called Oberon, I had received a shipping notice and 7 days later my cover had not arrived, I got the same "We are a small company" line. All they had to say was "Whoops, we sent that out accidentally. Our records show it went out on day X and you should get it on day Y." I would have been fine. Instead I got "We are a small company" and "You choose the slowest shipping option." The effort to deflect blame was impressive.

Clearly Oberon has a solid reputation here. Clearly they sell a good amount of cases and other things through this site. They need to grow some thicker skin and learn how to talk to their customers in a way that makes them feel values and appreciated and not even more frustrated and angry.

I love their products. I continue to buy from them because I value the work and craftsmanship. I wish that they would get someone else to post for them on this site and that all of them would read a book or two on making the customer happy. I for one don't think that the rep here is listening to a thing that has been said. That is my opinion. The tone does not change and that really is the issue.


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

Feylamia said:


> There is also Pushka (one of the people labelled a "basher" by a small group of posters who choose to "defend" Oberon Design from people they claim are "bashing" them) talking about an issue she had with her order and then thanking Elaine from Oberon for the good outcome after she took care of things.
> 
> That hardly qualifies as the thread being "taken over by a small group of people who do nothing but criticize and bash the company".
> 
> You may think that, yes, but I'm not sure you are right. Kuklachica, for example, very clearly said what she expected from Oberon Design and why exactly she was disappointed. That is, what would have satisfied her. And Pushka was satisfied with how Oberon handled her issues in the end and she voiced that just as she voiced her problems before.


Wow, wow just wow. I missed that I was labelled as bashing the company.


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## Feylamia (Mar 21, 2011)

Before anyone feels wrongly accused: That was just me interpreting the posts/messages I read on the subject so far because for quite a while there you were the only one in the picture thread who posted about being unhappy with something.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Stepping in here, not aimed at anyone in particular.  Just something I should have said earlier.

Obviously, I've been reading these threads as they proceeded.  Please, folks, let's stop characterizing people's posts as "bashing" "vitriol" "slamming" and other words of that kind.  I've read the threads and none of these apply, in my opinion.  

Thank you.

Betsy
Accessories Moderator


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

It's Ok, maybe I should have posted that in a different thread?  Its just that I had two business days go by with no response to an email I had sent to them, and knew that an Oberon Rep had recently posted in the picture thread and thought they might respond.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I think we've, all told, purchased 4-5 covers and so I'm a happy customer. I would recommend them to other people. But I don't discuss them a lot, think about them regularly, or feel the company is infallible. That means that I read all this from a fairly neutral place. My one thought is that the Oberon people make a great product, but aren't good communicators. I think the writers here can appreciate that it's just not what you say but the way you say it.

As much as the Oberon people might feel people are being unfair to them, there's nowhere from a customer service standpoint where this can be stated without it looking bad. From what I'm understanding, the Oberon people offered to solve issues in a way they thought fair, but I'm missing if they ever ask what the disappointed customer needs in order to feel the issue is resolved. Whether they can provide that or not, at least the terms are defined and there's true communication.

As in many things, it's more important to give people what they actually want and not what you'd want if you were them, because you're not them. I can see from the stance of Oberon, that they feel their solutions have been reasonable, and in that light their confused as to what more people could want. But I'm not sure they've asked. 

"I want another cover, with as few flaws as possible, more along the look of the first one. I need the straps tested before it's sent out" or "I want a full refund" or "I'd be comfortable with a new design" or "I feel most comfortable keeping the cover, but I feel a partial refund is in order." Determining what the person wants and meeting or exceeding expectations, if possible, is customer service. "You've stated a 15% partial refund would resolve this for you, we've issues a 20% refund, and  you can expect a coupon in the mail for 10% off your next purchase. Thank you for honoring us with your original purchase, and the opportunity to keep you as a customer." 

Communications stating customers are valued, and not singling out what you feel are the squeaky wheels, is also good PR.


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## Teach123 (Feb 9, 2011)

So I'm relatively new on here... and this is actually my first post. I'm somewhat disappointed that this is the first thing I will comment on, but here goes.

Oberon as a small business has the right to make any changes they want to their product, have any type (or no) return policy. They have the right to make what they want, how they want, and to decide what they think is a quality product. That is their RIGHT.

