StreetDeck Status

**Fiberoptic** · 04-25-2008, 07:32 PM

Dear StreetDeck Customers and Forum Members

The Mp3Car team has been watching closely the developments here on the Mp3Car Forums as customers and forum members have expressed various sentiments regarding StreetDeck such as concerns and expectations, frustration and anger, as well as satisfaction.

We have watched in silence, and perhaps this was to our detriment. But, as many of you are all well aware, when a company is asked to divulge information on internal strategic decisions by members of online forums, it finds itself damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t. For this reason, we have hesitated to make a statement, not because we do not respect your comments and questions, but rather, we just cannot at the time make a public statement of content. We respectfully ask that you give us some time to work on our plans and we expect that within one month, we will have something clearer to write.

But we would like to share some information, as we are all part of these forums and many of you have dedicated long hours to working with StreetDeck software and helping to make it what it is today. As well we would like to clear up some speculation that has arisen in part we think to extreme frustration on the part of some users.

Is something going on?

Yes, something is going on, the details of which at this time cannot be shared publically. We are in the midst of some key business decisions and we ask that you respect our needs as a small company to remain silent regarding the content of these decisions.

Has StreetDeck development stopped?

No, not at all. While you may not be receiving responses to support requests as quickly as you would like the Mp3Car team continues to be committed to the development of StreetDeck software. We will use every best possible effort to develop and growth the StreetDeck software in the years to come. Some of this work is currently occurring.

Is Mp3Car selling Centrafuse and iGuidance because it has given up on StreetDeck?

No, we are just trying to be a good store and offer customers the opportunity to choose. Also, we feel that healthy competition will only help to drive innovation in this market. As perhaps some of you have noticed, we have made huge changes at the company over the last six months that have required very long hours of work. These internal changes have led to fewer stock-outs (almost none at all), pricing competitive with Newegg on certain products, faster order fulfillment, and a diversification of our product line. First and foremost Mp3Car is a store committed to providing the tools Mp3Car forum members and other key innovators require for driving and developing new car-computing technologies. If you look around on the forums for comments regarding Mp3Car customer service, you will find that they are positive and any issues that persist, we work hard to resolve.

When can you expect another comment from Mp3Car, perhaps with some more content?

Give us one month, by then we should have something clear to report.

**Caelric** · 04-25-2008, 09:24 PM

FiberOptic

You (and MP3Car) have lost any benefit of the doubt we, as customers, are willing to give, when you stated that a statement would be forthcoming within one week, and then took over three weeks to put out another statement that said "give us another month"

Honestly, do you expect any respect after that?

I suppose at this point, all we can go is continue to wait, but again, MP3car has lost the majority of my respect.

Understand this, though: if a month goes by, and you fail to produce, we will take more drastic action, such as disputing credit cards, maybe designing a website titled "mp3carcomsucks.com" etc...

**h3rk** · 04-25-2008, 10:54 PM

Seems to me, people asking for the "at least tell if it's good or really bad" answer, got it.

OP, Good luck with whatever it is.

As for other elements of this thread: I'm sorry to see that even the slightest hint of the

from the deepest of the bowels of the internet are finding their way into this forum.

**meddler** · 04-25-2008, 11:36 PM

I have cleaned this thread of useless / inappropriate posts. Please keep this thread on topic. If you have something constructive to say (be it bad or good) by all means go ahead, if you don't, then don't post.

**deeznudts** · 04-26-2008, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by Fiberoptic

While you may not be receiving responses to support requests as quickly as you would like the Mp3Car team continues to be committed to the development of StreetDeck software. We will use every best possible effort to develop and growth the StreetDeck software in the years to come. Some of this work is currently occurring.

As quickly as we would like? I wouldn't call a failure to respond to any issues in almost two months an issue of impatient customers. I'd call it gross negligence. After reading that I don't know if I'm excited about whats to come, or am just incredibly ****ed off. Well at least one things clear, SD is still making $$ and thats whats important, right?

**TheSovereign** · 04-26-2008, 03:29 AM

Let me start by saying that I'm not an SD customer (and happy that I'm not, as my frontend of choice has visibly active support and development), but I have been an mp3car store customer over the course of the past four years, and have been satisfied with my purchases and the service I have received over the years.

However.... after following the "this is ridiculous" thread from its inception, to see this "status" thread posted now is "too little, too late." Your actions, or lack thereof, have caused you much damage. This is something you could and should have posted to buy yourself some time the moment you recognized the unrest in that other thread.

Although you are allegedly attempting to try to reassure your customers that everything is ok, and ask for their understanding, you still manage to treat them with indignity:

There is no apology for the lack of support or answers from SD and MP3Car.... and when the issue of nonexistent support is referenced, it is referred to in a manner of

while you may not be receiving responses to support requests as quickly as you would like

... now that just sounds plain bad... like the customers have been unreasonably impatient. More appropriate wording might have been something along the lines of

"Unfortunately during this period of transition, we are not able to respond to support requests as quickly as we would like."

