Challenging WebEx
An interesting situation this morning over breakfast. We had sat through a presentation in which Diane Davidson from Webex walked us through their efforts at generating a community for their customers, in order to provide a mechanism for LISTENING to them.
I was thinking ‘hmmm Webex is an enabler, a facilitator of communication (and community). Why create a community around just being the means to the end?’ and then, someone stood up and challenged the idea. It was slightly uncomfortable, but ultimately he asked questions that should have been asked. He wanted to know why Webex need a community when there’s already clear feedback channels from their customers that they appear to be ignoring.
Good question.
That said, I want to get hold of Diane’s deck - she seem to have a good ‘process’ chart for growing community that whilst it wasn’t exactly revolutionary, might help as a starting point for some of our work…
I’m pleased to hear that their ideas were being challenged, it’s far too easy for people to nod and agree at a conference, and then it becomes accepted wisdom. Not cool. How did she respond?
She offered to take it offline :)
Check this:http://blog.perfectspace.com/2007/03/13/conflict-in-community-20/
…for another view of this…
I agree - it certainly livened up breakfast…it’s nice to have some honesty over your cornflakes…
Actually, as I recall, I said that I would both answer his questions there and that I would also like to speak with him offline. This was a very challenging moment for me. I am passionate about establishing a WebEx Community. I also recognize that WebEx has issues, like most other companies. (Several other folks apprached me throughout the day with various experiences and also with reactions to the ‘conversation.’ )So because we have issues, does that mean that we are not ‘entitled’ to have a community or seek to deepen our conversations with our customers, and to pursue additional channels to do that? I appreciate the individual’s frustration and right to raise his issues - and I will seek to get him responses. But I have no intention of waiting until all of our problems are resolved - that would be forever. I guess I am hopeful that our infant community will be a positive catalyst for change. Isn’t that a lot of what community is about?
Diane - thanks for your response. I can empathize with you - and I do understand both your desire to get closer to your customers and the need to build momentum in your organization (it’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is permission, right?) - but I would be wary of assuming that your customers will want to participate in your community solely because *you* think it’s a good idea (I may have read you wrong on this point).
If I were in your position, I would be running a deep research programme to throw out all the pain points, and test the waters with your customer base. You might even then involve some of your customers in the design process to build advocacy…at least then you’ll understand your users and customers a little better?
spoken like a true Experience designer.
I agree fully with Stephen’s points and I also agree with Dianne’s sentiment. There are lots of great examples where passionate users, super users or experts even, have been key to resolving service design or product offering issues.
Best one I can think of is Lego Mindstorms right now.
WEBEX looked great at first. But it didn’t work well once crashing my customer’s browser. I canceled in May and the keep sending me bills. In fact it seems as if they won;’t let me cancel the service. Try gotomeeting — much better in terms of the way it works and user interface.