Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posts: 195

Okay, now that (some of) the orders are rolling out, the online store is back (most of the time), and Handspring is trying to amend their ways, what do you think of them? There have been many people speaking very loudly of their low opinion of them, what with all of the problems with orders, and bad CSR's and what not. There have been others urging patience, waiting for the new startup company to find thier feet. What do you think? Should we crucify them or praise them?

I figured we'd go with the good old Siskel and Ebert style of voting with thumbs down or thumbs up. If I get enough people saying that they aren't sure yet, then I'll add that as a third voting option.

I'll do my best to keep an up-to-date post on the overall opinion. I'll even try to have a nice graph up so that we can see how our favor of Handspring rises or falls over time.

So cast your vote. Handspring needs to know these things, and they do keep their eye on this site from time to time.

Oh, by the way, I won't be able to tally up the results this weekend (11/6-7) as I'll be out of town, but will do so on Monday (11/8).

Format:

quote:

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Opinion: Thumbs up or thumbs down
Comments: Blah blah blah blah, etc...

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Mililani, HI, USA
Posts: 256

Opinion: Thumbs up
Comments: Things are slowly looking up, IMO. I'm reading about more and more orders rolling in, reparations being made (i.e., FedEx overnight shipping at no extra charge, free 5-stylus packs) for their errors, and even the alteration of their website to make it less provocative .

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Dallas, TX, USA
Posts: 70

Right now, I'm giving them a thumbs down on the basis of their complete screw-up with the ordering/shipping database and the website, and their lack of communication with the CSR's actually answering the phone. And the fact that when they realized they had a serious problem, they didn't shut everything down and get it straight before proceeding. Now they have upset customers because their FIFO went out the window, and they couldn't seem to get a charge straight to save thier lives.

However, that being said, I think they'll eventually get it straightened out and will end up being a really good company. I think they're doing everything they can to straighten the problems out now, but since they tried to push ahead, things got so much more tangled that they're really struggling. I think they've got a great product (though I'd love to be able to verify that 1st hand) and their pricing is very aggressive. They have a new technology that is extremely useful and practical, and I really think they've got the edge technology wise.

And let's not forget that they've given business schools a case study in how NOT to startup a new product and company for probably the next decade... they HAVE to be given a thumbs up for that, right? ;-)

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Lakewood, Ohio USA
Posts: 40

Ordered Septemebr 16 still have nothing that's all I am going to say it's to upsetting.

Chris

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Flint, MI, USA
Posts: 8

Big thumbs up, a first-rate product that works as advertised. I've used the heck out of mine and still running on the original batteries. Put a "WriteRight" on the screen and made it even better.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 61

In my opinion
Ordering: One thumb down (not two, giving allowance for the "unexpected problems" they had with their plan for taking orders).

Technical support: Two thumbs down (it looks like some of their CSR's are doubling as Tech support personnel)

After-sales support: TWO THUMBS DOWN. FOUR DAYS AFTER BEING TOLD THAT A REPLACEMENT VISOR DELUXE WAS BEING SHIPPED TO ME (OVERNIGHT PRIORITY) BY THEIR "RAPID REPLACEMENT DEPARTMENT", I AM STILL WAITING!!!. I WONDER WHAT EXCUSE HS WILL COME UP WITH FOR THIS PROBLEM.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 106

I wish it were not the case. I want to give them an approval, but simply can not. They seem to fail at every turn. Their apologies prove to be empty. Their promises are vague (re-read the apologies. They are filled with generalities..."we expect..", "glitches", "hopefully", etc). What, for some reason, really gets to me is their lack of communication. Their ultimate problem is delivery, yet they fail to keep their web page shipping status link updated. They'll let the thing ride for weeks and let us all simmer and boil. They can not get it through their heads that people don't really care if there is a delay...we just want to have an honest, complete understanding of the current situation. There idea of communication is for us to sit on the phone for hours and eventually talk to someone who EVERYONE KNOWS does not have a clue as to whats going on. Hanspring has eight more days to get me their product, or I'm out. No hard feelings. But God forbid they touch my credit card or contact me after cancelling. I'm already lining up what agencies I will be filing complaints with. How's that for communication!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posts: 195

I vote thumbs up, myself.

I had to wait a little longer than six weeks for my order because somehow, thier records showed that I ordered on 10/5 instead of 9/14. I was frustrated with the lack of knowledge on the CSR's part, and lack of feedback from Handspring concerning the status of my order. However, I suddenly got some great feedback (including an email or two from their PR Director!), and my Visor. I'm sympathetic with thier problems, as I've worked for a few startup companies, and I know what they go through. The Visor has been great. The only problem I've had with it was caused by my interrupting a hot sync. I love it. I think Handspring is making long strides in fixing thier problems.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 106

This issue isn't so much the product, as it is the service. Let's make this thread easy.
The 100+ people with Visors...Thumbs Up! The thousands in limbo...Thumbs down!

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 106

It's Like the Seinfeld "Soup Nazi" espisode. The soup is fabulous...but you got to deal with the soup nazi. Sorry for venting so much. I'll be quite now.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
Posts: 49

My opinion -- Thumbs Down

No matter how awesome the Visor is if/when I finally receive my 9/14 order, my feelings for Handspring will always be clouded by the poor up-front customer service.

I understand how they can have start-up problems with orders. What I can't understand (or forgive) is that I have corrected the same error on four (4) separate occasions.