As customers you have the right to share your opinion, your concerns, your successes, your joys, AND any issues or problems you have had. You also have the right to decide for yourself what you think is a quality product. You have the right to do that in a public forum without fear of reprisal from the company or supporters of the company.

The problem as I see it, is that there are people who do not feel comfortable with the way Oberon *OR* its supporters have responded to the posts they've made seeking clarity, comparisons, or issues that they have had. From what I've seen, there has really been very little to no "bashing" or "vitriol" aimed at Oberon. Quite the opposite in fact, from what I see on many of these threads, it is the customers who share stories of bad experiences that are attacked by Oberon supporters. Many of the communications I see from Oberon on here are trying to defend themselves, which is totally acceptable, but they have also tried to place blame on the customers who have been unhappy, and *that* is unacceptable. Oberon can come on here and say over and over that they offered this, or they offered that, or that they have dealt with a person privately or publicly. That does nothing. 
If a consumer is unhappy with a product, or the way something was handled, and what you offer as a company does not meet their expectations OR does not change or address what the customer sees as an issue, the customer is still well within their right to share that information with others. I see way too much of an Oberon presence (the company itself, not the supporters) on these boards to feel comfortable in sharing any concerns or issues that I have. If I have a bad experience with Apple, I don't want to share that with others in a public forum, knowing that Apple is looking over my shoulder, and WILL respond in a communication that attempts to pass it off as my problem, because they feel they've already done enough and they have so many supporters. I see a lack of actual discourse taking place, and don't blame those who will now refrain from posting anything on here that is not a glowing praise.


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2011)

Pushka said:


> It's Ok, maybe I should have posted that in a different thread? Its just that I had two business days go by with no response to an email I had sent to them, and knew that an Oberon Rep had recently posted in the picture thread and thought they might respond.


Did it ever occur to you that maybe they never got your email? Sometimes server glitches delay them, sometimes spam filters grab them, and sometimes they just get sucked into a black hole.

I provide email customer service for a client of mine and I often get screamed at and berated by customers who say we don't respond fast enough. Yesterday a woman sent FIVE emails in an hour and screamed at me because she didn't get any response. Mind you there was less than 12 hours between the time she sent her first email and my response. I had another woman sent a profanity laden email because we weren't responding. We tried, but she has Earthlink and insisted on using that stupid piece of garbage they have that forces people to go to a website and fill out a form before they allow emails to go through. My fellow reps and I simply don't have the time for that nonsense. It was her responsibility to whitelist us, not ours.

People really don't understand how many emails a company gets. My client gets over 1000 a day and there are 3 of us who answer them. We respond to everyone within 48-72 hours but that is not good enough for some. That's too bad, but we aren't machines and can only go so fast. Sure we could speed things up using auto-responses but then people would scream about not getting a personal response.

My advice is to be patient, and also to check your spam folders. Sometimes perfectly legit emails wind up there.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Teach123, welcome to KindleBoards!  And Accessories is normally such a calm, happy place! . Be sure to head over to Introductions and tell us a little bit about yourself!

Betsy


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Welcome Teach123. One of the things that I like this board is that most of the time people are able to disagree like adults.

I like having the Kindle Rep here. I like having the MEdge, Javo Edge (I probably have that name wrong), and all the other reps here. I think that it is great that they are reaching out to their users and trying to help them by answering questions and letting folks know about new products. Some times it works smoothly, some times it doesn't but I have never felt uncomfortable posting my opinions because they are here. 

All of the reps have had to deal with unhappy customers in their threads. All of them have had questions about delays, quality issues, why aren't you making product X, why aren't you answering more quickly. It is not unusual. I would say that the Oberon love is a great deal more open and emphatic then the love for any other product I have seen on this board. People tend to be pretty passionate and occassioanlly it gets out of control.

It would help if people took a deep breath and realize that it is ok for folks to say that they had a bad experience with comapny X, in this case Oberon, and not feel like they have to defend the comapny. I would guess that the negative experiences would garner less attention if the people who post that they are not happy did not have to feel like they have to defend why they are unhappy.


