FED UP!!!

[Bitterman]

Yesterday, I got not one, but TWO emails from AU - the first contact I've had since April 12 - confirming that yes, my order is valid, no, I've not been overcharged, yes, they will be sending them out the instant they lay hands on them which should be any day now.

It's given me a warm gooey feeling inside. I'm happy.

I won't be getting the DVDs any sooner having recieved those emails, there's still been issues over payment and lack of communication, but just for the simple reason that somebody bothered to type eight sentences into an email, I'm no longer an enraged and frustrated maniac hellbent on bringing Another Universe to bankruptcy, but a weak-kneed, gibbering wreck aware that the wait is almost over. And that's a GOOD thing.

A lesson there, perhaps? I still haven't recieved a mass email so I'm assuming no-one else has, either; if everyone else is like me, all AU have to do is send out an email to everyone on their list saying "sorry we missed Sept 17, but they're on their way, we promise" and I reckon they'd slash complaints, phone calls and demands for attention by a factor of ten.

So, since Ross is on these boards, I reckon it's a good thing cos if he wasn't the communication problem would be even worse. Plus people can vent at him via the harmless and essentially meaningless medium of the internet. (So long as his skin is tolerably thick, he'll be OK plus people get to release some of the frustration without screaming down a phone line).

The internet is the most amazing human invention of all time because it facillitates communication between anybody, anywhere in the world. Make use of it, AU; I have no beef with you now but it sounds like others still do.

[dTheater]

I guess whoever came up with the Sept. 17th release date is to blame. If the release date was, say, October 17th, we wouldn't be so impatient because wouldn't be expecting anything until then.

At this point, we'll get the lunchbox and bonus disc before the actual set. And I'll get my Sports Night DVD set - release date November 5th - before I get the MSCL ones.

Also, I question whether AU will actually start shipping as soon as they get the discs. My guess is that they would want to have gone through every account before shipping to make sure cancelled orders aren't shipped, etc. That could be another couple of weeks after BMG's job is done.

[william bloke]

I've kept my silence regarding the DVD issue, thinking that patience will justify the rewards. However, I'm being a bit concerned about this situation.

I'm sure that Mr. Rojek and Rosenfeld has their hands full with this project and I would like to express my gratitude towards them for making something like this even possible for everyone. But, "gratitude is gratitude" and "business is business". The two factors should be independent.
AU's PR aspect is about as successful as our current administration with their efforts to outline a UN support for the war against Iraq. I wish that AU and the people affiliated with this project would give somewhat of a definate answer to the progress of the DVD's. Perhaps a bi-weekly E-mail to the customer base? I think this sort of gesture will ease a lot of the angst that some of you harbor towards AU and Mr. Rosenfeld.

I'm not going to be harshly critical, but I'm wishing there would be some definate answers to some of the inquiries here....which I think is more than justified.

[Jason R]

You hit the nail on the head. AU's service reflects on me. I've tried to tell people when I know something, but lately I don't have a heck of a lot of information.

However, for the record, I did state publicly that I thought that Sept 17 was an entirely unrealistic date. Knowing BMG, I knew it would take at least 3 weeks, and it looks like I was right. I would have posted my opinion sooner than I did, but I was on my honeymoon when the date was announced.

However, I also stated that what I was saying was simply based on experience, for I knew there was a slight chance that I would be proven wrong.

Also, I initially tried to sort of act as a conduit of information/problem solving between customers and AU, but while Ross has told me things and acted on emails I sent to him, I have to publicly criticise Mike at AU for never, ever returning my calls, hardly returning emails (and when he did, they were usually not repeatable, I have a particular voicemail that I should make available for streaming. Last time I ever bother calling him. Ever. Absolutely uncalled for. You'd think I had stolen his Aeron chair). He was also the guy I emailed with problems from customers, and again I virtually never got a response.

I am certainly not abandoning anybody here, but it was kind of useless for me to try to play this go-between role when it seemed like it was unwelcome on the other end. Mike would tell Ross that things were taken care of, and then I'd find they were not.

