GOG.Com on Customer Service

There's a new State of Customer Experience post on GOG.com where they outline their approach to customer support. Presumably taking advantage of recent attention drawn to how Steam requires a forfeiture of rights to a refund upon installing a game, they highlight how liberal their policies are:
In which we talk about our relationship with you.

Refunds, terms of use, customer support - it's the hot button issue right now and it's been on our minds as well. We thought this might be a pretty good time to say a word or two about how we do things, recent changes, and our approach to your customer experience.

Refunds.
We've got 'em, and here are the basics you might need to know:
You have 30 days, worldwide. Hitting "Buy" doesn't waive your rights.
European Union law states that you should have 14 days to withdraw from a purchase. That's not a bad deal, but it's not always enough. We think that 30 days is more like it, and that worldwide is just nicer - within that period, we only consider your purchase final if you've already started to actually download your game. We want all of our customers to feel that our refund policy is there to give you a comfortable experience - not that we were forced into having one.

You can still get a refund for technical issues after downloading your game.
Downloading a game doesn't mean you're on your own, you still have our guarantee that it works!
If you have your game, but it doesn't work for one of the million reasons that just happen - we're here to help. We want you to be able to play your game, and if you can't, there's no reason why you should be stuck with it. We call this the Money Back Guarantee. If your game doesn't work due to technical issues, and our support team is unable to help you fix it, we'll offer you a refund - and two ways to do it. You'll have the choice of a refund in store credit, (this is almost immediate), or back to your card/PayPal account (if you're okay with waiting a few days to be cleared by your card or account issuer). You have 30 days to contact us after making your purchase, but there's no rush - your refund-timer stops ticking once you get in touch.

Customer support
We think that good customer support is one of the pillars of an awesome GOG.com experience. A hard time getting through to a living, breathing, human being can be one of the most frustrating things ever. But that's just not us.

Our support team is a cool, friendly bunch of people. Emphasis on people. They're really good at what they do, and they're here to provide you with a friendly, personal way to get in touch. We offer in-house tech support for all your problems, crashes, and other (totally not PEBKAC) issues, and we'll provide full support with no time restrictions. If that game you bought two years ago isn't working anymore, we might just be able to help. We'll take the time to walk you through any suggestions, and do our best to accommodate your non-technical needs - but that doesn't mean we can't work fast. Beginning January of this year, the waiting time for your average support ticket response was under 24 hours, and we got your problems completely resolved in under 36 hours.

Still, there's no reason why we couldn't do even better: we recently started offering support on Saturdays and Sundays, and the team just got a bit bigger. You can now write to us in English, French and German, and we plan to include more languages as we continue to expand. We're planning a significant update to our website support section, so finding information and getting in touch should be much easier. Soon, we'll also offer a much finer way to track your purchases and gifts, while all orders eligible for our Money Back Guarantee will be clearly labeled.

That's our two cents. We hope that this gives all of you a better (and much needed) inside look at customer experience and support from our perspective. If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a line in the comments section. We're here to talk!
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31 Replies. 2 pages. Viewing page 1.
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31.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 18:43
31.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 18:43
Mar 26, 2015, 18:43
 
"No refunds" policies are illegal in my country and I'm pretty sure Valve doesn't get to pick and choose which laws they want to follow.

If you bought something that doesn't work as advertised, Doesn't contain the features advertised, Or you were mislead in someway into buying it. Then you can get an immediate refund.

There's also no specific time limit here in NZ either. Its just "a reasonable time"
So GOGs extended 30 days limit is already covered here, And probably a lot longer too.

In fact I think if I bought a game a year ago but didn't install it until now, And it didn't work, And they're still selling the same version with the same hardware requirements, And given that theres nothing the passage of time could have done to break the software, Then the fact that I bought it a year ago clearly has nothing to do with it being faulty or missing features, Its reasonable to expect it should still work.
So I'm pretty sure I would still be eligible for a refund.

Though I'd have to go to ombudsman when they inevitably refused, and I really couldn't be bothered.
30.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 17:17
30.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 17:17
Mar 26, 2015, 17:17
 
MoonSpook wrote on Mar 26, 2015, 05:37:
but it sets the bar pretty low for professionalism

Nah. They set that bar when they faked the closing of their own storefront as a marketing gimmick.


29.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 12:30
29.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 12:30
Mar 26, 2015, 12:30
 
Verno wrote on Mar 26, 2015, 11:36:
MoonSpook wrote on Mar 26, 2015, 05:37:
I have to say, I get a little sick of GoG constantly tugging their own todger anytime Steam news bubbles up. Both in their news/blog and on their Twitter, anytime there's even the slightest bit of commentary on Steam and/or their DRM, they pop up and announce how amazing they think they are in comparison.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not even saying they're wrong, but it sets the bar pretty low for professionalism when they try to dance on top of every bit of criticism Steam takes.

