I was contacted today, by a company that is in the media device streaming business, asking me to upgrade my device. They were one of the first, if not the first in the market to offer a device to attach to your TV and watch services like Hulu and Netflix from them. I have always been on the forefront of early adoption in areas like this, so I bought their first model and two subsequent models.
It performed exactly as advertised and I was pleased with the device. I used to have a computer hooked to my TV and now I saved space, eliminated noise and reduced electrical consumption. However, what I gave up by doing this was access to my local files: music, pictures, videos, etc.
I contacted the device manufacturer’s development team and asked them if they were going to implement support for accessing local files (files on your own network). They replied, “We have no intentions on implementing this feature.” I contacted them again and asked, “If I pay for your development team to modify the firmware of the device, will you create a special patch for my device to allow access to local files?” They replied again, “We have no intentions on implementing this feature.”
So, I looked for a device that had what I was looking for and found a well established company that just developed such a device. They offered streaming services support as well as access to local files on my network and access to files on a USB flash drive that I could plug into the front of the device. I was so pleased that I bought two of them. I stopped using the first device altogether and never looked back.
Back to my introduction and the impending lesson here. The original company contacted me today. They stated:
We’re writing to you as an owner of an older* classic [company name omitted] player, made before May 2011. These older players have not been able to benefit from the dramatic improvements we have made in recent years. We have delivered tons of great new features and channels that you have been missing out on…
Because of the above, you know why I have not made any purchases of their newer models. I replied to their communication with the following:
To Whom It May Concern:
I have never upgraded my version of [company name omitted] because your company did not have the vision to take advantage of the significant first mover advantage that you had. If you did, you would still have me as a client. I bought your very first model and an additional two more units after that. I asked if you were going to implement being able to access local files through [company name omitted]. Your development team said “No.” I asked, “If I pay or contribute resources for the development, will you implement it?” Again, I was told “no.” So, I took my business to [new company – name omitted] who has the same support for streaming services as you, but they also support local files. Perhaps, in the future, you should pay closer attention to the client’s wants and coming trends.A Previous Client,
Chase Barfield
I not only brought it to their attention that a growing want was on the horizon. I also was willing to commit resources to having the device perform how I wanted. It was a zero risk scenario to them. Unfortunately they did not see the vision. They were unable to capitalize on the trend. And, they lost their significant first mover advantage they had in the market. They were at least a year ahead of the game. But, rather than continue to innovate and keep that market dominance, they surrendered their position without much of a fight.
I bet if I contacted them now and asked if they had plans to support local files, the answer I would get is, “We have no intentions on implementing this feature.”