Why the big deal over 3D?

It seems everyone is going mad for 3D - or are they?

To view a film in 3D at our local cinema (recent addition) means an extra £1.80 on the price PLUS £1 for the (hire of) glasses. Nearly £10 then to see a film, do you think that is value for money? I don't. I rarely take the family to the cinema as it is because it is so expensive, this just puts me off 3D even more.

Then there's the fact you have to wear the special 3D glasses. For me that means wearing 2 sets of glasses - one to see the screen and one to see the 3D effects. Not an ideal situation, the 3D glasses don't sit right over my own and there is the added weight over the bridge of my nose.  I would probably have a headache by the end of the movie.

Unfortunately, because 3D is seen as 'the next big thing' my local cinema is only showing some movies in 3D - Toy Story 3 and Cats & Dogs 2 for example - although Cats & Dogs 2 may be shown in normal screens at a later date according to a staff member.

To my local cinema - you have just lost a potential revenue of around £35 (1 adult, one child, including snacks) by excluding those of us who do not want to watch in 3D. I could go to watch Toy Story 3 in the cinema a few miles away but that would mean driving and paying for car parking.

How many more customers are you excluding by not offering a choice?

The customer service experience

Having worked in customer service for many years I appreciate it when it is good and abhor it when it is bad and I always strive to create a great experience for my clients now I am a freelancer.

I recently began writing again for various blogs which meant I started to download more demos etc from PlayStation Store. This seems to have pushed me near to my 'fair usage' limit with my ISP and I started getting warning emails. This really concerned me as, if I go over my limit, they throttle my broadband speeds until it has come back down and with me working from home I need my broadband up to speed so to speak.

I rang up, spoke to various people, and ended up attempting to upgrade my ISP package. Unfortunately, because I am still on an old BT line the only one offered was around £50/month whereas if I was on the upgraded line it would be faster & only around £25/month. They did offer me a reduction seeing as I was a long-standing customer but - and here was the BUT - I would be tied to a 12 month contract. This meant that if they upgraded my line before 12 months were up then I would have to wait and it was the big sticking point. I didn't mind paying more money but I wanted to be able to upgrade to the faster, better (and cheaper) service as soon as it was available.

In the end I asked on Twitter if anyone from their customer care department would like to call me. Within an hour I had got a reply and I received a phone call later that evening. I explained my problem and asked if there was anything they could do for me. It turns out they could. I agreed to pay a higher monthly payment and they have agreed that, although I am technically tied to a twelve month contract, if my line is upgraded within that twelve months I can renew to the better service with them without penalty.

What I took away from this...

• always ask if there's anything better can be done for you
• be polite & pleasant at all times but also be firm & fair with your requests
• if the general routes fail then try Twitter (or another social network)

Microsoft makes good (a little)

After having to send one of our two broken xbox 360s off for repair and paying £80 for the privilege I wasn't happy.

However, I must say I am quite impressed with their service. Not only were they quick returning the xbox but, as they couldn't viably repair it they replaced it with a new one. Plus sent a month Live Gold 'for the inconvenience'. The only fault I have is that you don't get a return date so you have to hope you are around when UPS deliver.

Loco Island :Playstation Home

Hey, anyone out there? Hellooooo.

Just written a post for my fave gaming website, why not check it out?

Loco Island

Goodbye Xbox 360

OK Microsoft, I am admitting defeat. There are three Xbox 360 machines in our house (mine, son's & daughter's) mine & daughter's are both broken. Hers has the three red rings of death and mine keeps freezing after about 15 minutes. Both are totally out of warranty, despite hers having already been returned for that problem once it its short life.

Rang Xbox support (really nice guys from Germany) who apologetically told me that I would have to fork out £80+ to get daughter's repaired - will have to save up again to get mine done now - and set up a repair request. Fair enough. But every single one of our Xboxes has been either repaired or replaced at least once and quite frankly I am totally fed up of the darned things.

Now my daughter is saying when her Xbox is repaired she wants to trade it in for a PS3 and I don't blame her one bit. I have had mine almost 3 years and have had no problems whatsoever *knocks wood* and have even given it a bigger hard drive which is something Xbox 360s cannot do without forking out megamoney for a proprietary one.

So, Microsoft, I have been a good customer for your Xbox 360 over the last 4 years but no longer. We want reliable consoles not ones that have to be treated with kid gloves in case they throw a hissy fit. Hello Sony and your wonderful PS3.