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## AshMP (Dec 30, 2009)

StaceyHH said:


> I suspect the problem is that Oberon feels that they have bent over backwards offering options, either to return or replace these few items from only 3-4 people (out of several thousand.) but those 3-4 people have made dozens of posts, ignoring comments, explanations and options from Oberon. I was one of the people who said it looked like cyber bullying. In point of fact, one of the most vocal anti-Oberon voices on this board, who has in fact made many MANY critical and negative posts has admitted that s/he has purchased SEVERAL covers and they are ALL "perfect."
> 
> This whole thing over the last several weeks has been a firestorm of negative posts driven by a few people who seem to have a mission of damaging this business. I can't understand why these few individuals are collectively allowed to make dozens of posts running them down. Some here are saying they have a right to "review," their experience. Absolutely true, but a couple of the strongest critics have not even ever bought the product, and a couple of others have, by their own admission, received a superior product and had no direct issues.
> 
> ...


I understand what you're saying...and to some extent you're correct in so much as some people are probably more frequently vocal than others in their discontent with the company and what not. But the same could be said for other brands as well. There are posters who hate Noreve customer service, communication, and policies and post freely about that without 1/100th of the backlash.

I believe a lot of what people take issue with isn't Oberon product per say, but more the customer service they have to deal with to get the product. I mean, we all pretty much own Kindles and we all are fairly accustom to Amazons stellar way of handling things. You'll read a thousand posts where people receive flawed Kindles and after that quick gripe, they go on to champion Amazon's customer service and how happy they are now. When someone reads that, the focus shifts to "wow, good for Amazon, what a great store" and away from the negativity of a bum Kindle. But, if Amazon changed it's way of doing things, the shift would probably occur where posters would focus more on the fact that the Kindles aren't working as they should. Case in part (no pun intended) to the fiasco about the hinges with the K3. Consumers were constantly getting new Kindles because they wouldn't work until the cause was found to be the case. The whole process of really messy, and believe me I know having been one with a case that caused great problems. Now, the topic is all but dead and Amazon stepped up to the plate and made it right. I'm not saying Oberon can operate under the same business guidelines a power house like Amazon can, but what works will always work in some shape or form--and that is to take the pressure off the problem by finding a solution that will make the customer happy.

As of recent, there was a lady on this board who had trouble with a case, got a replacement that wasn't acceptable to her and rather than work to find agreeable solutions--such as tightening the strap on the original--Oberon shut down the issue with _their_ vision of a resolution as opposed to finding what _her_ vision of resolution was. And that upset her. I think anyone would upset in that situation.

As far as reasonably reviewing a single product a single time...that only works if the purchasing site is set up to accommodate that. Oberon is not. So there is no possible way for a 1 in 1 system. When you discuss a product on a forum, it does open that for conversation about what you like, what you don't like, what thrilled you and what upset you. I also belong to a forum about purses...and believe me, people rehash the same bag a bagillion times before something new to discuss comes along. That's just the way it works and this treatment isn't reserved for only the likes of Oberon. I consider it to be virtual-word-of-mouth and when you have an internet presence you need to anticipate that to some degree, it would be great if everyone was happy, but you can't please all the people all the time.

As far trying to damage Oberon business, I don't know. If Oberon really does have 5,000 happy customers, I highly doubt a handful of unhappy people who posts multiple times will sway the original 5,000 from returning. Maybe 1 truly verified complaint will effect 25/50 people who will think "I don't need to deal with that" or "I don't need to spend my hard earned money there." But you have to put stake in the fact you're dealing with intelligent people, and if YOU'RE picking up on a trend of those that find issue, other's may as well. It's the pictures, it's the verbatim, the verified stories that will carry the great weight for those looking to buy a case, not the opinion of a strange with an axe to grind.

At the end of the day, as someone else said, Oberon's presence on this board is huge. And KB will always do **more** for them than it will do **against** them. KB is not in the business of becoming a monopoly, no one brand is ever going to reign supreme...but people will learn about Oberon, and buy Oberon and enjoy Oberon because of what they have learned in the various threads. Same is true for Noreve, Cole Haan, M-Edge, Octovo and the like. But, if O's product is not only going to be displayed here, they are going to have rep's speak here, it would be wise to make sure they are working really hard at putting out the best brand image they can, because the competition is tough and there is always another beautiful case.


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2011)

ProfCrash said:


> As of recent, there was a lady on this board who had trouble with a case, got a replacement that wasn't acceptable to her and rather than work to find agreeable solutions--such as tightening the strap on the original--Oberon shut down the issue with _their_ vision of a resolution as opposed to finding what _her_ vision of resolution was. And that upset her. I think anyone would upset in that situation.


