'Paying attention to the forum' by Hornby

[Long Distance]

It has been very noticeable for a few months that negative comments about Hornby are on the increase on the Forums. It has been pointed out many times by the Moderators that Hornby do not read the Forum. I think if I were running Hornby I would want to know what people are saying about the Company especially on my own website. For example, recent comments re the Hush-hush delivery problems, legal matters, discounts and rising prices are piling up. I would strongly suggest that if a Company is oblivious to these comments they are asking for financial trouble in the future. These comments are made by your customers and, dare I say it, your friends. Current policy seems very short sighted.

[RB51]

Perhaps a better way to say it would be that Hornby do not “as a matter of course” read the forum. There are Hornby staff members who contribute but I doubt they trawl the forum threads looking at all posts in the way the moderators will.

A better way to ensure that Hornby are aware of the concerns you mention would be for members to communicate them directly to Hornby by email.

R-

[37lover]

You also need to consider how the numbers of Complainers raising concerns on this Forum relate to the Sales/Customers of Hornby. In the case of the Hush Hush was the damaged percentage 1%, 5%, greater? It has been mentioned many times on this forum that satisfied Customers rarely post. I haven't made a list, better things to do, but I think you'll find there are not that many members making the complaints - multiple posts by the same people.

[Chrissaf]

Although Hornby do not routinely monitor forum posts, they are extremely active on the 'Social Media' sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Hornby have dedicated staff whose whole daytime job is to work with 'Social Media' so if you want to raise issues that will be read, then use those sites. Read, but not necessarily responded to.

37L makes a valid point that there are certain forum members that are habitual anti-Hornby complainers. These individuals have not gone unnoticed by the mods, and are on the moderator radar.

[Long Distance]

Sorry, I did not mean to get the Moderators' knickers in a twist but the header of this forum reads  "If you experience any problems, or have a suggestion, please use this forum to let us know." That's all I did.

[Chrissaf]

My knickers are certainly not twisted.

Just a case of providing a bit of an insight as to how Hornby work, given the frequent interaction mods have with Hornby.

[Long Distance]

"37L makes a valid point that there are certain forum members that are habitual anti-Hornby complainers. These individuals have not gone unnoticed by the mods, and are on the moderator radar."

Let's hope they don't read this.

Again, my post was just a suggestion.

[Chrissaf]

Just for clarity, my comment related to anti Hornby as a company complainers. Not members who complain about product related issues.

When a member habitually makes negative anti-Hornby company comments and claim that they will not buy Hornby products, then it begs the question as to why they are on the Hornby forum in the first place.

[Long Distance]

What's that saying - if you are in a hole stop digging.

[Long Distance]

Do Hornby follow this:

[Long Distance]

Or this

[Long Distance]

More importantly - do they read the comments below the videos.

[96RAF]

@potter

I am sure Hornby do not have the resource to trawl every social media site looking for reviews of their products and I doubt they would publicly comment on them if they did.

[Long Distance]

One Moderator said:

“Although Hornby do not routinely monitor forum posts, they are extremely active on the 'Social Media' sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Hornby have dedicated staff whose whole daytime job is to work with 'Social Media' so if you want to raise issues that will be read, then use those sites. Read, but not necessarily responded to.”

Another one said

“I am sure Hornby do not have the resource to trawl every social media site looking for reviews of their products and I doubt they would publicly comment on them if they did.”

Too much digging!

As I said before it was just a suggestion I made. A suitable response would have been:

"Thank you for your concern. It has been passed to Hornby for their review"

I'm out.

[Will Hay]

There are claims on youtube, specifically from Sam's Trains, that posts concerning Hornby QA are being removed from the forum.

This would appear to be supported by evidence.

It's also quite chilling that certain members are on the moderator radar, but unsurprising.

You would think a remit to 'moderate' each post made would be sufficient, but clearly not.

Hornby, like all manufacturers, suffer from all kinds of problems during manufacture.

This is not the problem, the problems arise when Hornby don't address these problems.

My experience of Hornby directly has been superb.

My opinion of how this forum is moderated does not match that of my experience of contacting Hornby directly and as the question of being asked as to why people use this forum if they're not happy with it; this is an official Hornby forum.

[RB51]

May I ask for your evidence of posts being removed?

Glad your not surprised but please don’t be alarmed by the phrase “on the radar”. It’s just everyday language for “we are aware”, and you would surely expect that observation of a Moderator?

As for your last comment about forum Moderation all I can say is “ you can’t please all of the people all of the time”. Sorry to read you are disappointed in us.

R-

[Chrissaf]

@Potter,

The two quotes you highlighted are not contradictory.

