Do you want to know why the adult business is failing? Look no further than customer service. Let me tell you about a recent experience with a few companies to illustrate my point.
I had my Internet service through Comcast and because I run websites from my home I uploaded and downloaded a fair amount of data and I ran afoul of Comcast’s 250 GB limit. Mind you I also watch television from my Internet connection, listen to music, I have voice over IP so it is not uncommon for me to use a lot of bandwidth and watching high definition television you can rack up two hundred and fifty GB in just a few days.
Comcast saw fit to get ugly with me when I called them about this they said the 250 GB limit was an absolute and the only way that I could get more would be to sign up for a business account even though when I signed up with Comcast they told me that I had unlimited Internet usage.
So what did I do? I told Comcast fuck you! you’re fired! I called AT&T and got Uverse and AT&T assured me that there were no data limits. My connection was just as good as with Comcast but the difference was AT&T valued me as a customer.
Last week my cell phone went dead. My contract was almost up with Sprint and I was ready to fire them as well. My idea was to get a new phone an Evo 4G and unlock it and use it with boost mobile and get their $50 a month unlimited voice data and text plan.
When I went into Sprint and told them that I was going to cancel my contract they asked what can we do to keep you as a customer? I told them what I intended to do. They responded by telling me they could pretty much match that deal they gave me a brand-new Evo 4G cell phone I got unlimited voice, data and text for $69 a month, they gave me an additional discount of 25% because I once worked for a local business with which they have a special deal. So my total monthly charges came out at $51.50 a month. I also complained that the cell service at my house was not very good even though I was supposedly in a covered area. They responded by giving me an airave device for free, with no extra monthly charge.
Do you think they made me happy? Of course they did!
Two years ago AVN quit sending me my complimentary subscription. I called and asked them to please put me back on the list, they said that they would, that the subscription had just expired and I would start getting AVN no problem.
Three months later I still haven’t received the first issue of AVN so I called Paul Fishbein and he assured me that my subscription would restart the very next month.
Three months later I still haven’t received a single copy of AVN magazine. So I called Paul Fishbein again and he apologized and he assured me that I would be added to the comp subscription list.
Three months later I called Paul Fishbein yet again and explained that I still wasn’t getting the magazine. Paul told me he would personally take care of it this time. That was over six months ago I still haven’t received a copy of AVN magazine.
AVN’s advertising rates are based on the number of readers, I am certainly a qualified reader. If they are treating everyone else the same way they are treating me is it any wonder that they have only a third the number of advertises there were this time two years ago?
Do you see what I am illustrating here? In this day and age it is singularly important that the customer have a good experience with your company yet how many adult companies can say that their customers have a good experience? AVN certainly cannot.
If you are an adult business, you should take a lesson from the turnaround that Sprint has made. They once had abysmal customer service and when I went in there I was totally ready to fire them, instead I walked out with a new cell phone, a much better deal and I was happy to get it, and I have told many of my friends about it just like I am telling you about it.
Imagine what I have to say about AVN.
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On a lesser scale, here are a few of my complaints when dealing with porners:
1) Earlier this week I got a press release from a well known company handling big names. The picture was embedded in the email and it was from Tinypic. It wasn’t showing the picture but just the giant Tinypic logo. First thing I thought was why were they sending an image via Tinypic. When I send anyone a press release, I upload the picture myself and you can all handle it from there after. If I had embedded the image, I would have uploaded it myself via my blog so this way I know the image isn’t going anywhere. But they sent the picture via Tinypic and it wasn’t showing anything.
I emailed one person asking if they can re-send me the picture because it wasn’t showing. The person said their SMM/Ops guy is handling it. I was like huh, wut, hmmm, okay, whatever. So I emailed someone else at the company asking if they could re-send me the image because the Tinypic image isn’t showing anymore. This person then asked if I wanted the picture or the press release re-sent. Again I was like huh, wut, hmmm, okay, whatever. So then I’m wondering why doesn’t anyone at this company have this fucking picture saved anywhere. All I want is this one fucking picture that no one can seem to send me. It’s already been days and I still have no picture.
2) Many have sent me a press release and I email them a question about it. They never reply back. This is also their personal email address and not the company email where it can get lost somewhere. You’re sending me a press release to promote a product and you can’t even email me back? You’re also being paid very well to send out these releases and you can’t even email me back when I ask a simple question?
3) It angers me beyond words when someone sends me a press release to post on my blog but they won’t post on their blog the press releases I send them. I don’t get paid for any of this. I’m just helping out someone that I like. What would possess you to email me a press release to post on my blog but you don’t have the decency to post on your blog the press releases I send you? Most of the time I’m not even writing the press release. Someone else wrote it while all I’m doing is just emailing it out.
4) Someone recently needs help and needs money raised quickly. I tried contacting 2 people around her. First person did nothing and never replied back. I sent the second person my mailing list and how to write out a press release. That person did nothing. I’ve sent a third person, close friend, of her my mailing list and how to send out the press release. That person sent out a press release to XBiz. So far it seems like that’s the ONLY place the press release was sent out to. I didn’t even get a press release!!! That person told me on Twitter they would email me soon but still hasn’t. So your friend desperately needs help raising money quickly and NO ONE around her has done anything after I contacted them. And the one person who even lifted a finger only sent out the press release to XBiz and didn’t even send me one. When I send out a press release, I send it out to everyone I can think of. Even the people that I know will never run it. But I still do. You have to send it out to EVERYONE so the word gets out and so money can be raised to help her. But I forgot which industry I’m dealing with and how many just simply DO NOT CARE.
