Pathetic Service From CWC Online

[eddy]

Let me explain. 

 My anger was reasonable considering the fact that I didn't get what they promised. 

 

 

That is not the appropriate emotion to default to if you don't get your way and neither is it reasonable.

 

Maybe you should consider an anger management intervention. It will make you a much happier person. 

[Spoke101]

There are people here comparing a marketing campaign to web hosting. Like seriously?

Cloud2m seems to be the host while RW is the designer.

 

Let's assume that I was wrong in my approach. There are still 2 things CWC should work on:

 

1. Never ever tell a customer to go shop somewhere else

 

2. Don't use reseller or shared website hosting if you market your site to be the best online cycle shop in SA. Cloud2m is basically a reseller using Hetzner servers. How many other websites are using the same resources as CWC? They should get their own server if they wish to do a big sale,so that they would be able to handle the traffic.

 

It's statements like the above, that got you the response to shop elsewhere and inadvertently brought you here.

[allez]

Its not always the servers that causes the problems with online transactions. It depends on various factors... the website 'source code' or the framework as well. Some of these can be resources intensive, or not coded to suit an online shop doing multi transactions at a time. Remember what happens to Computicket everytime there is a big rush for tickets? Or even the CTCT a few years back. Sometimes you must also scale your website to accomodate more transactions.

[nonky]

Yoh, the weekend is getting closer...IS IT FRIDAY ALREADY?

[FCH]

I couldn't care less which retailer the OP was talking about. I personally dont know anyone working there or buy anything from them. So zero skin in this game.

 

 

as for the OP, he didn't get an instant response (ironic the OP knew to run here to vent but probably ignorant of cwc saying repeatedly their system is shot due to the traffic on the day on this self same Hub) then you throw a 'vloer moer" about posting bad reviews and your system sucks and then expect people to come dry your eyes for you..... 

Would have told him to jog on as well.

 And yes I do actually own my own business. And have decided to NOT deal with certain people, especially the self entitled one's. 

 

Yes they need to actually change their online platform to cope with this self inflicted rampage; 

Yes, Chris jnr could probably have got his chill on and said; sorry chom, you are very special, you are a client.... yadda yadda yadda. Also sure he has been awake on the phone, on email for 3 days straight by then. 

No, some clients are simply not worth your energy.

 

 

 

 

 

Does CWC enjoy above average defense from the Hub: Yes.
Have they earned this through many years of mostly good service: Yes.
Should they always get defended like they do: Maybe not.

Is this relevant in this specific case: Probably not.

[FCH]

I actually agree with you on the below.

My advice to SA retailers online or otherwise is:

If you want to enjoy the benefits of running a Black Friday campaign, ensure that your infrastructure, be it IT, Stock, Suppliers and Staff are ready.

If the increased sales volumes does create a point of failure somewhere in your business, you need to anticipate frustrated customers and show extra patience during the campaign, after all it's not the clients fault that something failed.

Will there be unreasonable clients, yes, just like every other day. Deal with them appropriately don't give them more ammo.

['Dale]

The truth is that many customers felt anguished, worried about their tranasactions, frustrated, and definitely inconvenienced.

 

The OP is just the tip of the iceberg.

Yeah, he was gatvol. And impatient.

Refer back to my 1st paragraph.

[Odinson]

Don't blame them. Saying anything nasty about CWC is effectively committing Hubicide!

I prefer the term 'Hubakiri'.

[stefmeister]

The truth is that many customers felt anguished, worried about their tranasactions, frustrated, and definitely inconvenienced.

 

The OP is just the tip of the iceberg.

Yeah, he was gatvol. And impatient.

Refer back to my 1st paragraph.

This,

people go apeshit over saving a buck on buying stuff they could've lived without.

[scotty]

Not CWC but still cycling related. a thumbs up for Cyclone sportswear who's contact us function I found actually works. Had an issue, contacted them, they replied swiftly and resolved it without having to do follow up calls and listening to excuses and promises that are not met.   

[eddy]

 

 

These servers are not suitable for an online store with so much of traffic.

 

That explains the crashing.

 

 

 

A typical techie response to a business problem.