Own up to the problem, take some responsibility. Be sympathetic to your customers' needs, and apologetic for your shortcomings. If SD/MP3Car needs to clean house to get in order, then clean house. But if you want to run a business, then be professional, and it's not the customers fault that your business is having problems, and it is still your responsibility to provide support for a product that the customers paid good money for, you don't just leave them hanging!!

Streetdeck or not, this reflects quite poorly on MP3Car customer service, whether SD and MP3Car are separate entities or not, and whether you like it or not. And the sad thing is, that this would have been avoidable if you had taken proper action in a timely manner.

Perhaps you should consider a PR firm to write your status "updates" if this is the best you could come up with after three weeks.

**Kimota** · 04-26-2008, 05:03 AM

Originally Posted by meddler

I have cleaned this thread of useless / inappropriate posts. Please keep this thread on topic. If you have something constructive to say (be it bad or good) by all means go ahead, if you don't, then don't post.

It's seems what are on topic and constructive are subject to your opinion... Your the moderator do what you feel you must.

Some may have found my post offensive but that is subjective.. I find FiberOptic's "StreetDeck Status" post to not only offensive but pathetic in lieu of recent events, again also subjective.

Sorry if I seem argumentative I don't mean to be.. I am very greatful for these forums to its moderators and members

**Xzisted** · 04-26-2008, 05:53 AM

FO,

I appreciate the notice/update you gave. I too work in an industry where we must keep many pieces of information 'close to the vest'. That being said, this is a bit hard to swallow. Like I have said before, I am an engineer. I work in a company where we are always developing great new things for our customers. It is also a startup. I started at the company when it was losing money like coins in a sofa. I stuck with it because of the things they had done for their customers. Like the patrons of MP3Car, they were not always happy.

The difference is, we let our customers know we were ALWAYS thinking about them. At the end of the day, they are your lifeblood. Without them, you fail. Your board of directors (or whatever you guys have set up over there) will sit at the roundtable asking why you cannot keep your current customers happy, and what on earth can you be spending their, and your, money on that does not go specifically to making sure that they always come to you for what they need. This is a prime example. If StreetDeck were being actively supported during this time, you would have NO issues. Instead, it seems to the users as if you have suspended everything.

First off, you NEED someone on this forum trying to resolve peoples problems, during the month in which you make your business deals. To not have someone doing that, is an utter slap in the face to your customers. Even having a voice saying, hey....we are looking into this issue and will update you shortly, is far better from a customer service standpoint than sitting there idle in the manner that you are in this regard.

I have taken small startups from nothing to public or to sale. I know of which I speak. You are dropping the ball here and seriously putting your good name in jeopardy. I do not wish that. Neither do you. And you certainly wont want to deal with the fallout of selling your company under a paper agreement, where you sell it as it stands, and then the purchaser sues you individually because you did not live up to a previously issued SLA. I have also been through that.

I seriously do appreciate you guys. I know you are here because you love the hobby. I also know that you are here because you see the business interests in this hobby. Do not let yourselves get thrown to the wayside because you made bad business decisions for your company looking for the quick buck. We are your customers. We have supported you till now and we will after. Look after us first and I promise you this, you will be greatly rewarded.

X

**meth68** · 04-26-2008, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by Caelric

FiberOptic

You (and MP3Car) have lost any benefit of the doubt we, as customers, are willing to give, when you stated that a statement would be forthcoming within one week, and then took over three weeks to put out another statement that said "give us another month"

Honestly, do you expect any respect after that?

I suppose at this point, all we can go is continue to wait, but again, MP3car has lost the majority of my respect.

Understand this, though: if a month goes by, and you fail to produce, we will take more drastic action, such as disputing credit cards, maybe designing a website titled "mp3carcomsucks.com" etc...

I agree, heck I think the "give us a month" is a bit extreme especially since its been months from our last informative post. This is all fine if this was freeware but we are paying customers. I dont think the mp3car group is understanding this for some reason.

First you don't give your customers what they initially paid for by listing features as coming soon...years ago.

Then you come out with updates that cause more harm then good to the point where most dont even attempt an update (like myself)

Then you go silent leaving us out in the middle of nowhere.

Then you tell us we will have info within a week. Weeks go by with silence by the mp3car group and now you post saying we will have information in a month?

Are you guys kidding us? It's nice knowing you guys may be moving onto bigger and better things but you need to remember what separates SD from the other front end's is the customer base, the same people you are taking advantage of.

Xzisted great post, if only you could get the mp3car group to not only read that post but understand it.

**danielkh** · 04-26-2008, 10:00 AM

This is why, if I were FO, I wouldn't have said a word. It started that "If you just tell us something, we'll be fine."

So he does that and then it's "No, we want more."

It's a lose, lose. Better not to waste the time.