Sometimes when I read the posts in "Gripes and

[ltd-jean-pull]

Grumbles" I am surprised at the carry on and tantrums. Prresumably the posters are all grown adults.

[MoberlyDrake]

I think people have the right to expect a certain level of competence and of customer service when dealing with a legitimate business. I can understand the complaints. The thing I don't understand is why FTDNA doesn't make the necessary changes to avoid angry and complaining customers.

I'm not talking about the wait time for the tests. There's only so much they can do about that without compromising quality. Most of the complaints however seem to be about IT issues and customer service issues rather than about the lab.

It's just plain detrimental to their own business! And why do they want that? I want FTDNA to stay in business and grow because I have so purchased so many kits for family members. But to me, it always looks like they are trying to destroy themselves and they care nothing at all about their future or their image. Why???

Why did they implement free transfers when they obviously weren't prepared to handle them? Why didn't they wait a few more months and make sure they had all the bugs out of the system first? Then they wouldn't have the complaints and wouldn't have created such a negative experience for people who found out about transferring and who had perhaps never heard of FTDNA before.

Those of us who have been repeat customers for many years are used to all the waiting and the fact that the IT department makes a big mess every time they try to introduce a new feature. They usually straighten it out eventually. But new customers are not used to this way of doing business and it makes a very bad impression.

[keigh]

I think people have the right to expect a certain level of competence and of customer service when dealing with a legitimate business. I can understand the complaints. The thing I don't understand is why FTDNA doesn't make the necessary changes to avoid angry and complaining customers.



Those of us who have been repeat customers for many years are used to all the waiting and the fact that the IT department makes a big mess every time they try to introduce a new feature. They usually straighten it out eventually. But new customers are not used to this way of doing business and it makes a very bad impression.

Perhaps FTDNA is taking a leaf from Ancestry.com in how to treat customers. Many of the transfers would have been coming from Ancestry and are used to rotten customer service and too hastily added features that haven't been fully de-bugged. Recently, for example, Ancestry simply cut out the user-to-user forum service where many of us older customers tried to answer questions about Ancestry for newer people.

Ancestry was trying to set up a different type of customer help using an app phone service to connect customers with questions with "expert" customers. I'm not sure if the program ever got started. I was only one of the forum members who said "No" to being an "expert" on-call. The only information service that Ancestry has other than calling a very hard to find phone number, is pages of difficult to search articles and a selection of FAQ's.

FTDNA hasn't cut the forum here, as of yet, so perhaps they do care.

[Aniara]

What surprises me is that some complain without trying to contact FTDNA first.

[Carpathian]

I think people have the right to expect a certain level of competence and of customer service when dealing with a legitimate business. I can understand the complaints. The thing I don't understand is why FTDNA doesn't make the necessary changes to avoid angry and complaining customers.

The same applies to all the GG sites. Many people have become so used to poor service that they are either apathetic or accepting of it. Some even defend the service provider despite their deficiencies. We have forgotten how to complain effectively and persistently.

It's just plain detrimental to their own business! And why do they want that? I want FTDNA to stay in business and grow because I have so purchased so many kits for family members. But to me, it always looks like they are trying to destroy themselves and they care nothing at all about their future or their image. Why???

With all these companies, their profitability and survival comes first and the customers are there to serve them - not the other way around.

Why did they implement free transfers when they obviously weren't prepared to handle them? Why didn't they wait a few more months and make sure they had all the bugs out of the system first? Then they wouldn't have the complaints and wouldn't have created such a negative experience for people who found out about transferring and who had perhaps never heard of FTDNA before.

Those of us who have been repeat customers for many years are used to all the waiting and the fact that the IT department makes a big mess every time they try to introduce a new feature. They usually straighten it out eventually. But new customers are not used to this way of doing business and it makes a very bad impression.

To be fair, I haven't had any problems with the free transfers. Actually FTDNA is my favorite of the big three as it is the easiest to use for genealogy. Also it's hard to argue against getting a freebie. But to answer your question about rolling out a product that is full of bugs and glitches, that is the way business is conducted today in America. Once your money has been collected by the venue there isn't a compelling incentive to make things work well or promptly. Personally I think that the whole internet culture is one of expected tolerance and unlimited patience with things that don't always work. If you complain you are seen as intolerant and impatient. We have also become accustomed to cheap products that are of inferior quality, now more prevalent than in past decades. IMO it is the new normal of low expectations.

[Biblioteque]

Ancestry, at some point, is going to have a "come to Jesus" moment. People will, in droves, protest their "mickey mouse" and broken navigational tools which they thrust upon us by canceling their subscriptions.

I did!

You can call them and protest at 1-800-262-3787. You can also cancel your subscription at that number. Just trying to be helpful, so you do not have to reinvent the wheel trying to find their number.

[Carpathian]

Ancestry, at some point, is going to have a "come to Jesus" moment. People will, in droves, protest their "mickey mouse" and broken navigational tools which they thrust upon us by canceling their subscriptions.

I did!

You can call them and protest at 1-800-262-3787. You can also cancel your subscription at that number. Just trying to be helpful, so you do not have to reinvent the wheel trying to find their number.

I once had a "free" trial subscription to Ancestry. When I tried to cancel it, they wouldn't let me cancel. I had to contact my credit card provider to initiate a charge back, since they continued to bill me after my access was cutoff. Reputable businesses don't operate that way. That was my experience with Ancestry. Your results may vary.

[Biblioteque]

My primary gripe with Ancestry is the navigational tools with which we are provided in our dna accounts, and not the rest of their "operation".

They took my cancellation and gave me a number. They do not reimburse for early cancellation; they just allow you to continue using the subscription until the end of the original allotted period. Getting the cancellation number is important.