 

There are industries and businesses that cannot afford for their technology to fail, ever. A small, on-line specialist niche retailer in South Africa is not one of them.

 

I know. I have had > ZAR 1bn budgets to ensure that no matter what,   the IT systems operated without degradation and without interruption. The cost of fully redundant, fully fault resistant systems is astronomical and well beyond what is needed by most.

 

So, at some point a BUSINESS decision is taken balancing the operational (and reputational) risk against the cost. That determines the trade-offs that must be made. Scalability is one such trade-off. Do you build and scale the operation (not just the tech) for the one-off Black Friday sales and have 85% of your investment sit idle for the other 364 days of the year, or do you invest to run your business profitably and deal with the inevitable fall-out when you have last Friday's volumes?

 

I know everybody with some IT knowledge could promise them the a solution that will handle the black Friday volumes. I know that nobody could do so without pushing up their cost which needs to be passed on to the consumer.

 

I am sure most (reasonable) people (without anger management issues) would rather have consistently lower prices than a seamless transaction once a year.

 

ps. I feel zip for CWC. I have only used the on-line store once and it was OK. This is a general comment.

[Formallyknownas]

Yoh, the weekend is getting closer...IS IT FRIDAY ALREADY?

It's December dude. *** gaan spat

[FCH]

aiming for a 5 day thread...... not since someone said Spaz sucks did we pull that feat off.

It's December dude. *** gaan spat

[Kranswurm]

Not CWC but still cycling related. a thumbs up for Cyclone sportswear who's contact us function I found actually works. Had an issue, contacted them, they replied swiftly and resolved it without having to do follow up calls and listening to excuses and promises that are not met.   

Jannie....

[Patchelicious]

A typical techie response to a business problem.

 

There are industries and businesses that cannot afford for their technology to fail, ever. A small, on-line specialist niche retailer in South Africa is not one of them.

 

I know. I have had > ZAR 1bn budgets to ensure that no matter what, the IT systems operated without degradation and without interruption. The cost of fully redundant, fully fault resistant systems is astronomical and well beyond what is needed by most.

 

So, at some point a BUSINESS decision is taken balancing the operational (and reputational) risk against the cost. That determines the trade-offs that must be made. Scalability is one such trade-off. Do you build and scale the operation (not just the tech) for the one-off Black Friday sales and have 85% of your investment sit idle for the other 364 days of the year, or do you invest to run your business profitably and deal with the inevitable fall-out when you have last Friday's volumes?

 

I know everybody with some IT knowledge could promise them the a solution that will handle the black Friday volumes. I know that nobody could do so without pushing up their cost which needs to be passed on to the consumer.

 

I am sure most (reasonable) people (without anger management issues) would rather have consistently lower prices than a seamless transaction once a year.

 

ps. I feel zip for CWC. I have only used the on-line store once and it was OK. This is a general comment.

 

Typical CIO response

 

Sounds like your interview on the radio recently, very valid points.

[Paul Ruinaard]

A typical techie response to a business problem.

 

There are industries and businesses that cannot afford for their technology to fail, ever. A small, on-line specialist niche retailer in South Africa is not one of them.

 

I know. I have had > ZAR 1bn budgets to ensure that no matter what,   the IT systems operated without degradation and without interruption. The cost of fully redundant, fully fault resistant systems is astronomical and well beyond what is needed by most.

 

So, at some point a BUSINESS decision is taken balancing the operational (and reputational) risk against the cost. That determines the trade-offs that must be made. Scalability is one such trade-off. Do you build and scale the operation (not just the tech) for the one-off Black Friday sales and have 85% of your investment sit idle for the other 364 days of the year, or do you invest to run your business profitably and deal with the inevitable fall-out when you have last Friday's volumes?

 

I know everybody with some IT knowledge could promise them the a solution that will handle the black Friday volumes. I know that nobody could do so without pushing up their cost which needs to be passed on to the consumer.

 

I am sure most (reasonable) people (without anger management issues) would rather have consistently lower prices than a seamless transaction once a year.

 

ps. I feel zip for CWC. I have only used the on-line store once and it was OK. This is a general comment.

Hence the cloud for load balancing you peaks and bursts (Flame Suit on and totally OT).