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Feb 28, 2001, 7:36pm

The subject line pretty much says it all. My credit card
company accepted it and I even have a receipt from aw, but
still now world. Any suggestions or advice? Thank you in
advance.

Feb 28, 2001, 7:41pm

[View Quote] It can take up to 48 hours to process world purchases and renewals.
--
Fletcher Anderson
Active Worlds Support
Activeworlds.com
support at activeworlds.com

Feb 28, 2001, 7:58pm

Sorry, wrong account.

F.


[View Quote]

Feb 28, 2001, 8:13pm

Dies ist eine mehrteilige Nachricht im MIME-Format.
--------------9FEEB912FF1B21663B1A15BC
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

I don't know if you hear rock music maybe you will like this LP/CD :

Ian Hunter You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic

;)

facter schrieb:
>
> Sorry, wrong account.
>
> F.
--------------9FEEB912FF1B21663B1A15BC
Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii;
name="vha.vcf"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Description: Visitenkarte für Volker Hatzenberger
Content-Disposition: attachment;
filename="vha.vcf"

begin:vcard
n:Hatzenberger;Volker
x-mozilla-html:FALSE
url:oct31.de
adr:;;Bornheimer Strasse 15;Bonn;;53111;Germany
version:2.1
email;internet:vha at oct31.de
end:vcard

--------------9FEEB912FF1B21663B1A15BC--

Feb 28, 2001, 8:21pm

You know Facter, just stick to run account, we all know who you are, no need
to change the name as apparently, it's not working for you. :) Just stick to
the run Facter run name, and whenever something is "official", just tag on a
AW Tech Support in the sig or something. :) I think this name change thing
is giving you more grey hair than you need.

Nornny

[View Quote]

Mar 1, 2001, 3:01am

[View Quote]
Lol...grey hair at 25? God I hope not =)

Good idea though...

F.

Mar 1, 2001, 10:44am

No it can take WEEKS!

I happen to host for this person so I know it's been WELL over 48
hours. I have had hosting customers who have had it literally take
weeks, even though they sent numerous reminders.

I'm thinking maybe Roland is the only one who turns worlds up, and he's
on vacation?

[View Quote] [View Quote]

Mar 1, 2001, 11:39am

[View Quote]
Actually, Flagg handles all of that - if it has taken weeks - why hasnt he
called to speak to someone ? If its a billing issue and it hasnt been
resolved, then it is taken on the phone, especially if they have been
charged and are not getting what they paid for. All sorts of things can
occur sometimes on the internet - like email not going through and such.

Call the offices if there is a genuine problem with credit card
transactions.

--
Fletcher Anderson
Active Worlds Support
Activeworlds.com
support at activeworlds.com

Mar 1, 2001, 3:30pm

[View Quote] Would you accept collect calls from overseas?

Andras

Mar 1, 2001, 4:35pm

Yah as andras points out, sometimes it's a problem with LD charges and time
zones. The case where it took weeks was someone from Italy or France. And
they sent many emails...but basically the system for world renewal is screwed
up.

In this current case, the world is Lakota. The credit card transaction went
through and it took quite a while for the world to get renewed. THIS IS NOT
UNCOMMON in my experience.



[View Quote] [View Quote]

Mar 1, 2001, 5:14pm

[View Quote]
Well, its uncommon in mine - I dont deal with that stuff, you would have to
ask Flagg. If it is done over the weekend, then there is usually a huge
amount to get through on Monday. People dont seem to realise that all this
stuff needs to be processed by hand, and at the beginning of a week it can
take up to 48 hours.
--
Fletcher Anderson
Active Worlds Support
Activeworlds.com
support at activeworlds.com

Anyways, as I said, if there is a problem, call the office, or email
billing at activeworlds.com again - every email and order is answered in the
order it comes through.

Mar 1, 2001, 5:35pm

[View Quote] that long?

assuming 1100 worlds going for a year, that's 3 a day. I don't think there
are 1100 worlds, but on the other hand some of them will renew more often
than once a year. So, on average you'll have 9 or so renewals to do on
monday. If everybody deceides to renew in the weekend, it might even be 15
or so. You surely can process 15 or so world renewals in one day, can't you?

(correct my assumptions if they are wrong)

rolu

Mar 1, 2001, 6:38pm

They're fast to take the money, slow to set up the accounts, it seems.
I bought a world last Wednesday, and it didn't come online until Monday
afternoon. I was just about to send them a nasty-gram when I got the e-mail
with the password in it :)


[View Quote]

Mar 1, 2001, 7:48pm

Seems about right, and worlds can be added/extended with a quick trip into
the universe settings (Much like world settings). Now if they're accessing
AW from a 14.4 line, then taking up to 48 hours is believable :)
[View Quote]

Mar 1, 2001, 7:54pm

> to
this
can
>
> that long?
>
> assuming 1100 worlds going for a year, that's 3 a day. I don't think there
> are 1100 worlds, but on the other hand some of them will renew more often
> than once a year. So, on average you'll have 9 or so renewals to do on
> monday. If everybody deceides to renew in the weekend, it might even be 15
> or so. You surely can process 15 or so world renewals in one day, can't
you?