They're a small company with strong principles that is trying to play with the big fish. They need every little bit of PR they can get. This sort of competition is ultimately better for you the consumer. Not trying to be a dick here but no one makes you read their press releases, keep it in perspective

Yeah, you're right, I could stop following their Twitter feed (though I'd miss out on the free games then ) etc, and I don't begrudge them doing their best to be noticed and/or different from other digital game platforms. It just feels like they're always playing the same fiddle over and over.

I'm not sure they're so small either btw, backed as they are by CD Projekt. They must have grown a bunch thanks to The Witcher games and GoG's own success. Obviously compared to Steam they're tiddly, but so are most companies
28.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 11:36
28.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 11:36
Mar 26, 2015, 11:36
 
MoonSpook wrote on Mar 26, 2015, 05:37:
I have to say, I get a little sick of GoG constantly tugging their own todger anytime Steam news bubbles up. Both in their news/blog and on their Twitter, anytime there's even the slightest bit of commentary on Steam and/or their DRM, they pop up and announce how amazing they think they are in comparison.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not even saying they're wrong, but it sets the bar pretty low for professionalism when they try to dance on top of every bit of criticism Steam takes.

They're a small company with strong principles that is trying to play with the big fish. They need every little bit of PR they can get. This sort of competition is ultimately better for you the consumer. Not trying to be a dick here but no one makes you read their press releases, keep it in perspective

This comment was edited on Mar 26, 2015, 11:42.
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27.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 05:37
27.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 05:37
Mar 26, 2015, 05:37
 
I have to say, I get a little sick of GoG constantly tugging their own todger anytime Steam news bubbles up. Both in their news/blog and on their Twitter, anytime there's even the slightest bit of commentary on Steam and/or their DRM, they pop up and announce how amazing they think they are in comparison.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not even saying they're wrong, but it sets the bar pretty low for professionalism when they try to dance on top of every bit of criticism Steam takes.
26.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 02:38
26.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 02:38
Mar 26, 2015, 02:38
 
You did read the part where I said that they should use their $2bn revenue for better CS, right? Oh right. You didn't. You just skimmed the post and decided to spew a load of shit.
25.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 02:04
Slick
 
25.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 02:04
Mar 26, 2015, 02:04
 Slick
 
350 tickets per day for ONE rep to answer...

you say you're as frustrated as anyone else with steam's customer service, then concede a blank cheque because they're so big so why even try?

valve employs 200 people, and pretty much owns PC gaming. other services have far less customers, and yet somehow provide service that's light years ahead of them.

it's not even worth comparing, it hurts my brain to even conceive a universe where: "it's not steam's fault for having shitty customer service, they have too many customers!" last i checked, having too many customers is a "problem" that every business on earth is envious of.

If steam employs %10 of their 200 (wo)man workforce in customer service, then that's 20 people. you know what a good start would be? hire 1 more employee and improve customer service by a whole %5
Avatar 57545
24.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 01:20
24.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 01:20
Mar 26, 2015, 01:20
 
Well, let's see if and how GOG lives up to their own standards once they have a user base of 125 million+.

I'm not a Steam fanboi by any stretch of the imagination and I despise their shitty customer support as much as anyone but I can sort of see that their issues must be caused by the sheer magnitude of tickets.

There are many honest newbies out there and many, many outright tards who submit stupid tickets on a daily basis or several times a day if they don't get a reply within five minutes.
Someone has to wade through all the crap. You got to really imagine the numbers here.

Even if only 0.1% of Steam users submit only one ticket per year then that's a total of 125,000 tickets per year or -assuming a seven day work week including holidays for CS- roughly 350 tickets per day that someone has to read and properly respond to.
In reality they are probably getting quite a few more because of doubles and impatient assholes spamming the system and many unnecessary requests that could easily be solved by activating brain.exe on the customer's part.

At $2+bn revenue per year, Valve should definitely be doing a much better job than they are but before the little GOG pound their chest too hard, well, let's see how they would deal with over 125 million customers.
23.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 01:17
Slick
 
23.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 01:17
Mar 26, 2015, 01:17
 Slick
 
Placid wrote on Mar 26, 2015, 01:05:
I would still prefer a demo for a game I am considering purchasing.

that's why god invented piracy in all of his infinite wisdom. just buy if you end up playing it. it's not rocket science, just requires a conscience.
Avatar 57545
22.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 01:15
Slick
 
22.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 01:15
Mar 26, 2015, 01:15
 Slick
 
*slow clap*

Tychus Findlay: "It's about damn time"
Avatar 57545
21.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 01:05
21.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 01:05
Mar 26, 2015, 01:05
 
I would still prefer a demo for a game I am considering purchasing.
20.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 26, 2015, 00:04
20.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 26, 2015, 00:04
Mar 26, 2015, 00:04
 
ViRGE wrote on Mar 25, 2015, 22:31:
You could pirate the game, maybe get a virus, and probably get something that doesn't work quite as well as the real thing.

