Alliance Recruitment - Alliance Customer Service Past the Training Phase

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Alliance Customer Service Past the Training Phase

Printed From: Illyriad
Category: The World
Forum Name: Alliance Recruitment
Forum Description: If you run an alliance and need members, or if you want to join an alliance on the Elgea Continent, post here.
URL: http://forum.illyriad.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=3036
Printed Date: 17 Apr 2022 at 01:38
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Alliance Customer Service Past the Training Phase

Posted By: WV_highseas
Subject: Alliance Customer Service Past the Training Phase
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2012 at 12:58

Replies:

Posted By: Createure
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2012 at 13:07

What?

Posted By: Rill
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2012 at 21:02

It's an interesting question, although I don't think I'd call this "customer service." That sort of makes it sound like the alliance is an entity somehow separate from its members, or that at least some members are basically there to "receive" from the alliance, whereas my view of an alliance is one in which each player contributes according to his or her abilities and interests and the alliance's need.

I think a lot about how my alliance can add value to its members. Of course the friendship and encouragement is a really big part of it, and material support with resources can help, not to mention mutual defense. I think alliances can add value by disseminating information and education to members, such as by mailing updates on tournaments and other server activities as well as new releases. Some alliances have extensive forums (either in-game or separately) with massive amounts of information, calculators and so on.

Balancing the needs of basic education for new players and more nuanced and detailed discussions among more advanced members is also a challenge. As an alliance leader who is still a relatively small player, I rely on the veteran players in my alliance to feed and dialogue with each other, although I think questions from newer players can also stimulate more veteran players to try new things or re-test old understandings.

I'm interested to hear how others handle such things or see their alliances handling such things, what you like and what you don't like, what you'd like to see more of.

Posted By: Nokigon
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2012 at 21:16

Out of the two answers already provided for this poll, I'll go for Createure's.

What the hell?

Posted By: Gemley
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 20:21

If alliances are now a customer service things must have changed since I quit playing.

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�I do not love the bright sword for it's sharpness, nor the arrow for it's swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend� - J.R.R. Tolkien

Posted By: HonoredMule
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 23:47

Bureaucracy is the answer. If a group can be adequately defined and delineated, it needs its own coordinator and special focus. "Customer service" is indeed a very strange paradigm to use, because the leadership-membership relationship is a nuanced two-way street bartering much more than authority for strength, growth, or stimulation. Indeed most of the value in an alliance is only gained through the joint contributions of several people at all levels in equal portion (and per person, not group).

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"Apparently, quoting me is a 'thing' now."
- HonoredMule

Posted By: Anjire
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2012 at 00:05

I vote the posting script messed up and the text with a bad hyperlink was left off.

Posted By: abstractdream
Date Posted: 18 Jan 2012 at 23:15

Rill: You and I may differ a bit philosophically but I must say you nailed it here.

Of course an alliance is NOT a customer service interaction. If it were, there would be very few of them. It's clearly a two way street when it comes to the contribution as well as the benefit of both the leadership and the membership. A leader cannot lead an empty alliance and an alliance with a weak or rarely logged-on leader will surely die.

Some things to look for to judge the quality of your alliance (as quoted from Rill's post):

"friendship and encouragement"

"disseminating information and education to members"

"extensive forums"

"basic education for new players and more nuanced and detailed discussions among more advanced members"

"veteran players ~ feed and dialogue with each other, ~questions from newer players ~ stimulate ~ veteran players to try new things or re-test old understandings."

Many of us want different things from our in-game relationships but if your alliance isn't doing at least a couple of these things maybe you should think about whether or not you are in the right place. There are alliances out there doing these things and more.

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Bonfyr Verboo