Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
THIS, this is exactly what's needed. Just simple tweet sized updates on a page so we know things are in motion. An email saying roughly what place you are in the queue would be great too. Communication is needed and servearly lacking
I can't think of any product that I've ordered ever where where that level of detail is provided. Outside of isolated customs issues, it sounds like the posted schedule is still fairly accurate (mine was, to the day). If you're past your delivery date, then talk to support.
Even with amazon prime, we get:
-order confirmattion
-order shipped
-delayed (if applicable, and even that depends on the carrier)
-delivered
So far I've gotten an email for every one of those milestones...so...
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
This can be solved by hiring ONE teenager, part time, maybe even for school credit/internship....at minimum wage, to do a communication once or twice a week.
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
I mean basically what area51 has stated info wise so we know what's going on and not sit on forums for info or wait months for a blog post. And what I meant by queue would be something like number 5723 or even less precise than that like batch numbers, and just have a on said page a current batch being processed is... just so you can get a sense of progression and communication. I can and will wait for my printer, I know it will get here but the information drought on processing orders and problems is hard to deal with.
So you are asking for updating shipping estimate that is already provided to you with all the information you need to know when your order is estimated to ship.
The information they have provided is more than adequate.
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
THIS, this is exactly what's needed. Just simple tweet sized updates on a page so we know things are in motion. An email saying roughly what place you are in the queue would be great too. Communication is needed and servearly lacking
I can't think of any product that I've ordered ever where where that level of detail is provided. Outside of isolated customs issues, it sounds like the posted schedule is still fairly accurate (mine was, to the day). If you're past your delivery date, then talk to support.
Even with amazon prime, we get:
-order confirmattion
-order shipped
-delayed (if applicable, and even that depends on the carrier)
-delivered
So far I've gotten an email for every one of those milestones...so...
Amazon gets me my product within the week and don't make the product themselves, so the comparison isnt able to be made. Prusa is delivering a product yes, but they are basically a manufacturer to many clients, iv worked in manufacturing and in a firm delivering jobs to clients, it's easy to under communicate but hard to over communicate, and regular updates are essential to keep any sized client happy about progress. But I'll leave it here because its got to a point where we'll just have to agree to disagree.
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
I worked for Amazon for many years as an engineering and operations manager. Customer service is key to the business and is one of the primary measurements of individual performance (Leadership principles). 7000 units in a production environment is extremely low and the communication cadence can be easily increased. Don't get me wrong, it's a great number for a small business, but by no means is the scale of this so large that the communication can't be improved. I have seen improvements since I ordered my printer, but feel there can be improvements on cadence, organization of information, and level of detail. The business is small enough, that this should be VERY easy to do quickly and consistently.
I'm no where near upset and I'm simply offering constructive criticism for someone who has been in the IT industry for almost 30 years and have ran many large projects. Great products attract customers, but great customer service keeps them for life. Eventually, someone is going to make a better product for the same or better price point as Prusa, regardless of Prusa's continuing innovation. There will be some folks that remain true, but most will follow the price unless they feel the customer service is so good that you trust them more.
Some simple items to do:
1) Automated weekly status of where you are in the queue and estimated delivery date based off of run rate. Don't make the customer search for this information.
2) Simple matrix of the active issues with no resolution, with current status. They should already have this information at hand. This is so customers don't have to figure this out for themselves and shows the company isn't afraid to show it's mistakes and then demonstrates their ability to fix the problems. Even if the issues are supply problems, ultimately the company is the one to take the blame. Passing the buck lowers trust due to lack of demonstrable ownership.
3) For resolved issues, list of items you may have to accomplish on your own based off of delivery date. Once again, no hunting around for information. It's buried on a blog post or in forums isn't acceptable.
This is LOW touch kind of work as it's information that SHOULD already exist, so the additional workload is minimal. It sounds like I'm nitpicking, but it's little things like these that don't take a lot of work that end up having a much larger impact than you ever expected.
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
when i preodered mine in oct they said it will get it shipped around mid Jan and they delivered pretty close to that date ..
I live in australia , so from prague to austraila it took only 1 week to deliver i was pretty impressed..
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
I worked for Amazon for many years as an engineering and operations manager. Customer service is key to the business and is one of the primary measurements of individual performance (Leadership principles). 7000 units in a production environment is extremely low and the communication cadence can be easily increased. Don't get me wrong, it's a great number for a small business, but by no means is the scale of this so large that the communication can't be improved. I have seen improvements since I ordered my printer, but feel there can be improvements on cadence, organization of information, and level of detail. The business is small enough, that this should be VERY easy to do quickly and consistently.