That's true, and it's why when GOG started encrypting some stuff and we had a thread on here about it I mentioned how it could be construed as indirect DRM because it made pirating the files more risky. So, yeah, they are aware of it.
19.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 25, 2015, 22:47
19.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 25, 2015, 22:47
Mar 25, 2015, 22:47
 
You're alright by me, GOG.
Avatar 15604
18.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 25, 2015, 22:36
Jivaro
 
18.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 25, 2015, 22:36
Mar 25, 2015, 22:36
 Jivaro
 
jdreyer wrote on Mar 25, 2015, 22:13:
@wtf man
I wonder if there are mods that might make the Witcher more tolerable by now.

I found this mod at nexus and it is the only reason I was able to finish the game. I too hated the control scheme in the release version.

Full Combat Rebalance @ Nexus Mods: http://www.nexusmods.com/witcher/mods/237/?
Avatar 55841
17.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 25, 2015, 22:31
17.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 25, 2015, 22:31
Mar 25, 2015, 22:31
 
Aero wrote on Mar 25, 2015, 20:35:
Using it as a rental service seems like an odd thing to do given you could just pirate games outright for about the same amount of effort and without having anyone hold on to your money in the mean time. I'm sure it would be done, but not by many people.
You could pirate the game, maybe get a virus, and probably get something that doesn't work quite as well as the real thing. Or you could "buy" it, get your enjoyment out of a properly functioning copy, and then get a refund. Abusing too lenient refund policies makes all the sense in the world.

But in any case, GoG seems to have their head on straight here, since you only get a refund if you haven't downloaded it.
16.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 25, 2015, 22:13
16.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 25, 2015, 22:13
Mar 25, 2015, 22:13
 
@wtf man
I wonder if there are mods that might make the Witcher more tolerable by now.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
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15.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 25, 2015, 22:10
15.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 25, 2015, 22:10
Mar 25, 2015, 22:10
 
Aero wrote on Mar 25, 2015, 20:35:
Using it as a rental service seems like an odd thing to do given you could just pirate games outright for about the same amount of effort and without having anyone hold on to your money in the mean time. I'm sure it would be done, but not by many people.
That's a good point although I could still see someone abusing this due to the convenience and support from GoG.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
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14.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 25, 2015, 21:26
Jivaro
 
14.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 25, 2015, 21:26
Mar 25, 2015, 21:26
 Jivaro
 
GoG just happens to be at that point in their history where they are still enjoying getting screwed. That will change.

My faith in the average customer is...well...I have none.
Avatar 55841
13.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 25, 2015, 21:13
13.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 25, 2015, 21:13
Mar 25, 2015, 21:13
 
That is why there should be a small period of time, no questions asked refund. You also are explaining the Egghead issue, you will find your tolerances get lower and lower knowing you have a refund option.
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12.
 
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service
Mar 25, 2015, 21:06
12.
Re: GOG.Com on Customer Service Mar 25, 2015, 21:06
Mar 25, 2015, 21:06
 
jacobvandy wrote on Mar 25, 2015, 20:25:
You still have up to 30 days after that to get a refund for technical issues.

Why does it have to be technical issues? What if I think something about the game in question is ass (aka a deal breaker) and don't want to play it?

Example: The combat controls for The Witcher (Yes, their game) sucked so bad I barely made it though the tutorial and gave up. Subsequently I never went any further nor bought the sequels.

There was no "getting used to it".
I outright hated it.

And it's unfortunate because everyone says what a great RPG it is. I'll never find out.

/shrug

Now, before folks pounce on me about MY personal preferences and tell me how great The Witcher is, and how I'm missing out, blah blah blah...

THE POINT IS: There are a lot of games out there that have some fucked up aspect that doesn't make them worth purchasing... and no amount of doing your homework will reveal it until you actually try the game.

The only reason I don't feel ripped off from the Witcher was because I bought the DRM Free version (When it first came out on DVD... Pre-GOG I think) and I voted with my wallet for that. That said... I'm still disappointed in my purchase.

So... Technical difficulties shouldn't be the only reason to be able to get a refund.

...and Obviously I'm not talking about someone abusing getting refunds (using as a rental system). I have over 100 games and there are a small handful that I regret buying... and wouldn't have if I gotr to try them first.

This comment was edited on Mar 25, 2015, 21:13.
Get your games from GOG DAMMIT!
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