5) Someone who claims to be in porn PR reached out to me on Twitter. She just started a website and wanted to exchange links on each other’s blogrolls. I’ve never heard of her, her website is updated barely once a month, but I thought okay I’ll help her out. We exchange links on each other’s blogrolls. Now I notice she took DOWN my name & link on her blogroll and never posted the press releases I sent her. Now she manages to update her website this week saying she’s stating ANOTHER website which she claims will have even more porn industry coverage. She did nothing with the first website but is now starting a new blog claiming it will be even better. When I log in later tonight, the bitch’s link on both my blogs is coming down!
Well Darrah now you know why I almost NEVER run a press release, unless it’s so abysmally bad I have to make fun of it….
Weeks ago I got a press release from a certain someone for the first time. He also has a website. So I emailed him asking if he would also post my press release for a certain female porn star. He never emailed back. But a week later he emailed me another of his press releases. I still run them because I have nothing against the women in the press release.
So I wonder if it’s because they don’t like ME and that’s why they won’t run what I send them or won’t even email back when I ask a simple question. But why go against the person featured in the press release all because you don’t like me?
I already know I can’t get anything in AVN and XBiz. Everything I send they never run. But I still send them hoping that one day they will. One woman I send releases for is an AVN and XBiz nominee & winner. But they won’t post a single thing I send them. It’s not like I send out things everyday. I might send maybe a handful of press releases a month for different people. Everyone wants to get into AVN and XBiz because they’re the top two in traffic. But I can’t get in a press release for an AVN and XBiz nominee & winner.
Why go against them if it’s only because you hate me? I understand the sites who never run a release, rarely run them, or occasionally might. I understand that’s not their thing. But for the sites that run press releases every single DAY, then what the fuck is wrong with what I send out for known porn stars, directors, and authors? I send a picture and I don’t put caps in the title too.
One bitch has the nerve to say she doesn’t run press releases. Really? Then what are all of THOSE right on your main page? We all get the same press releases. So don’t try to make it seem like you got an exclusive.
But the ones who won’t even email me back when I ask a simple question. And the ones who have the nerve to send me their releases but they won’t run my releases on their own sites. I still run theirs because I have nothing against the porn star.
I’m not gaining anything by emailing out the press releases I do. I’m not paid and have never made a dime from anything while blogging. I also don’t mention my name in the releases I send out. I know better. The contact info I have listed is for their people. My name isn’t mentioned in anything I ever send out. The only way you know it’s me is because it’s coming from my email account.
Someone contacted me last week asking if I can send out their press release for someone who has a new book out. I told her she’ll have to email AVN and XBiz herself because they’ll never run anything I send. So she sends it out. AVN finally ran it while XBiz still hasn’t and it’s been a week. I first sent it out to Gene at AdultFYI because he runs everything I send and he’s high traffic. So I’m waiting for AVN and XBiz to post it but they hadn’t. AVN finally did but XBiz still hasn’t. So I said fuck it and I’m finally sending it out to the rest on my mailing list which I just did tonight.
I know I’m a fucking bitch and piss all over your precious industry. But unless I personally went against you, then what the fuck is your problem with me and the press releases I send out? At least email back when I email a simple question about pictures or broken links. It takes me a while too to email back when people email me. But I eventually email back within the week.
There’s so much other shit I could go on about. But about that woman who needs money raised quickly and no one around her gives a shit. I only noticed and wanted to do something and help her because it was sad seeing her begging for money & help on Twitter.
If I never said anything about them, then what’s the problem? They’re paid to do what they do. So if I have a question about broken links, pictures, or if they can run my press releases on their own sites, then they should be emailing me back a reply. That’s their job. My opinions of the industry have nothing to do with whatever question I’m asking them.
And it’s especially rude when they won’t post the press releases on their own blogs that I send them but they continue to send me theirs to post on my blog. Or the ones who were the ones who asked for a link exchange but then took my link down a week or so later. So my blog is good enough for them to send me their press releases and for them to get my traffic but they can’t email me when I ask a question? I still run theirs because I have nothing against the porn star.
I have the right to my opinions. I don’t know why anyone cares what I have to say about an industry that’s done nothing but destroy itself. I’ve never been against porn or porn stars. Just specific porn stars, directors, and executives depending on what crimes they’ve committed or if they’re just assholes. I’m against the people who run the industry and how there’s rampant abuse throughout the industry while many of you don’t give a shit about any of it. I’m sorry that I’m not reading the usual script of how everything is rainbows & unicorns.
I just sent out a press release for Bob Chinn’s new book that’s out now for the first time. I know that a few of those sites do not run press releases and it’s just not their thing. That I understand. I still send it anyway just because. But the sites that post releases every single DAY, I know many of them won’t run it and already haven’t. I told her she has to send them herself to AVN and XBiz because they’ll never run it if I send it. But she contacted me asking me if I can email out her press release. Why should anyone not promote Bob’s book on their own sites just because they don’t like me? If they run everyone else’s, then what the fuck is wrong with what I sent them? Is that fair to Bob? It’s his first book and she’s already telling me the people who won’t even email her back. But I forgot what industry I’m talking about and how a sex toy or dance appearance is more important than a legendary director’s first new book about the most famous porn star of all time.