[MUD-Dev] Criminalize Community Volunteers?

[Madrona Tree]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Rickey" <daver at mythicgames.com>
To: <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2000 7:20 AM
Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] Criminalize Community Volunteers?


>     There was a *lot* of resistance to the notion of giving the
> volunteers any powers at all, I had some serious shouting
> matches arguing for it when I was with Verant, and I'm
> sure there were a few at OSI.  The trump card was that
> without powers like the ability to /zone and /summon, they
> couldn't do anything to help people.

I think that Guides would be able to help people without /zone and /summon.
I also think that the functions that Guides perform with /zone and /summon
should be performed by a paid employee of the Company.


> What you seem to be saying is that it's okay to have
> volunteers, as long as we never empower them to actually
> help anyone.

What I am saying is that I think that the Company should support and
encourage peer support, both in and out of game.  I'd make sure that my game
had a rec.games.computer. newsgroup.  I'd make sure my game had official
message boards.  I'd also make sure that my game had things like /t, /who
guide all, Magic Mail (an in-game email system), and perhaps in-game message
boards.  I'd make sure that I set aside a building for a Visitor's Bureau in
every town, and let the players man it.


>     Paid CS positions for these games draw two types of people: Those
> that are looking at it as a way to get into the games business, an entry-
> level "pay your dues" kind of job (like Testing has always been for
> single-player), and those that if they weren't working there would be
> asking "Do you want fries with that?"  Increase the total number of
> positions, you aren't going to be getting any more of the first category.
> Increasing the number of paid CS staff is not going to automatically
> improve CS.  And because those "above and beyond" types can no
> longer be allowed to volunteer extra time, it will probably reduce it.

If they really are that good, the Above & Beyond people probably ought to be
hired.  And not at minimum wage.

It's a spiraling phenomenon, I think.  People think that if they get pissy
with the CS rep from the start, they won't give the Company any way to screw
them out of what they are due.  In return, the CS reps have to deal with
grumpy people all day long, and they don't get paid very much (why is that,
anyway?), therefore they don't want to do their job, which leads to a high
turnover rate, which leads to low morale for the oldbies & not enough
training for the newbies, which leads to poor customer service, which leads
to people getting pissy with the CS rep . . . and so on and so forth.

Customer Service positions ought to be paid well.  CS reps ought to be
highly valued.  To your customer, your CS rep *is* your company.

I wonder:  is the entry-level customer service deal only with the
computer/mmorpg industry, or is it everywhere?


Madrona Tree.



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