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Will DJI Spark be the Catalyst for Total Market Domination?

I'm talking of the business side of it, and he definitely has that dream realized. Yes there are shortcomings but that doesn't change the fact hat the business is hugely successful and people still queue to throw their money at them as soon as they can.

If his dream was to make as much money as he can while delivering horrendous customer service, and treating his customers like second class citizens when they need something, I congratulate him, he has succeeded. DJI has been living his dream while creating a nightmare for a good number of his customers. Having people throw money at you to get your new product is not the only measure of success. In the real world you need to take care of those customers as well. Having customers order your new product only to be told that it's not yet available and "we dont know when production will catch up with demand, we will just keep your money until we decide we are ready" does not make for a hugely successful business. A good drug dealer can be hugely successful and people line up to buy his product because they are addicted, but that doesnt make the drug dealer a saint, usually the other way around. DJI has the worst reputation for customer service in the industry. Need a few member names? Ask @AlanTheBeast, @kona, and even your own posting on @Caser41 problem of simply trying to get his drone back from repair, when DJI sent it to the wrong person, is ludicrous treatment of it's customers.

I doubt the support matters do hurt their bottom line with any significance.

I guess Im barking up the wrong tree here trying to explain business ethics to you. After all, the title of this thread is, "Will DJI Spark be the Catalyst for Total Market Domination?,: and total market domination usually refers to a company's victory in establishing itself as #1 in it's field. DJI has established itself due to the brilliant design of it's products, not it's treatment of customers. You "doubt that support matters hurt their bottom line with any significance", spoken like a true dictator, tyrant or monopoly interested in only looking forward and making as much money as it can while ignoring their most important asset, their customers, big and small. If DJI were more interested in their customers, most of the posts on this board would not exist complaining about how they were treated by DJI.

You sure can - we have the proof right there. This forum is full of people complaining about DJI's lacks yet they all own the latest DJI product and continue buying new ones anyway.

Again, that is only one measure of success. A truly successful company cant focus on one aspect of the business while ignoring another, just as important, aspect. DJI has repeat customer business, but as for customer loyalty, if another company were to come along and produce a similar product at the same price, but offered stellar customer service, you would see DJI lose a substantial percentage of it's customer base. Too bad the Karma failed, because Gopro had a loyal, well earned customer base, and those same customers would never have bought the Mavic over the Karma if it didnt have it design flaws and outdated design. I would be the first and I am always on the lookout for new products that could eclipse what DJI is doing. I dont like being lied to repeatedly, or having my money held for months while a company got caught up with their paperwork.

Nearly every major company I've dealt with in the last year or 2 has blown delivery dates to some extent, so it's not really that surprising anymore. That's "modern marketing" for you...

So what youre saying is that you've gotten used to being treated like this, so it's the new norm. I couldnt disagree more. It's every buyers right to expect accurate delivery times, and to expect full disclosure by the company about when it's release timeline has changed. Im shocked that of the tens of millions of dollars of customers money that DJI held for months back in 2016, they werent brought up on charges of larceny. I thought the company would have learned not to take peoples money in advance before having a hard, solid release date, but DJI is still doing it again with the Spark. Ok, pay us now, and the expected release date is June 15. To the average buyer, he will expect his drone to be delivered on that date. In DJI's world, they determine customer demand by taking peoples money in what they deem a "preorder," but not knowing when they will actually be able to meet that demand is deception. It would be acceptable to allow a customer to preorder and not pay anything, and that would allow DJI to determine what demand they will have to meet. But, no, DJI again demands prepayment, and they will tell you when youre drone is ready to ship. You have no input except to cancel your order, which payment DJI could have held for months already. Some customers know already that the first Sparks to ship will be the flyless arctic white. But DJI doesnt tell their customers this, you can only find out by going on the forums. Bad business, and money hungry mindset.