The question is where does it end? Say they sent her a third cover and she didn't find it acceptable due to whatever. Should they send her a 4th? And if she decides that one isn't quite right either? Is Oberon expected to keep sending her covers until she finds one she deems acceptable? I'm sorry but while I agree a company should be willing to "work with a customer" there is only so much you can expect. Oberon tried to make it right. They sent a second cover after she complained about the first and she complained about that one too. The probably thought returning all her money was the right thing to do since she seemed impossible to satisfy.

I also wonder about the tone of the emails the people who had issues sent. I can tell you that CS reps are much more likely to go out of their way to help people who are polite and respectful, even when they have an issue. It's never okay to be nasty to a CS person.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I think that she would have been happy to send them the first one and have them tighten the strap. 

As to where does it end, there are folks on this board who received 9 Kindles before getting one that worked properly. With the K2 there were folks who got many replacements with the sun fade issue. There was at least one person who went through a minimum of 5 returns on a K3 due to the power switch being broken, the sides not glued properly, and the speakers not working.

I said this before, it is easier for Amazon to send multiple replacements because they are a large company but they work to get the problem fix. I don't believe I have read an email from Oberon offering to fix the broken strap, which is all that was bothering the customer. It might have been cheaper for all if Oberon had said "Send it back to us and we will fix the strap. We will pay the shipping costs."

It is not ok to be nasty to a CS person and people who are polite probably do get better service. But a good customer service person takes a deep breath and steps away from the angry person/email before responding. It sucks but that is part of the job. I suck at that so I never went into that field.


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## kuklachica (Dec 26, 2010)

For clarity: I was sent the original cover, then a replacement, a total of 2 covers, not 4. 

My email was very similar to my posts on the other thread, trying to be clear rather than emotional. I would post my email to them, but it is on my home computer and not available at the moment. 

Oberon did initially offer to tighten the straps on the original OR send a replacement. We opted for the replacement so my husband wouldn't be out of a cover for over a week. We were not offered a replacement (or to tighten the strap) of the second cover, just a refund. We chose to keep the first cover, the better of the two.

Am I (or my husband in this case) hard to please? Possibly. But then that would mean others are too, as they agreed that the dye and pattern were not what they would expect. Some customers might just accept such a case and not say anything because it is not worth the hassle. Then there is a smaller percentage that will ask for feedback from the company or fellow customers to see if their opinions of a product are valid. I do not see this as a problem. 

I have posted other reviews of a couple companies/individual sellers who provided great products and customer service. At least once a month I call to thank stores or companies for their exceptional service (recently I have called the local pharmacy, Lowe's, Walmart, just to name a few). I try to praise and frequent stores that provide solid customer service. I find this JUST as important as knowing about any negative experiences a consumer may have had with a company. I have posted pictures of two of my Oberon products in the picture thread. I have thanked them here and via email for their help and responses and offering to return/refund my cover. I am sorry that some are frustrated with me and my posts and that they could be interpreted as "harsh", "bashing" or "attacks." I am not sure what else *I* can do other than not post here and discontinue being an Oberon customer. 

I apologize to the members here and Oberon for any frustration or stress I have caused in my observations of Oberon products and my subsequent posts.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

No need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. People are allowed to post when they are frustrated or unhappy. You have not done anything to deserve the response that you have gotten on the boards.


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## AshMP (Dec 30, 2009)

NYCKindleFan said:


> The question is where does it end? Say they sent her a third cover and she didn't find it acceptable due to whatever. Should they send her a 4th? And if she decides that one isn't quite right either? Is Oberon expected to keep sending her covers until she finds one she deems acceptable? I'm sorry but while I agree a company should be willing to "work with a customer" there is only so much you can expect. Oberon tried to make it right. They sent a second cover after she complained about the first and she complained about that one too. The probably thought returning all her money was the right thing to do since she seemed impossible to satisfy.
> 
> I also wonder about the tone of the emails the people who had issues sent. I can tell you that CS reps are much more likely to go out of their way to help people who are polite and respectful, even when they have an issue. It's never okay to be nasty to a CS person.


