(Updated)
Signal vs. Noise is all noise today, as the good 37Signal folks decided to make fun of their customers, posting  their email inquiries they disliked.  “Useless, absurd, appalled, infuriating”  are words from actual customer emails but apparently this is what 37Signals think of those inquiries – or the customers themselves?

They may be onto something… after all, as long as you have great products, who needs customers?  This must be the new way, I’m just too “old school” to understand.  Time for me to read Getting Real – perhaps that will help me catch up with this great new world. (how funny that their PR agency just asked me to review it…)

Thanks Espen for finding this “gem”.

Update (4/12):  I guess the best defense is offense, just check out Matt’s response to a reader comment: “And while you call it whining, others might call it offering the other side of things in order to give some perspective. Perhaps you need to stop looking for occasions to be offended?”  

Hint to Matt:  you may want to read this post by Robert.

This will not hurt either:  The Art of Customer Service, Part II

Update (4/12):  I don’t even know what’s worse, the original post or the rather defiant attitude they show defending their stance against 140+ comments (on a blog where the average is 8–10 comments per post).  I certainly hope Jason and Matt will have a good night’s sleep, wake up fresh, and make amends.  Like Scoble did (see above).

Update (4/13):  So much for hoping for some humility.  They woke up, but they did not wake up.  This response to comments from Jason shows he simply does not get it:   “I don’t believe quoting someone directly is mocking them. And I never called these comments stupid.”

Related posts:

• The Arrogance of 37signals
• appalled, indeed
• A Little Respect, Please
• Big Egos at 37signals.com
• Signal vs. Noise vs. Customers
• Good Customer Service … Where did it go?
• May God Curse Our Company the Day We Mock Our Customers

Tags: 37signals, getting real, signal vs noise, customer appreciation, customer focus, marketing, customer disservice, scobleizer, scoble