Segway LLC people do read SC

[yosgof]

For all the skeptics here I have received an indirect affirmation that the good people at Segway LLC do actually read this forum.

Following my problems with the fenders I had a talk with my dealer earlier today. In the conversation he casually mentioned that he got my postings on Segwaychat from someone at Segway LCC (Sean???).


- Yossi
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3365119-lg.jpg

[pam]

Oh, I'm willing to bet that those of us who've been around for a while don't have a doubt that they read SC. LOL

Pam

[austin@SOH]

While we were up at Segway LLC, I saw it on a computer monitor. It is a good idea though because it helps with improvements and gives them the general idea of how the community is doing.

Austin Colby (Austin@SOH)
Segway of Hagerstown
339 West Antietam Street
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Phone: (301) 766-0488 Mon-Fri 10am-6pm EST
Fax: (301) 766-0215

[Brooster]

I don't know about anyone else, but I think it's weird--a little "creepy" actually-- that so many LLC people regularly read this board yet won't participate in the discissions around here. You'd think they'd have an interest. They see our questions and other concerns, but they won't answer. God knows they wouldn't want to compromise the company's important tradition and culture of secrecy.

The exceptions of course are John Grohol and Doug Field, both of whom obviously care enough about this community to truly want to be a part of it. Then there's another employee who recently posted for the first time (started a thread in fact) ... but only because the company wants us to help sell the product by sharing our commuting experiences.

Communication is a two-way street, LLC. You can be here to help us just like we've been here to help you.

Brooster

[KSagal]

I do not know. I have up to seven email names on my AOL account alone. I cannot imagine that there is no one at LLC that does not post here. I also imagine that they would rather stay anonimous, rather than take on the burden of representing the whole manufacturer position, as a simple member of the chat...

There are also liability and credibility issues to consider if an employee of LLC were to post something that their own management later decided not to do. We would go bananas about broken committments!

If you go to other enthusiats sites, manufactures reps are rare. Marketing is usually better represented, but not manufacturers.

The preceding is just my opinion...


Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[yosgof]

Well, so it's an Orwell 1984 type situation – Big Brother is watching combined with a world domination theory – The Masons run the world!

Segway LLC is both!
[^]:D[^]:D[^]:D

- Yossi
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3365119-lg.jpg

[wwhopper]

Oh YES they follow this site, and others pretty darn closely.

So if you say something, be ready to back it up!

Will W Hopper
DCSEG Member
Come out to the Mid-Atlantic Regional SEG America Event - SegwayFest - DC Sept 23-25 in Washington DC - The Most Segway Friendly City in America!

[Brooster]

Don't ever be afraid to stand up and tell the truth as you know it and see it. When we lose that ability, this Web site--and the company we all hope to see succeed--will have failed all of us.



Brooster

[KSagal]

Broo is dead on. The best any of us can do is call it as we see it. Anything less than that is not worth my time.

If you are not doing your research, and basing your opinions on silly misinformation, it makes you look bad, no one else.

If you post lies, people in the know will poke holes in them...

So I agree, post it as you see it. If you feel strongly, state it, do not wimp out for fear of someone complaining.

As far as Will's advice of standing ready to back up what you say, that is just plain ole' good advice. The world would be a better place if we all did that all the time...


Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[pam]

Yes, it would be nice if we could all live our high ideals.
Pam

[macgeek]

or at least in high heels.

Jonathan

"Think outside the car"

[pam]

Better you than me, Gunga Din LOL
Pam

[JohnG]

Happy 4th, folks!

While many in the company do browse SegwayChat or occasionally read it, most are simply too busy with their jobs at the company to contribute much more than what you see. As a small company with limited resources, Segway does what they can, when they can.

John


--
All views expressed here are my own, not necessarily those of my employer or others. Check out http://grohol.com/.

[amturnip]

Thank goodness.

[yosgof]

quote:Originally posted by jgrohol

Happy 4th, folks!

While many in the company do browse SegwayChat or occasionally read it, most are simply too busy with their jobs at the company to contribute much more than what you see. As a small company with limited resources, Segway does what they can, when they can.

John


[size=1]--
All views expressed here are my own, not necessarily those of my employer or others. Check out http://grohol.com/.</font>


Well John I guess its silly me. There I was thinking that reading the biggest repository of your customer’s opinions and responses was actually in someone’s job description.

Now I understand that it’s just for fun and passing time just like for the rest of us. In that case I suggest implementing the same strict rules I have with my employees. Let everybody read it at home on their personal time. This will be even more to the point.


- Yossi
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3365119-lg.jpg

[pam]

What, Yossi, you don't give your people breaks? I read on my morning and afternoon breaks - keeps me out of the break kitchen and the candy jars.
Pam

[yosgof]

Pam - People do get breaks (just for bare necessities :D), but they do their follow up on customers as a regular (and compulsory)part of their job.

- Yossi
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/3365119-lg.jpg

[KSagal]

I am an electromechanical Engineer, and currently work on large commercial paper handling equiptment. It is professionally important for me to know what my clients think of my machines, even though I do not manufacture them myself. I do work for the manufacturer. I also pay attention to what the competition is doing, at least what they are releasing and promising. I do most of this on company time. The company also offers me much of this information, both what we are doing and what the competition is up to. (Limited). That is just the way it is...

I do not spend too much time researching my machines on my own time, and not too much personal time researching the competition. I rarely ever deny available information to myself, regardless of the time.

Now, back to LLC. I do not know what LLC employees do. I do know that it unlikely that all of them do the same thing. It is normal human nature to be curious.