Oberon wouldn't have HAD to send her umpteen covers had they simply thought to _ask_ her what an ideal resolution would be. She has said, so I'm not speaking for her, that all she wanted was the strap tightened on her original cover. Okay, so that wasn't so time consuming nor was it to terribly difficult, and better yet, no one would have been put out. And, on a side, a happy customer would walked away from the experience feeling that Oberon came up with an "out-of-the-box" resolution that made her feel heard and valuable. *MichelleR* really hit home with her reply in so much as going above and beyond for someone who has a reasonable, validated problem. It's not about playing into drama or getting into an endless back-and-forth, it's just, I don't know, good customer service. She's not a picking a fight for no reason here, there was a clear problem. Period.

Okay, so you're right, I don't know what was said in those e-mails...for all I know she threw a cyber temper tantrum. But to be fair, you don't know either. So we can speculate all day if we want, but we'll be no closer to the truth. I will say, because I can with certainty, that I have purchased a Kindle cover from this lady before off this board and she was very nice and pretty simple to work with. She certainly didn't strike me as the type to get up in arms over a problem and she was a good communicator via e-mail about a purchase. So, knowing what I know, I don't think she called the CS rep "names" or really crossed any lines.

We wax poetic about getting more flies with honey than with vinegar all day, but I doubt there is one among who hasn't that "Jeez, just fix it" moment with a CS rep. I'm sure most of us, after an ongoing problem, has verbally explained their frustration in less than jovial tones. If that's a crime, then I'm guilty as charged. I've always felt, and will continue to feel, that that is their job, and that is what they are paid to work with. We can all say it's not okay for a consumer to be rude to a CS rep...but is it okay for a CS rep to be rude to a customer? I'm sure everyone among us has felt that frustration. And this we've seen.


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## Yossarian (Jun 8, 2010)

Italiahaircolor said:


> ...but is it okay for a CS rep to be rude to a customer?


This is the issue for me.

I've owned a total of seven Oberon products. I've been very pleased with all of them, have recommended them to friends and family, and had plans to buy (many) more.

However, now I'm not sure whether I really want my money to go to a company whose OWNER would post, calling out customers who voiced legitimate concerns and using terms like "attacking," "vitriol," "excessive drama," and "harsh."

I expected better from Oberon's owner.

Although I've never had any problems with my covers, I'm not sure I want to buy more, knowing that if there is a problem, this is the treatment I could receive.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Stepping aside from the specific case, the tone of emails and posts is what has been my main problem when dealing with Oberon. And the letter at the start of this topic is a perfect example of this. Someone, probably a group of people, at Oberon honestly thought that posting that type of letter would help. Probably not help the specific situation but help to repair the damage done by, using their words, "the vitriol" and "all the harsh commentary." 

I don't care what the posters said or that there are a few (and they are a few people) who are on the war path because of the use of cardboard stiffeners. I would never advise someone to post that letter. And that is the problem. There was not a strong enough voice, if there was any voice, to say "This is bad PR and this is why." 

I would have suggested something that explains why the stiffeners where changed, apologize for not letting people know about the change on the website so that they would be informed, and let people know that they will do a better job advertising material changes in the future. That would have been met with some disgrunteled posts from the few haters and most people going "Cool, thanks, no problem."

If I felt like I had to post to address the topic on dye inconsistancies I would have reread that topic and very quickly figured out that 1) it started off pretty positive 2) it took a turn for the worse when we sent an email that didn't address the customers complaints but that defended the use of what the customer deemed poor quality leather. Even then, there was only one poster (not kuklachica) that was very antagonistic to Oberon. Overall, I thought that the tone there was frustrated, a bit unhappy, but pretty civil. I probably would not have tried to address that issue in a public post or if I did I would have found a away to make it clear that we understood why the customer was unhappy and that we were sorry for that. Heck, even tossing in a "Checking the straps by inserting a Kindle or Nook is a great idea and we will begin doing that" would have won them some brownie points.

It is one thing to complain and vent in the office. It is another thing to start a topic that is essentially whining about the fact that a very few folks are voicing that they are unhappy with changes made by Oberon and the problems surrounding one cover.  

And I have a sneaking suspicion that all that I just typed will be ignored.

