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April 24, 2006
Small company? Small budget? Think laterally
When I worked in the Software Test department with Apple Computer in Cork there was an employee incentive scheme called "Bug of the Month" with rather nice prizes on offer for testers who found 'showstoppers'. I once won a £150 voucher for Marks & Spencer when finding a ghost install problem in a cross platform product, but honestly the cash wasn't the incentive, it was just alot of fun to find a showstopper.
So, needless to say, I love the little scheme Richard Rodger has come up with to help differentiate Ricebridge from the competition -
... we need a new tack. A bit of danger. Some thrills. There's nothing like a kick up the arse to get you moving. I'm deadly serious about bugs at Ricebridge, so let's up the ante. Let's go for broke. Bugs have to hurt. As coders, they have to hurt us, not just our users.So here’s the deal. If you invest in my products, and you find a bug, I will give you a ThinkGeek Gift Certificate for $15 dollars.
Very cool, very innovative. This is exactly the kind of lateral thinking a small software company needs to be engaging in. If I'd any call for an XML or CSV Manager I'd be on the hunt for a showstopper right now...
03:54 PM in IrishBlogs | Permalink
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Comments
Cool idea that.
Posted by: Damien Mulley | Apr 24, 2006 4:25:57 PM
I've had nine bug reports from customers so far over the last 18 months. Every single one has increased the value of my products. So providing an incentive for bug-hunting makes economic sense - I really wonder why more software companies don't do it.
The other thing is that the reward is for the individual developer who finds the bug, not the company that purchased the product. I think this is important to the concept - it's about connecting with individual customers as people.
I got this idea from a book called "Go It Alone", by Geoff Birch. He talks about the importance of customer complaints - they give you very valuable information about how to improve your business. They are like gold dust. Welcome complaints. It's one of those hard lessons in starting a business - one of those pre-entrepreneur reactions you have to turn inside out.
Posted by: Richard Rodger | Apr 25, 2006 10:49:07 AM
Great chapter on customer complaints in Feargal Quinns book on customer service too.
Posted by: Peter Knight | Apr 25, 2006 1:25:28 PM
Thanks Peter, I wasn't even aware he'd written a book and it certainly sounds worth taking a look at. That's a great story about customer service on your own blog by the way.
Posted by: James Corbett | Apr 25, 2006 2:11:43 PM
Thanks James. It's actually a very good book and can be found in 'all good bookstores' :O)
It's incredible how he transformed his industry and many of the concepts he pioneered were unheard of at the day such as in-store bakeries, fruit and verg you could pick up and touch, smell etc.
He even pioneered the creche and free customer umbrella concepts etc.
Enjoy. Goog blog too btw.
Posted by: Peter Knight | Apr 25, 2006 4:39:29 PM