It is possible that there are either no policies or policies against spending time on this and other forums while employees should be doing something else. That does make sense... Also, if a person works and thinks Segways all day, it is not unreasonable to not want to think segway all nite...

Remember the story of the cobbler who's children had no shoes...

Further, with a lack of actual facts to the contrary, I choose to believe that LLC employees, whom many I have met, are a normal and reasonable cross section of humanity with curiosities and tolerances that are not dissimiliar to their peers.

With all that said, anything goes. Also it is very unlikely that no one that works at LLC reads this forum. It is also unlikely that anyone at LLC is using this forum as a sole source for information from which to make policy.

These are my takes on the subject...

Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[Doug Field]

Yes, we read it. Many of my engineers and designers watch SegwayChat closely, because they feel contact with customers makes them better at what they do. I don't mind if they do this during business hours =).

It is every employee's job to be in touch with our customers and marketplace. It is also, however, every employee's job to speak to the market with one voice. We are a company of individuals with differing opinions (just attend one of my design reviews to see that!), but when we speak to the world we must do it with one voice.

As a result, technical questions are easy to answer, and I try to chime in when possible. But questions of policy and strategy are less likely to get answers from a single individual at Segway LLC.

Think of us as a doting parent, not as "big brother".

And if you really need a response from us, call us!

Doug



"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, or more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its outcome, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things." -Niccolo Machiavelli

[SegwayUtah]

Thanks for the clarification, John and Doug.

I know that many people post messages here hoping that someone from Segway will see the message and call/help them. I also understand that this is not a forum run by Segway LLC. It's nice to know that at least some of the messages here are monitored by the engineerings, designers, and others at the company--although there are so many messages here these days that it's really hard to "keep up" with everything here.

And it's really nice to know that there's an easy, official way to make sure the message gets through--by calling on the phone. :)

Chris

[macgeek]

And I am glad that Segway LLC reads the posts. It gives some sound to my voice.

Jonathan

"Think outside the car"

[Brooster]

quote:Originally posted by Doug Field

Yes, we read it. Many of my engineers and designers watch SegwayChat closely, because they feel contact with customers makes them better at what they do. I don't mind if they do this during business hours =).

It is every employee's job to be in touch with our customers and marketplace. It is also, however, every employee's job to speak to the market with one voice. We are a company of individuals with differing opinions (just attend one of my design reviews to see that!), but when we speak to the world we must do it with one voice.


Hello Doug. I appreciate your input.

So ... what I'm sort of reading between the lines here is that "contact" with customers is a good thing on all levels of the organization, but highly efficient (and potentially goodwill-building) two-way communication in an enthusiasts' forum is essentially "strongly discouraged" for most employees. There's a lot more to contact than reading and not being able to answer. I think that if I were an employee, I'd find that pretty frustrating at times.

I absolutely understand the "one voice" thing when it comes to matters of policy and strategy. I don't think any of us expects employees to come in here and share that sort of information or sensitive product development information. In those cases, an answer of "we're working on it" or "we hear you" would almost always be more than enough said.

But when it comes to discussion on basic stuff like maintenance, safety or just how to get the most out the ownership experience, I can't see the harm in a little friendly two-way give-and-take now and then. There must be some sort of happy medium.

This is an exciting technology with such great potential. If employees could at least communicate a bit and share the excitement--instead of being insulated from the people who are the most passionate about this product--I think it could go a long way toward building a more collaborative and synergistic relationship with the LLC's greatest asset ... its owner community. To my mind, it's the single most cost-effective (basically free) thing that the LLC could be doing right now to build goodwill and business.

That's my "Tear Down This Wall" 2¢ thought for the day. Thanks.




Brooster

[KSagal]

Broo,

I understand your request and assessment. I even agree with the lion's share of it.

However, my experience in the business world and on this forum makes me disagree with you...

I have read over the years many posts, and I will give them the benifit of the doubt, that were offered because the author thought they were true, but were in fact, just wrong...

We all act from time to time on what we believe to be correct and later find out to be incorrect. That is life...

In a public forum like this, that can be worse than not saying anything at all.

Take me. I spent 12 years or more as a skydive instructor. I can and have repeled off mountains, and taught it to youths. (Explorer Scouts). I can and have done many things that others find to not only be dangerous, but foolish.

I regularly ride my seg with my kids on. Most have seen photos of the same, as I live my life as an open book. Do I endorse kids on segs? ABSOLUTLY NOT! I know what risk is involved in my doing things and how I handle that risk... I do not know how others would do it, and it is safer to be a hypocrite and say, "no kids", than it is to say that it is okay under my conditions and not your conditions...

Since there are likely to be policies and practices in any company the are not 100% endorsed by 100% of the employees, it is safer to not make any comments that would eventually lead to someone challenging the comment and then the poster would have to defend their position or be "Proven" wrong because the only proof would expose what was not supposed to be exposed or put the poster in a position to contradict the official policy...

You can see the mess that can come of it...

I am not saying that I would run the public access portion of LLC the same way that they do, I think there is room for plenty of improvement, but I do understand their position, and do not begrudge them the right to play it as they see fit...

Again, as Doug said, if you have a specific question that needs an answer, call them... I have done it and gotten good answers, right away. (Or in a reasonable time).

I don't think that we can hold the company LLC accountable to this forum as responsible to answer our questions here... It may be nice, but is not reasonable. No one is qualifying the questions...

I have seen people post questions based on the fact that they were considering buying a used segway if the company were willing to modify this or that... We have all seen that type of post. Where can a manufacturer draw the line to weed out that type of request?

These are just some of my thoughts...



Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.