As for the specific case: kuklachica has said that they offered to fix the strap. I went back and read the original topic and the suggestion to ask about fixing the strap came on April 9th. She did have a choice between the two and went with the new cover because she thought it would fix the problem and her husband would have a protected Kindle for a week. The second cover was problematic and it sounds like that is when the tension levels rose. Oberon probably felt like they had made their best effort to fix the problem and that the second case met their standards. kuklachica was dissapointed that the dye was inconsistent and that a different plate was used and that the strap in the replacement was still loose, although better then the first cover. Two frustrated parties talking to one another is normally problematic. 

Oberons problem is that they are the company and that they need to learn how to handle these things better. They offered a refund but maybe they could have offered once again to fix the one strap or a refund.


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## AshMP (Dec 30, 2009)

Yossarian said:


> This is the issue for me.
> 
> I've owned a total of seven Oberon products. I've been very pleased with all of them, have recommended them to friends and family, and had plans to buy (many) more.
> 
> ...


I think that is essentially the vibe many of us are walking away with. It's unfortunate.

A $70.00 cover is a luxury, that can't be overlooked. Anyone can buy a cover that will protect the Kindle all the same for $10.00 on eBay. Consumers are making a huge $60.00 choice when they buy a Oberon. A lot of people, I take from reading the boards, like that family run, locally owned feel that this company exudes. It comes off as very grassroots, and people buy into that. Ergo they have an expectation with that goes beyond the tactile product itself. They hope when spending their money with Oberon they get the full experience of a small company that has the opportunity to place value on each buyer. I'm sure larger companies, like Amazon or M-Edge, sell 5,000 covers per week, their product is everywhere from Best Buy to Target and splashed all over the internet can't possibly manage the same.

I think what is so boggling is that, from outside looking in, it's a fairly simple fix. The 2nd cover wasn't remotely the same as the 1st and isn't something they would have ordered with knowledge of that, so work backwards. Box up both covers, send them back at the buyers expense...Oberon fixes the strap on the 1st cover and pays to ship it back to the buyer. Done is done. Literally, in the amount of time we've been discussing this it could have been totally a moot point.


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

Italiahaircolor said:


> I understand what you're saying...and to some extent you're correct in so much as some people are probably more frequently vocal than others in their discontent with the company and what not. But the same could be said for other brands as well.


Perhaps I wasn't clear with my words. Sometimes I have difficulty with that. The primary point I was trying to make is that, out of the strongest voices on this board (and now in this thread,) who are posting the negative comments about Oberon's customer service and quality of product, at least 3 5 of them have clearly stated that they _have not had any problems with them_.

Another of them, who has had an isssue was offered a full refund on numerous occasions, which she has stated, but continues not only to complain, but to place repeat orders with them. ONE such incident, which IIRC, was a problem with the POSTAL service, generated 10 or more posts across 2-3 threads. In that particular incident, apparently the solution in her mind, was for Oberon to grovel with apologies for USPS' mistake. They made the "mistake" of not being a mindreader, instead offering a very businesslike refund/replacement. Oh my, what TERRIBLE customer service.

One critic seems to have a hair up about a PM from someone who doesn't even work for Oberon. Since she has written about this "incident" all over the board, it's probably safe to assume that she also did similar to the poor KB'er in question, and had to be told to leave off in very direct terms. And once again, the irony is that she ALSO has an Oberon product she is satisfied with, but persists in posting negatively toward the company. Curiouser and curiouser.

THAT is really what I was referring to with the 1 product/1 review statement - as well as pointing out that several of the most offended and vocal posters have NOT had troubles with Oberon, beyond what they have stirred up here, and are happy with their "perfect" Oberons.

Regarding the strap issue, I don't know about anybody else, but mine can be very tight, or very loose with up to 1/4" of slack, depending on how they are positioned, whether I pull them down all the way, or push them back, and whether I leave the stiffener in the back of the cover. But again, the person with the supposedly loose strap didn't like the replacement, and didn't want the refund that was offered. So, where, exactly, was this bad customer service? I'm confused.



> There are posters who hate Noreve customer service, communication, and policies and post freely about that without 1/100th of the backlash.


Perhaps because the posters writing about Noreve are posting actual negative experiences they have had with an actual product they have purchased, instead of posting dozens of posts about a theoretical experience they could have if they theoretically were to make a (or another) purchase?

Perhaps the biggest problem is that Oberon has felt that they should provide an explanation - telling inquirers about the dye plates, and type of leather they use, and the stamping process, why the switch to a different stiffener - instead of like Noreve, just saying "oh growing pains lol." Perhaps this whole thing wouldn't have gotten out of control had they just repeated over and over: "no we're not changing sorry," instead of trying to explain their business decisions.


