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Technology spoiled us. We’re used to things being always on and for the most part, they are. Last week Skype users found themselves unable to login in to their accounts — and thus make or receive calls — for the better part of two business days. When I wrote about it on Friday, I received mixed reviews in the comments.
Realistically, it is surprising that a network that has grown so fast in a few years may have had so few glitches (comparatively speaking) as Skype has. If the company did well on the reliability scale, where could it have used improvement? In addition to realizing that we had not made back up plans in case of emergency, what did we learn from the experience?
While the programmers may have been working feverishly to solve the problem on the back side, the popular Skype blog did not mention the reason, which unnerved users despite their statement: “...the Skype system has not crashed or been victim of a cyber attack. We love our customers too much to let that happen.”
A day later, Skype was referring to customers as “family” in their communications, but not really giving their customers the equivalent of a “family talk.”
They used all the right words yet the sentiments in the news written by customers remained quite critical. What could have been done better? News that affects millions of people should be considered a crisis and treated as such. In that vein:
1. Apologize right away, don’t wait two days.
2. Say you’re sorry about the right thing. How about apologizing for you actions, not your customer’s emotions?
3. Put your energy wholly into discovering the cause. Dispelling rumors works better long term when you have a theory to offer.
4. Make the "back to normal" announcement sing by putting meat to it. No need to wait for all the details.
5. When you create expectation that more details are forthcoming, deliver. Use active language whenever you can. Saying, “the Skype peer-to-peer network became unstable and suffered critical disruption,” and so on and that “the issue has now been identified” is more of the same passive speak. How about, “a Windows update caused a massive outage of the Skype peer-to-peer network.” And then get into the details.
A fuller explanation of Skype’s technical issues wasn’t forthcoming until five days after the outage. A more timely note of this detail — while not technically exhaustive — would have gone a long way to reassure users of Skype’s fundamental soundness.
How many companies and users have been investigating alternatives to Skype in the meantime? What will this mean to Skype’s long term reputation as communications channel worthy of use by business?
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Comments
Hi, Valeria. I'm a Skype fan but was unaware of the outage until I read about it online. Coincidentally, I didn't need to place any calls for those two days.
I think the service is wonderful, especially the low cost of making Skype to landline calls. The quality isn't quite the same as fibre optics, but for the money, a couple of days without it isn't the end of the world. If people need to communicate for important reasons, there's always the old-fashioned telephone.
Posted by: Elaine Fogel | 08.22.07
Hi Elaine,
I really do appreciate your comment as I was on the same boat as you. I have kept a land line even though I rarely use it with the cell and Skype ready to go.
As I shared in the post, the outage itself was a rarity for a service that has been operating well for years. And yes, some small businesses were impacted because they came to rely solely on that tool.
The learning piece to me was the communications via their blog, which left a lot of room for interpretation and speculation.
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | 08.22.07
I think what we can learn from the outage is that we've come to take technology for granted. We assume everything will work as planned and when it doesn't, as it often will, we are in a state of disbelief. Having lived through the great NYC blackout I can't tell you how many times I tried the light switch only to be surprised each time that it didn't work.
I guess we should all be good scouts and be prepared - a backup system couldn't hurt could it?
Posted by: Mona Piontkowski, Irvine, CA | 08.22.07
Hi Mona:
I talked to friends who were stuck at the office in NYC blackout. Yes, we have come to rely heavily on technology and may not have made enough alternate plans.
Your example is so good! I can see myself doing the same. In fact, last July our power went off after a big storm and we lived 4 days without it. Each day I checked to see if the refrigerator was working again ;-)
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | 08.22.07
I also lived through that big August blackout when the eastern grid went down. It's habitual to enter a room and turn on the light. I know what you mean, Mona. I kept turning things on, forgetting it wasn't working.
I felt helpless without a computer (and air conditioning). But, in the end, we sat outside with neighbors, sipping wine, eating the ice cream before it melted, and talking. It was a lovely evening that first night without power. Sometimes a jolt like that awakens us to benefits of communicating directly with real people.
Posted by: Elaine Fogel | 08.22.07
Elaine:
I am grateful that you would take the conversation to the simple gestures of face to face. Talk will be the subject of my post tomorrow at Conversation Agent.
Which brings me back to how opening up the Skype blog to have the conversation there would have benefited the company even more.
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | 08.22.07
Elaine,
I believe you are exactly right on how they should have handled it.
On the apologizing for emotions, I believe that is what one does when one believes that the person feeling the emotions is sort of at fault.
"I am sorry you were angry at what I said," sort of implies that what I said was not a problem but your reaction to it was the real problem. It is not taking responsibility.
Posted by: Neil Anuskiewicz | 08.30.07
Neil,
Welcome to the conversation. Saying "I'm sorry" has become common practice among businesses and professionals. And that is good. Yet, a distinction needs to be made on taking full responsibility, as you put it so well.
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | 08.30.07
Thanks Valerie!
I think saying I am sorry is something that is important to do well in both personal and business life. I don't hesitate to apologize, ever, even if I am not 100% sure I am at fault.
Neil
Posted by: Neil Anuskiewicz | 08.31.07