Umm, you forget that we all do hundreds of different tasks per day Rolu -
there is no one that "just" processes that things all on their own - we do
every order and enquiry, world, technical support, orders, citizenship
purchases, world hosting, password problems, universe orders, renewals,
universe hosting, universe setups - *as they come in*, there is no
preferential treatment , we take email enquiries as they come in, unless the
situation is very important, or the customer has a valid complaint, then
something might be prioritised - this is common support and billing practice
throughout the modern world. I know for a fact Tom gets hundreds of emails a
day (as I myself do) - and standard company customer support, for almost any
company you see online, is 24-48 hours. Would you like it, if you sent an
email yesterday, and then I started answering the tech support emails that I
just got in five minutes before yours ? We do *many* different things here -
I do wish that you guys could understand the sheer number of daily tasks we
have - and that there is a limited number of people actually working here.
We do not have preferential treatment of those things - we treat all email
enquiries equally, renewals are on task out of hundreds of emails that come
in daily - thus, the standard (standard for most companies) turn around time
for support and billing email.

Why are you not commenting on the thousands of other companies for who this
kind of thing is common practice? It is not abnormal, it is not even
strange - when you order something online, it can take up to 48 hours to
process, from anywhere. In the case of "a few weeks", well, thats totally
unacceptable, and if that kind of thing ever occurs I do assure you it is
taken with all seriousness, but, those things do actually occur sometimes,
due to things like emails not going through and such - the internet is not
completely perfect.

Please remember, that there are so many tasks to do in one day, and only a
finite number of things that can be done in that day by two people - me on
support, and Flagg on billing etc. Two people, handling literally thousands
of things per day..no, I think we do very, very well in our jobs.

I believe that our support is a heck of alot better than alot of other
service providers you find on the internet, and I also believe that that is
all I have left to say on this thread.

Take care

--
Fletcher Anderson
Active Worlds Support
Activeworlds.com
support at activeworlds.com

Mar 1, 2001, 8:22pm

Facter wrote
> Actually, Flagg handles all of that - if it has taken weeks - why hasnt he
> called to speak to someone ?

Calling is not practical when you live outside the USA and as an employee of
an web based company you ought to be aware of that.


If its a billing issue and it hasnt been resolved, then it is taken on the
phone, especially if they have been charged and are not getting what they
paid for. All sorts of things can occur sometimes on the internet - like
email not going through and such.
>
> Call the offices if there is a genuine problem with credit card
transactions.

Can we reverse charge the calls??
>
> --
> Fletcher Anderson
> Active Worlds Support
> Activeworlds.com
> support at activeworlds.com
>
>

Mar 1, 2001, 11:22pm

I don't think the gripe is with the people doing so much work, but with the
company that doesn't hire enough people and/or put better procedures in place.
:)

Hell you could just write a backend for the web stuff that automatically turns
on the worlds, or at least adds them to a batch for periodic update.

And if I order something online, I get an instant reply, or I am not apt to go
back for anything else! Heck when I order something from Tech Data at 4:30,
it's on the dock waiting for UPS pickup at 4:45. There are plenty of
disorganized companies out there but people don't like doing business with them.

[View Quote] > this
> can
> you?
>
> Umm, you forget that we all do hundreds of different tasks per day Rolu -
> there is no one that "just" processes that things all on their own - we do
> every order and enquiry, world, technical support, orders, citizenship
> purchases, world hosting, password problems, universe orders, renewals,
> universe hosting, universe setups - *as they come in*, there is no
> preferential treatment , we take email enquiries as they come in, unless the
> situation is very important, or the customer has a valid complaint, then
> something might be prioritised - this is common support and billing practice
> throughout the modern world. I know for a fact Tom gets hundreds of emails a
> day (as I myself do) - and standard company customer support, for almost any
> company you see online, is 24-48 hours. Would you like it, if you sent an
> email yesterday, and then I started answering the tech support emails that I
> just got in five minutes before yours ? We do *many* different things here -
> I do wish that you guys could understand the sheer number of daily tasks we
> have - and that there is a limited number of people actually working here.
> We do not have preferential treatment of those things - we treat all email
> enquiries equally, renewals are on task out of hundreds of emails that come
> in daily - thus, the standard (standard for most companies) turn around time
> for support and billing email.
>
> Why are you not commenting on the thousands of other companies for who this
> kind of thing is common practice? It is not abnormal, it is not even
> strange - when you order something online, it can take up to 48 hours to
> process, from anywhere. In the case of "a few weeks", well, thats totally
> unacceptable, and if that kind of thing ever occurs I do assure you it is
> taken with all seriousness, but, those things do actually occur sometimes,
> due to things like emails not going through and such - the internet is not
> completely perfect.
>
> Please remember, that there are so many tasks to do in one day, and only a
> finite number of things that can be done in that day by two people - me on
> support, and Flagg on billing etc. Two people, handling literally thousands
> of things per day..no, I think we do very, very well in our jobs.
>
> I believe that our support is a heck of alot better than alot of other
> service providers you find on the internet, and I also believe that that is
> all I have left to say on this thread.
>
> Take care
>
> --
> Fletcher Anderson
> Active Worlds Support
> Activeworlds.com
> support at activeworlds.com