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## maries (Dec 29, 2010)

ProfCrash said:


> Stepping aside from the specific case, the tone of emails and posts is what has been my main problem when dealing with Oberon. And the letter at the start of this topic is a perfect example of this. Someone, probably a group of people, at Oberon honestly thought that posting that type of letter would help. Probably not help the specific situation but help to repair the damage done by, using their words, "the vitriol" and "all the harsh commentary."
> 
> I don't care what the posters said or that there are a few (and they are a few people) who are on the war path because of the use of cardboard stiffeners. I would never advise someone to post that letter. And that is the problem. There was not a strong enough voice, if there was any voice, to say "This is bad PR and this is why."
> 
> ...


Your words are not ignored. I let my husband read the "letter" without knowing the history of the events leading up to this and he just said "Wow! Did he really want to say that to customers?". I would hope any company had very few unhappy customers but my impression reading the "letter" was that these few have no valid reason to be unhappy so ignore them and go to Facebook and see all the happy, satisfied customers. I have 34 customer service reps reporting to me and I get to deal with the customers they can't deal with. Our goal is to turn that situation around so the customer interaction ends with either helping the customer or helping them understand why we can't. All our calls are recorded and I often need to listen to these when an issue arises. At times the customer is saying something and I have no idea how they heard that based on what I heard. I still need to tactfully explain this without telling them they should get their hearing checked or something.


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## kuklachica (Dec 26, 2010)

StaceyHH said:


> Another of them, who has had an isssue was offered a full refund on numerous occasions, which she has stated, but continues not only to complain, but to place repeat orders with them. ONE such incident, which IIRC, was a problem with the POSTAL service, generated 10 or more posts across 2-3 threads. In that particular incident, apparently the solution in her mind, was for Oberon to grovel with apologies for USPS' mistake. They made the "mistake" of not being a mindreader, instead offering a very businesslike refund/replacement. Oh my, what TERRIBLE customer service.
> e person with the supposedly loose strap didn't like the replacement, and didn't want the refund that was offered. So, where, exactly, was this bad customer service? I'm confused.


WHY is this being brought up again when it has been taken care of? There were communication glitches between Oberon being short-staffed and me not expressing my original concern clearly enough, AND THESE HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. Oberon did not understand my question regarding packaging, and I explained it in a follow up email and received an explanation. Period. Done. Why is this still being brought up? This is absolutely ridiculous.

For clarification in this point, I can post my emails, my concerns with the communication glitches, and the follow through.

Please see my posts and explanations here http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,51537.0.html . These past few months have been my first months with a Kindle so there are bound to be questions and experiences to share and receive feedback on. That is the nature of forums and new people to new products.

Why are all of my old threads being dragged up? Why aren't my successful sales being brought up (as ItalianHairColor did)? Or my thread regarding excellent service from DecalGirl, etc.? Can we please stop?


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## AshMP (Dec 30, 2009)

*StacyHH* it's my experience that when people have a problem with something that remains unresolved to their personal satisfaction it tends to rear up again and again. Perhaps that is why the poster you're referring to with their various issues continues to replay them in thread after thread? I could be wrong, just a guess. Actually, I've never read anything and don't know who you're referring too. So, it's really, really a guess .

In my experience as a buyer, when I'm ordering something it's generally because I really want it. I'm not exactly loose and fast with my money, so I've put time into considering my purchase and I'm excited about what I'm buying. And, this is said with the caveat that this is pertaining to me, a refund isn't always the fool-proof answer when something isn't right. I want _product X_ but I want it to _be right_. That mentality wouldn't work for me and I wouldn't consider throwing my money back at me good CS. So, with that said, I can totally understand how others don't feel, despite being offered a full refund, satisfied. As a matter of fact, when my K3 was acting crazy, the CS _did_ offer me a full refund after I'd had maybe 3 replacements and I refused, and told him we're going to continue working towards figuring this out--and eventually we did, the case I used had hinges and the rest is history. If I just gone along with the suggestion of the CS rep, I wouldn't have a Kindle anymore and that wouldn't have made me happy.

