Let's talk RIM

 A few weeks ago, RIM recalled their Playbook tablet. This should have ignited a trigger in the minds of people that something is up with the company. But that didn't get BB users talking or seeking answers.

Then three days ago, it happened. My TL went crazy as different platforms started cropping up. Most people who used to call out Snaptu user were now themselves using the app. And certain handles were tweeting about how the mighty had fallen and how different weird twitter apps were popping up on their TLs. I had pegged it down to 9ja syndrome. And since I am not a BB user, I did not feel compelled to comment.

Three days after, I have had it. Today, I started my day with BB issues. And it bugs me that it bugs me because honestly I don't know why im concern me.

       
I do not have an issue with the fact that RIM has technical issues. No, I understand how having a bracket in a wrong place can screw up pages of codes especially if there a lot of instances linked to a loop. That RIM is experiencing technical difficulties isn't that hard for me to chew, although I must confess that it is too early for the brand, it is RIM's reaction to the hitches that I have a problem with. As of now, RIM has not acted nor even reacted to this crisis. This is so reminiscent of the BP oil scandal. RIM should know better than act this way. They should have come out and "talked" to their customers. But they are not, RIM is folding its hands hoping that this problem would just go away without them doing anything about it. There is no press release tackling the issue, no formal report on the problem itself and what the company is doing, and no person coming out to be the "face" of the hitch.

Now I have to stop at that point and tie it to my biggest concern about this issue, which is RIM/BB's PR department. I am disappointed and aggravated by the apparent lack of disrespect for that RIM has for its consumers. All this hitch shows is how unorganized and ineffective RIM's PR is. It makes me wonder if they actually do have a PR department. If they do, I would love know what their job description is and what they currently do in the company. This is the time that the company is supposed to utilize the new media, that it fervently promote and sell, to engage majority of its consumers.

   
However it has refused to utilize the various twitter accounts they have to allay down their consumers' fear. It sees its audience freaking and lashing out on twitter but deems it fit to only update its twitter accounts once a day. Also, it seems RIM sent a BBM asking that users should forward a certain message to their BBM contacts. Please how wrong is that, I ask. The company seems to be rely on others to relay their "we are fixing this up" statement. CNN has already had two talk shows, interacting and engaging with livid and distraught BB users, yet RIM doesn't deem it fit to care. RIM is doing everything to distance itself from this present calamity but unfortunately there is a problem and they need to deal with it.

The last thing that bogs me is @BlackBerryPR's existence, but since I am not sure of it genuineness I can not talk really much about it. I can only hope and pray that it is a concerned public that opened this account.

RIM's action says three things:
1) RIM actually doesn't care about you as a consumer.
2) RIM has no handle on the situation and knows it cannot convince the public that it does, so it is holding out till it understands what the technical difficulties is.
3) And RIM is actually going to fold soon and decides to warn its consumers this way.

Whatever the case is, this approach is a dodgy way to go around it. RIM needs to man up, come out and accept the blame, tell the people what they are doing to fix the problem and actually fix the problem. As for me, I am of the opinion that RIM should be on the list of brands that would disappear in 2012.


P.S. 5 hours ago, RIM  had a press conference because America has currently joined the list of continents that are affected by this outage. I apologize, but I must say it took them a little long to have that press conference.