Mine specifically mentioned Twitter & Facebook, which Hornby are indeed active on.

Rob's post said EVERY social media site, which is completely different. There are a lot more S.M. sites than the two I mentioned.

We both said that Hornby are not likely to reply to any comments made.

[Will Hay]

Hi Roger.

These are not my claims, I don't have evidence.

What I can say is that I spoke to a Hornby retailer yesterday following receipt of my R3957 who outlined his current relationship with Hornby and directed me to the youtube account of Sam's Trains.

I watched the 'offending' video clip this morning so you'll forgive me, I've not verified the claims from'Sam', nor do I really intend to, hence my comment that 'there appears to be evidence to support this'.

I would outline the stockists claims here as they're a concern to me, but as Hornby don't have any involvement in this forum it would be fruitless [and in all honesty I couldn't face the interrogation], but I will write to Hornby directly as, despite having a collection of thirty-seven locomotives, of which I'd guess at 75% being Hornby, I'd like to know whether what I've heard has any merit.

I'm a huge fan of Hornby, I've spent thousands in the last two years and despite being probably on someones radar for my comments on the forum will continue to be so.

As I've outlined, my experience of Hornby directly has been absolutely first class, and I would like to think that as an end user, they will take my concerns seriously.

[96RAF]

Maybe I should have said that Hornby will monitor their own official social media sites, but not every other social media outlet that mentions Hornby in passing or uses the Hornby name in its page title. There must be hundreds of such sites. Every man and his dog is either unboxing or reviewing Hornby and other make products or whinging to the wide world about a problem instead of taking it the maker for resolution.

I refute the claim that QA matters are being removed by moderators, in fact I make it my business to flag up any such dissatisfaction posts direct to Hornby as they indeed take a keen interest in customer problems.

Edit - I have just watched Sams Train YT video where he tells of the removed posts. See the link. The posts exampled were comments on the Hornby 2022 live launch video. Hornby are the only ones who can moderate that site. We forum moderators are not authorised for access to YT or Twitter or Facebook or the other social media sites they use.

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[Will Hay]

There is no claim within this thread that QA posts are being removed by moderators.

Similarly, I'm sure that 'every man and his dog' are spouting nonsense on youtube, but when such man or dog has one hundred and seventeen thousand subscribers and is actively suggesting a boycott of Hornby, Hornby might be less flippant in their approach to such damning criticism.

[Will Hay]

There is no claim within this thread that posts being removed from this forum.

There is a claim by one particular man with one particular dog that Hornby are removing posts from a Hornby forum, which is concerning and worthy of note.

[Long Distance]

The bad penny returns.

I have just posted this on the Hornby Official Facebook page.

I wrote the following on the Hornby Forum but the Moderators tell me that Hornby do not read the Forum on their own website so I thought I would try here as they say Hornby staff do read this one.

Here is what I wrote:

"It has been very noticeable for a few months that negative comments about Hornby are on the increase on the Forums. It has been pointed out many times by the Moderators that Hornby do not read the Forum. I think if I were running Hornby I would want to know what people are saying about the Company especially on my own website. For example, recent comments re the Hush-hush delivery problems, legal matters, discounts and rising prices are piling up. I would strongly suggest that if a Company is oblivious to these comments they are asking for financial trouble in the future. These comments are made by your customers and, dare I say it, your friends. Current policy seems very short sighted."

Regards.

[Carltonf]

I have to agree here. It is the same on Facebook mind - they virtually never respond to comments on their posts.

Oftentimes an official response from Hornby is all customers want - a update on deliveries, an explanation on price rises (which, having received an honest response would shut quite a few people up). People respect openness and honesty.

I remember back to when this forum was ran by a Hornby employee. It was a smaller community back then, and whilst I appreciate the need for moderators, ultimately this is a Hornby site and resource, and should be overseen by a paid employee who has the full interest of Hornby at heart.

[DBfan]

Hornby have made a rod for their back in having a forum. It opens the door for people to criticise every time THEY think something is wrong. No other manufacturer of model railways has one either.

Also Hornby ought to decide wether they are a manufacturer or retailer, they can`t be both again, as far as I am aware no other major manufacturer has a retail operation. It upset dealers big time when they sold models cheaper to the public well below the trade cost to dealers.

As I have said before used properly forums are fine but few seldom are.

[Long Distance]

This particular part of the Forum is entitled “Forum and Website Feedback.”

So my question is, if Hornby Staff are not reading the Forum, particularly this part, who is the feedback for?  The Moderators?  I wonder if Simon Kohler would agree.