Again, this is simply my thoughts on the matter, as you pointed out, there are people who have "perfect" Oberons and are still upset with the company and speak out against their practices and policy. I believe that it's more in terms of the companies public relations that put them off as opposed to the product in and of itself. If you think of it in terms of going to a really nice restaurant that has been pumped and reviewed and praised and having a delicious meal, but the waitstaff is awful. The ambiance is part of the experience, and a bad waiter can play a big part in turning you off. Doesn't mean you'll never go there to eat again, if you like the food that's a big decision-maker, but you just know that the service could possibly be lackluster.

As far as Noreve is concerned, I actually think they handled the issues they came across very nicely. It wasn't dramatic, they just simply laid it out and played it straight...."here is why we've had the problems we've had and here is how we're handling them." They didn't transfer the blame, they didn't make an ordeal out it...they came from a place of understanding and honesty...and guess what, I ordered a Noreve yesterday despite, or rather, because of it. I didn't need Noreve to let me in on the inner workings of their business, and I would never expect them too...I did however need to know that the issues were being addressed and proactively worked on. Once I knew that was the case, I was sold.

At the end of the day, I think it's far less important _what_ someone say as opposed to _how_ they say it. Verbiage is a huge part of how a message is received, it can put someone on the defensive or totally negate the issue. This goes double when we're talking about digital dialog.


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## maries (Dec 29, 2010)

Italiahaircolor said:


> At the end of the day, I think it's far less important _what_ someone say as opposed to _how_ they say it. Verbiage is a huge part of how a message is received, it can put someone on the defensive or totally negate the issue. This goes double when we're talking about digital dialog.


Agree and would like to add that actions can speak louder than words.


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

maries said:


> Agree and would like to add that actions can speak louder than words.


lol


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## Feylamia (Mar 21, 2011)

StaceyHH said:


> One critic seems to have a hair up about a PM from someone who doesn't even work for Oberon. Since she has written about this "incident" all over the board, it's probably safe to assume that she also did similar to the poor KB'er in question, and had to be told to leave off in very direct terms. And once again, the irony is that she ALSO has an Oberon product she is satisfied with, but persists in posting negatively toward the company. Curiouser and curiouser.


As I think you're referring to me, I'd like to clarify: I've had more than one PM from this member but when she repeatedly refused to properly read what I wrote and did not manage to be polite but instead started swearing at me I put her on my ignore list so she wouldn't clog up my inbox any more.
I don't own an Oberon cover yet, I bought one but it won't get here before next week.  I am sure I will love the cover, craftsmanshipwise, but that doesn't change that I feel that Oberon could handle CS issues much better than they have. Those are two entirely different matters to me. 



Italiahaircolor said:


> At the end of the day, I think it's far less important _what_ someone say as opposed to _how_ they say it. Verbiage is a huge part of how a message is received, it can put someone on the defensive or totally negate the issue. This goes double when we're talking about digital dialog.


I agree.


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## kuklachica (Dec 26, 2010)

Here is my original letter to Oberon about the exchange we received. This is to clarify the tone I took in my email and in response to questions about what the original email sounded like.

_Dear Becca,

I am following up on the return of my husband's Singing Wolf cover. You offered an exchange due to a loose strap on the right-hand corner of his original cover. We received the new cover today. We will be sending back the NEW cover that we received today due to poor quality of the dye job and a different design on the cover when compared to the original.

Reasons for keeping the original cover and returning the new cover:

1. The design is different. The borders of the designs are drastically different sizes and there are different number of stars and not in the same positions. I have included a comparison of the two.

2. The dye job on the replacement is very uneven in the light and dark areas. There are STREAKS of light areas on the front and a bubble-like appearance on the back. I understand there will always be some variance in color in each cover, but this seem to be a bit more than a small variance.

3. The strap is still very loose. It is moderately tighter than the original cover, but still much too loose for the device. My husband would prefer the original cover with the loose strap due to the above mentioned problems.

Please see the attached photos for the differences in the two covers. The original order is on the RIGHT (which we are keeping) and the exchange cover is on the right.

Thank you again for your offer to exchange the covers- I appreciate it. However, I am very disappointed with the uneven quality of the two covers and will keep the less defective one.

I know this item is not up to Oberon's quality standards but I appreciate the offer to exchange the original item. We will include the bungees and charm that came with the exchange cover.

Thank you again,_


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Folks, we're done here.

Betsy
Accessories Moderator


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