I'm no where near upset and I'm simply offering constructive criticism for someone who has been in the IT industry for almost 30 years and have ran many large projects. Great products attract customers, but great customer service keeps them for life. Eventually, someone is going to make a better product for the same or better price point as Prusa, regardless of Prusa's continuing innovation. There will be some folks that remain true, but most will follow the price unless they feel the customer service is so good that you trust them more.
Some simple items to do:
1) Automated weekly status of where you are in the queue and estimated delivery date based off of run rate. Don't make the customer search for this information.
2) Simple matrix of the active issues with no resolution, with current status. They should already have this information at hand. This is so customers don't have to figure this out for themselves and shows the company isn't afraid to show it's mistakes and then demonstrates their ability to fix the problems. Even if the issues are supply problems, ultimately the company is the one to take the blame. Passing the buck lowers trust due to lack of demonstrable ownership.
3) For resolved issues, list of items you may have to accomplish on your own based off of delivery date. Once again, no hunting around for information. It's buried on a blog post or in forums isn't acceptable.
This is LOW touch kind of work as it's information that SHOULD already exist, so the additional workload is minimal. It sounds like I'm nitpicking, but it's little things like these that don't take a lot of work that end up having a much larger impact than you ever expected.
Maybe a little off topic, hope you guys don't mind, but I was thinking of interning at Amazon for industrial design. Would you suggest it? Candid feedback is always the best.
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
I ordered my Mk3 in September. It turned up in January.
Supply problems aside (rod hardness, PSUs(?) and bed sheets) I'd hoped that I would have mine in time for Christmas but I didn't. 🙁
Prusa support always answered my emails so I'm not sure who you were talking to. ❓
Anyway - it's here now and was definitely worth waiting for.
Incidentally: I bought a DJI Mavic Pro when they were first released. I had to wait two months more than I was told when I ordered it. (Ordered in September 2016, eventually arrived end Jan 2017). I never got any sense out of DJI and never had any emails answered.
The moral of the story is that if you pre-order a new product you have to be prepared for delays.
No company is going to air their production issues in public.
Granted, Prusa could have put more updates out in the public domain and a little more info on the website would have been helpful but I'm not crying over it. (They still did a damn sight better than DJI).
This is the first production run of a new machine that has never been built before. Have you ever known any new product to have ever been delivered on time??
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
I was really sad to get the new update in shipping date announcement when my printer were set to 15January.....And then 2days before....It changed......And I don't like waiting....
But the thing is that I know the potential of this printer since I've seen the parts coming out of the Mk2 .......And that beats any other printer I've ever seen .....The quality is really high, the I3MK3 is not there yet....But I think that it will be pretty soon the Prusa team are really good generally to its customers and they care about us....But the wait is a hell....
Thanks I'm glad and positive that I didn't cancel my order!
If you want to be able to print High Quality parts, and the ability to print all filaments there is ....(I guess) Prusa I3MK3 is the right printer for you...
☺️ And me...!!! ☺️
/Swedronez_fpv frames....Built with a prusa....Soon....haha
I fly FPV as well.
I'm now on my fourth 3D printer
I print everything in ABS because it crashes better. 😉
When you get your Mk3 working you will be so pleased with it that the delays will just feel like something that you dreamed about.
Just be careful when printing ABS - It sticks to the new bed VERY well. PLA is fine but my first ABS print on the Mk3 was a bit of a surprise (my Mk2s bed was less 'sticky').
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
Maybe a little off topic, hope you guys don't mind, but I was thinking of interning at Amazon for industrial design. Would you suggest it? Candid feedback is always the best.
I would absolutely recommend Amazon to anyone. You get to solve problems most people only dream of, at scales that are crazy, and at a pace that is faster than most startups. You'll hear every day is day one for a reason. It's hard work, and you measure things in Amazon years due to the fast pace of things. Amazon does things so fast, what normally takes other companies a couple of years to do, Amazon will do in months.
With that being said. If you can't handle change, VERY fast pace, working with A LOT of ambiguity, or working in an environment where you are setting the direction... then Amazon won't be for you.
Hope this helps.
Robert
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
Glad I didn't cancel my order in a hissy fit, cause mine arrived today.
Re: Delays over delays for the MK3 - I'm fed up, cancelled my order
Well, now you're just rubbing it in!!