Regardless, when I do learn things I will certainly keep you informed.

In concluding, when BMG says something will take 2-3 weeks to turn around, I take it to mean four weeks. AU took it to mean 5-8 days. That is where there was a major difference of opinion, which would not have grown to crisis proportions if AU simply overestimated the turnaround.

I onced worked for a company that had this motto:

"Underpromise and overdeliver."

Don't promise something that might not pan out. Be extra conservative in your estimations. That is my advice to AU, or to any other company, for future projects.

Jason

I've kept my silence regarding the DVD issue, thinking that patience will justify the rewards. However, I'm being a bit concerned about this situation.

I'm sure that Mr. Rojek and Rosenfeld has their hands full with this project and I would like to express my gratitude towards them for making something like this even possible for everyone. But, "gratitude is gratitude" and "business is business". The two factors should be independent.
AU's PR aspect is about as successful as our current administration with their efforts to outline a UN support for the war against Iraq. I wish that AU and the people affiliated with this project would give somewhat of a definate answer to the progress of the DVD's. Perhaps a bi-weekly E-mail to the customer base? I think this sort of gesture will ease a lot of the angst that some of you harbor towards AU and Mr. Rosenfeld.

I'm not going to be harshly critical, but I'm wishing there would be some definate answers to some of the inquiries here....which I think is more than justified.

[lance]

Jason,

Thanks for breaking the silence about when we should expect the DVDs to ship out. I have said this elsewhere in this forum, but it bears repeating. Thank you very much for keeping us up to date with whatever information you have.

Maybe you should post the "Best of AU E-Mails". This might prove entertaining and educational to us mscl fans.

Thanks again,

Lance Man

[andrewgd]

Maybe you should post the "Best of AU E-Mails". This might prove entertaining and educational to us mscl fans.

Yeah, just make sure that its after everyone gets their dvds.

[pgh kenny]

You'd think I had stolen his Aeron chair.

And his red stapler. Jason, you get an A+ for on target humor. Have you seen the reports stating that the cost of an Aeron chair has declined dramatically in parallel with the dot-com sell-off?

[Jason R]

henry miller actually closed its online site. Have still never seen an Aeron for under 450-500.

You'd think I had stolen his Aeron chair.

And his red stapler. Jason, you get an A+ for on target humor. Have you seen the reports stating that the cost of an Aeron chair has declined dramatically in parallel with the dot-com sell-off?

[David Lambert]

And his red stapler.

Reminds me of a great story...a real one.

There was a guy in the IT Dept. at my job who easily got worked up about stuff. Dept. heads would come and ask him to stop what he was doing at time to do something critical for them, to keep production moving. This was necessary, but it drove him nuts.

One day a Dept. head came to him in such a situation, and the dude refused to drop what he was doing - I was later told it was nothing important whatsoever - and started saying he wasn't gonna do it and went on to begin yelling back at the manager. Who responded - quite calmly I might add - that he would simply tell the guy's manager to order him to do it. Or go over the IT Dept. Head's, um, head to the site's General Mgr (who is a VP in the company) to get this done. It was THAT critical.

The IT peon still raised his voice, saying that he didn't have to take that crap and had a mind to just walk out. So the Dept. Head asked him - extremely calmly - "Oh, if you're leaving, can I have your stapler?"

"WHAT?"

"Well, it's a very nice stapler, and if you're quitting then I wouldn't mind having it."

The IT dude promptly lost his mind. He started yelling even louding, swearing, throwing things, etc.! A sight to behold!

Needless to say, he was unemployed within 10 minutes.


That was 2 years ago. To this very day, the act of terminating someone in our company is refered to as "taking their stapler".


So, Jason, whose stapler do YOU want?

[Jason R]

The guy I reported to while at BMG was axed a few months before me. I held on to my stapler as tightly as I could. I had nothing to do for a few months, and that is when I started to hatch a plan for MSCL in earnest. I was pretty bored. I think that some companies have entirely too many employees. Especially if they are not gonna listen to their proposals.