Mar 1, 2001, 11:48pm

I agree completely, AWCI is using a complex workaround for writing a simple
piece of software. When I order computer parts, an invoice is emailed from
each vendor within SECONDS, on loading dock within 1-2 hours, and anywhere
between the time that confirmation email arrives, I can change my order
instantly. And the hardware arrives within a day or two and is in use that
same day. Of course, if the delivery guy doesnt follow instructions, it can
sit on the side porch for a couple weeks, but that isn't really part of the
equation (IDIOTS CANT READ THE SIGN)
[View Quote]

Mar 2, 2001, 2:33am

[View Quote]
Trust me man, we *are* trying to implement better ways of doing this stuff.
Havnt you noticed the stuff we implemented with trial worlds already ?
Probably not - sign up for a trial world, it gets created, built and started
within ten seconds of the request. You can request, then go log straight
into your trial world.

We are trying to do more of these automated kinds of things, they are just
taking time to roll out - but, they are coming. The new world server really
helps.

Facter.

Mar 2, 2001, 3:02am

Sounds neat, now you just need to reset the trial world limit to 1/year. :P

-Myrth

[View Quote]

Mar 2, 2001, 9:15am

[View Quote] Hey, I know you have a lot of things to do. However, since every job coming
in needs to be done eventually, you will have to process them faster than
they come in, or they will pile up. If you work slower (or not) at some
times (weekend), you'll get a temporary pile. And if the temporary pile of
the weekend requires up to 48 hours to be done, you are in serious need of
more people.

The standard for customer support is to reply within about 24 hours (except
for in the weekend of course). The standard for buying something is to reply
instantaneously, since this can be largely automated.

The processing of standard things - buying games online, buying worlds
online, whatever you want - only takes long in understaffed underautomated
companies. This does NOT mean the current staff is incompetent. If someone
buys a world it should be up and running within a minute, 24h a day, 7 days
a week, if hosted on one of your servers. Or if the customer wants to host
it himself, he should have the password data mailed immediately, and be able
to make it run within 5 mins or so anyway. Simply because the complete
process can be automated. And if it's automated, you don't have to do it
anymore, freeing more time for tasks that do need human interaction - such
as tech support.

rolu

Mar 2, 2001, 12:30pm

>
> The processing of standard things - buying games online, buying worlds
> online, whatever you want - only takes long in understaffed underautomated
> companies. This does NOT mean the current staff is incompetent. If someone
> buys a world it should be up and running within a minute, 24h a day, 7
days
> a week, if hosted on one of your servers. Or if the customer wants to host
> it himself, he should have the password data mailed immediately, and be
able
> to make it run within 5 mins or so anyway. Simply because the complete
> process can be automated. And if it's automated, you don't have to do it
> anymore, freeing more time for tasks that do need human interaction - such
> as tech support.

Rolu - I dont really know how Tom processes things, but I do know that he
has to actually manually verify some of the CC transactions before they can
be processed.

I'll talk to him about it, and see if there is some way we can automate part
of that stuff...I dont really know much about the billing side of things, to
be totally honest.


--
Fletcher Anderson
Active Worlds Support
Activeworlds.com
support at activeworlds.com

Mar 2, 2001, 1:21pm

[View Quote] If you have to manually check cc transactions, if someone buys a world just
skip that part and let one of your servers automatically set up the world
and everything else needed, assuming for the moment that it's ok, and let it
put the cc check somewhere in your que. Later on, when you have time, check
the cc transaction. If it's ok, everything is ok and you can go on. If it's
not ok, you can either mail the owner about it, or close down the world
(which should require no more than 1 or 2 commands either). The good part is
that someone who buys a world can start working on it immediately, which
looks good (buy a world now, start building in 5 minutes! 24h/day,
7days/week!). The worst thing which could happen to you is that you give
someone a free world for one or two days.

rolu

Mar 2, 2001, 1:23pm

I believe ya man but if you step back and look you'll see that you sound lame.
:)

Try not to defend incompetency in a company that is on the friggin NASDAQ (or
however ya spell that) and has been in business for years huh. :)

Nothin personal, it's just how yer comin off to me. As I say, I wasn't
criticizing you personally, but now I suppose I am in another way heehee.