I do know that, when the product was announced, I was fully behind the idea of our software company doing products for Visor's Springboard. After what I've been through personally, I am now urging caution.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 10

Thumbs way down

Even when I get the Visor, HS will have left an awful taste in my mouth.

1) I was lied to about receiving an order number a week after I ordered. I ordered on 9/17.
2) I was lied to again when I called the week after about not receiving the order number. I was told to wait another week.
3) A week after, it still hadn't come.
4) The hold times are too long.
5) Email is not responded to.
6) I never got me email newsletter.
7) My CC# was screwed up.

LIES, LIES, LIES!!!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 26

My opinion: Thumbs down.
Ordered 9/16. Told by CSR it shipped first week. It didn't. Told on web site they were shipping to Canada. I don't think so. Told my order was 'escalated'. It didn't make any difference. Told CSR's of corrections to my order, which they took down, (by hand, on paper). Called back at least four times to confirm corrections - order is still full of the same errors. Told to call the non-toll free line to correct errors - it didn't work.

To sum up: They give a new meaning to customer service. No matter how sincere their CSR's seem to be on the phone, they are obviously incapable of getting things done, (whether their fault or lack of support from within the company). They cannot correct order errors, ("I'm sorry this database is read-only"), are unable to give details about shipping, ("For the life of me, I do not know why your order hasn't shipped!"), cannot cancel orders, and overall seem quite powerless to do anything about the general mess of the company.

It seems that some who complain the loudest are getting overnight shipping by FedEx, but the majority of early orders are being told again and again, "wait two weeks, if it doesn't come, call us back..." Yeah, right.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 26

Handspring could save a lot of CSR telephone time by simply emailing a copy of everyone's order, corrupted or not back to their customers with a note attached saying, "This is all we have, this is all we know. We don't know if it's shipped. We don't know where it's been shipped. We don't know if it's correct. We don't know if your card's been charged. We don't know how many times your card's been charged. We cannot change what we do not know, and neither can you, but we can always, 'escalate' and 'prioritize' your order!

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: fort worth, texas, usa
Posts: 53

i ordered 9-24 and they have no clue when my visor will be shipped. might be today, might get it before christmas, who knows? instead of fixing problems they send out drivel from ms . dubinsky. what complete unadulterated b*llsh$t.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Seattle, WA USA
Posts: 15

Vote: Thumbs UP
Comment: I ordered three weeks ago (10/15) after holding for an hour. I gave the CSR all the info, he repeated it back and told me about the 4-6 week ship time. After reading the comments here I held off on contacting HS so as not to fill up the toll-free number. I figured it's in their hands and me calling to bug them everyday wasn't going to speed it up. After seeing some of the order screw ups posted here like transposed credit card numbers, wrong city names, etc... I emailed the Customer Care center last Friday just to verify my order information. I haven't seen a response yet (one week) but after looking at posts from early in October that are just getting responses, I didn't feel so bad. I just called the toll number (11/5) to check status and all info was correct, even with different shipping and billing addresses. It only took them maybe 30 seconds to find my order and Ky (the CSR) was very helpful. He offered to bump the order up to his supervisor but I declined saying I trusted them to get it to me within the six week deadline. I was pleased with the response. Ky also said that they had no visibility to the shipping department which didn't surprise me, being a contracted CS company. I'm waiting patiently for my Blue Deluxe with serial cradle. If it gets to me before the deadline, I'll be pleased as punch. If it comes in after, I'll amend my vote to thumbs down.

Mark

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Marietta, Ohio USA
Posts: 92

I ordered Visor 9/24.. never received... gave one last chance... gave up 11/1/99.. ordered a Palm IIIx..for $209.. received it in 48 hours... have upgraded to OS 3.3; add
another 4 megs for $83 and I have a Palm Vx
basically without the form factor of which I dont care about... Despite cancelling, If
I still get a VISOR (LOL..you knows ?) , I will post it for sale on VC ! Good luck to the rest of you !

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 62

I know that it has been hard for some people to bear, but these things happen. I know what it is like to try and develop and launch a product, it ain't easy! You balance marketing reasearch (which are educated hunches)about how consumers will respond, with how much money you invest in inventory, with how many people you can afford to hire, with a million other gut-churning variables and hope you got it right. If you are wrong either way, which you always are, you are in deep sushi. We live in a society that demands "instant gratification" so having to wait 4-6 weeks is driving people mad! I would love to have my Visor now, but waiting a few weeks isn't going to kill me. I swear, you'd think these things were kidneys or something!

The bottom line is the Visor is a fantastic product, that isn't even in question. I would only be concerned if the opposite was true. It does stink that there were problems with some orders, and it is also obvious that Handspring is doing everything humanly possible to rectify the situation but having said that, they can't sort it out overnight.

RAMBLING ON ENDS . . . . .

I give them a thumbs up because they are working very hard to fix their mistakes (and for making such a great product!).

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 200

Thumbs Down

The problems where/are not created by demand. It's just an incredible lack of experience on every single part of the company - except the R&D department. I still think the Visor is a good PDA. But what is the point if you can't buy them?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 70

Thumbs way down. (you got that right RJT!!)
This is the soup nazi/hobsens choice crew. You can have any visor you want so long as it's when we want to "give" it to you. Start up or no, this why really good project managers are in great demand. If they had one for this, I hope the person got canned because he/she failed miserably. Not that I'm hostile. really.