You want irony? I was recently told the original date of my layoff was to be 9/11/2001. Due to world events the company held onto people for a few more weeks afterwards.

When I did get laid off? I was just happy to be alive. Never looked back on it. Just kept plowing ahead. It's kind of funny, but 9/11 was a very big release date for me (a Tuesday, and I was part of a pretty big project). Kinda weird that I was gonna be let go on the day I was finished with it. Incidentally, there was no bad blood as a result of the layoff. I think about 30% were gone in the same month.

Kinda humorously, the HR person who I was supposed to meet prior to termination with was also laid off. I just kinda sat there until they found someone to do my exit interview in her stead.

And his red stapler.

Reminds me of a great story...a real one.

There was a guy in the IT Dept. at my job who easily got worked up about stuff. Dept. heads would come and ask him to stop what he was doing at time to do something critical for them, to keep production moving. This was necessary, but it drove him nuts.

One day a Dept. head came to him in such a situation, and the dude refused to drop what he was doing - I was later told it was nothing important whatsoever - and started saying he wasn't gonna do it and went on to begin yelling back at the manager. Who responded - quite calmly I might add - that he would simply tell the guy's manager to order him to do it. Or go over the IT Dept. Head's, um, head to the site's General Mgr (who is a VP in the company) to get this done. It was THAT critical.

The IT peon still raised his voice, saying that he didn't have to take that crap and had a mind to just walk out. So the Dept. Head asked him - extremely calmly - "Oh, if you're leaving, can I have your stapler?"

"WHAT?"

"Well, it's a very nice stapler, and if you're quitting then I wouldn't mind having it."

The IT dude promptly lost his mind. He started yelling even louding, swearing, throwing things, etc.! A sight to behold!

Needless to say, he was unemployed within 10 minutes.


That was 2 years ago. To this very day, the act of terminating someone in our company is refered to as "taking their stapler".


So, Jason, whose stapler do YOU want?

[David Lambert]

kind of funny, but 9/11 was a very big release date for me (a Tuesday, and I was part of a pretty big project).

Hmmm...I can't think of what it would have been.

Here's some big titles that streeted that day, but most obviously aren't from BMG (boldfaced items are ones we bought that day, in spite of the tragedy...just so that we didn't allow the terrorists to accomplish their goal and change our lives):

• 13 Ghosts (1960)
• 61*
• Benji
• The Blob (1988)
• Blow
• The Bride
• Doctor Who: Spearhead From Space
• Doctor Who: Robots of Death
• Doctor Who: The Five Doctors
• The Hobbit
• The Last Days of Patton
• Leprechaun: Pot of Gore Collection
• The Lord of the Rings
• The Return of the King
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town/The Little Drummer Boy
• Suspiria

Hmmm. On the other hand, maybe it was this:

[Jason R]

wasn't a DVD project, although it was a music box set that came with a free documentary DVD.

[David Lambert]

Not gonna cop to which one, eh?

[james_bond_007]

Because after all its is just a script that was put together, and a pilot show that didnt make the grade with the nielson ratings in the networks.

I respect all the writers of the show, all the actors.

As far as making the DVD. It will come when BMG gets its act togther not AU.


This is a collectors items, so the value of the DVD will go up in time anyway. I might be wrong.

Jason already has a bad reputation due this his poor handling of business partners. BMG is not blind.

[Jason R]

I was kind of wondering when you were going to resurface.

If you ask BMG, I don't think that you find that their problem was ever with me.

Because after all its is just a script that was put together, and a pilot show that didnt make the grade with the nielson ratings in the networks.

I respect all the writers of the show, all the actors.

As far as making the DVD. It will come when BMG gets its act togther not AU.


This is a collectors items, so the value of the DVD will go up in time anyway. I might be wrong.

Jason already has a bad reputation due this his poor handling of business partners. BMG is not blind.