Like Eep saying "well they aren't making any money..." look, it's a BUSINESS.
It's PUBLIC COMPANY. So it's subject to real criticism, can't act like it's
just some kids who are putting on a show in the barn. In fact, when it *was*
effectively some kids putting on a show in the barn, the people who were in
charge of the barn managed to put on a better front. But then, they were
*trained* assholes, having Ivy League degrees and all that. (Talkinabout
Worlds, Inc. They didn't actually have much to do with AW besides providing the
bandwidth and salaries, and getting investment money and such but they talked
the talk anyway. And they weren't charging for the service at all, nor were
they a public company, so the rules were different.)


[View Quote] [View Quote]

Mar 2, 2001, 3:28pm

things,
> to
>
> If you have to manually check cc transactions, if someone buys a world
just
> skip that part and let one of your servers automatically set up the world
> and everything else needed, assuming for the moment that it's ok, and let
it
> put the cc check somewhere in your que. Later on, when you have time,
check
> the cc transaction. If it's ok, everything is ok and you can go on. If
it's
> not ok, you can either mail the owner about it, or close down the world
> (which should require no more than 1 or 2 commands either). The good part
is
> that someone who buys a world can start working on it immediately, which
> looks good (buy a world now, start building in 5 minutes! 24h/day,
> 7days/week!). The worst thing which could happen to you is that you give
> someone a free world for one or two days.


I talked to some of the guys, automating the world purchase and renewal etc
is the next step - not sure of a timeframe, but it is going to be
implemented like the trial worlds =)

So there ya go.

F.

Mar 2, 2001, 4:56pm

[View Quote] oky, now automate everything else :-)

Have you ever been on Seagate's website? They have a kind of online trouble
shooter, and encourage you to use it before you actually mail tech support.
As a reward, if you follow this trouble shooter and still can't get your
problem solved, it gets a priority status. It asks you a question, and you
can answer it by clicking buttons. It seems to filter out quite a few easy
to solve problems. It's more intuitive and easier to use than a faq.

rolu

Mar 2, 2001, 5:58pm

> Have you ever been on Seagate's website? They have a kind of online
trouble
> shooter, and encourage you to use it before you actually mail tech
support.
> As a reward, if you follow this trouble shooter and still can't get your
> problem solved, it gets a priority status. It asks you a question, and you
> can answer it by clicking buttons. It seems to filter out quite a few easy
> to solve problems. It's more intuitive and easier to use than a faq.

Already working on one for the new web site =)

F.

Mar 2, 2001, 10:10pm

Question #1: Do you use AOL?
[View Quote]

Mar 3, 2001, 12:19am

[View Quote] ...thats okay russ, i think you sound pretty lame sometimes too, so i guess
we are even =)

run, facter, run.....

>
> Try not to defend incompetency in a company that is on the friggin NASDAQ
(or
> however ya spell that) and has been in business for years huh. :)
>
> Nothin personal, it's just how yer comin off to me. As I say, I wasn't
> criticizing you personally, but now I suppose I am in another way heehee.
>
> Like Eep saying "well they aren't making any money..." look, it's a
BUSINESS.
> It's PUBLIC COMPANY. So it's subject to real criticism, can't act like
it's
> just some kids who are putting on a show in the barn. In fact, when it
*was*
> effectively some kids putting on a show in the barn, the people who were
in
> charge of the barn managed to put on a better front. But then, they were
> *trained* assholes, having Ivy League degrees and all that. (Talkinabout
> Worlds, Inc. They didn't actually have much to do with AW besides
providing the
> bandwidth and salaries, and getting investment money and such but they
talked
> the talk anyway. And they weren't charging for the service at all, nor
were
> they a public company, so the rules were different.)
>
>
[View Quote]

Mar 3, 2001, 8:46pm

Ok, I got my world up, although I was charged twice and after
10 minutes of building in my world with no problem at all,
the building inspector then tells me that I am not allowed to
build. My cell limit is set to huge and I did not change any
setting during my time there. So what happened with that.
Thank you for your advice.


"anpetu olowan" <moonstonewolf at nwfnetwork.com> wrote in
message news:3a9d6f46 at server1.Activeworlds.com...
> The subject line pretty much says it all. My credit card
> company accepted it and I even have a receipt from aw, but
> still now world. Any suggestions or advice? Thank you in
> advance.
>
>

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