That makes absolutely no sense. Why should someone need buy them or take a share in the company to do that? They can just hire some good employees or consultants to help fix things in lacking areas, no selling or sharing equity involved. Or simply just start caring about it a bit more, because IMO they know full well about the issues, just are taking a well informed decision that for their business it is not the most important thing currently needed because [see above].

It doesnt make sense to you because you have become accustomed to, and maybe enjoy, being treated unfairly, as you mention above, "it's not really that surprising anymore." There's a term for that and it's called Stockholm Syndrome. When you have a leader of a company whose business ethics are morally and ethically corrupt, but his products are stellar, there needs to be a change. He is the wrong person to still be running the company, but he should be allowed to keep his designs competitive.

You ask why a company should be taken over by another company when it could simply hire competent help itself? Simple answer. DJI doesnt think like that. They have had years to hire competent organizational staff, but instead decided to ply all their funding into looking forward with new designs. They dont think they have a problem with their organization, but they do, and thats the problem. They are so busy dreaming, planning for the future, being competitive, and destroying their competition that they refuse to acknowledge that they have the worst customer service in the industry.

This statement you wrote really got me. "...because IMO they know full well about the issues, just are taking a well informed decision that for their business it is not the most important thing currently needed." In other words, screw the customers who have complaints, pocket as much money as DJI can, and move forward with new products instead of looking back and taking care of the very customers who have made your company what it is. A recipe for disaster, but DJI's day of reckoning has not come yet. Nothing lasts forever, and people remember how you treated them.
 
Nice rant - I agree with a lot of it. (But Lilly are returning deposits from what I've read).

Customer Support is very difficult with such products. They are complex.

I believe the MP was rushed to the finish line due to the Karma. It would have been better to just let the Karma have its day in the sun (and that's not just hindsight). If the MP had been announced and released 6 months later it still would have taken the market it has.

DJI may have learned from their mistakes. The Goggles released, pre-ordered, delivered as promised (as far as I know) and I haven't heard of any issues yet. Not sure if regular orders have begun shipping.

The Spark seems to be on the same path for a smooth release.

Maybe DJI have learned that if they release a solid product then it will not come back to overwhelm CS.

DJI CS does work. Slowly. And it's all the inter-silo delays that are the most frustrating. I've worked in companies to accelerate production and 99% of the acceleration came from eliminating dead time between processes. In most cases this just meant better communications and planning between one process and the next.

DJI is indisputably the king of small drones. Hopefully they become crown prince's of support.

What bothers me the most are the after service surveys that ask all of the wrong questions. Without proper feedback, they can't correct what is wrong.

A good sign is perhaps the move to Cerritos, CA. Hopefully a larger facility with more technicians and support people to get the stuff moving.

I'm a happy camper at present. Two fully functioning drones and great goggles.

Hopefully it stays that way and we get better weather and my various SFOC's come through soon.
 
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If his dream was to make as much money as he can while delivering horrendous customer service, and treating his customers like second class citizens when they need something, I congratulate him, he has succeeded. DJI has been living his dream while creating a nightmare for a good number of his customers. Having people throw money at you to get your new product is not the only measure of success. In the real world you need to take care of those customers as well. Having customers order your new product only to be told that it's not yet available and "we dont know when production will catch up with demand, we will just keep your money until we decide we are ready" does not make for a hugely successful business. A good drug dealer can be hugely successful and people line up to buy his product because they are addicted, but that doesnt make the drug dealer a saint, usually the other way around. DJI has the worst reputation for customer service in the industry. Need a few member names? Ask @AlanTheBeast, @kona, and even your own posting on @Caser41 problem of simply trying to get his drone back from repair, when DJI sent it to the wrong person, is ludicrous treatment of it's customers.



I guess Im barking up the wrong tree here trying to explain business ethics to you. After all, the title of this thread is, "Will DJI Spark be the Catalyst for Total Market Domination?,: and total market domination usually refers to a company's victory in establishing itself as #1 in it's field. DJI has established itself due to the brilliant design of it's products, not it's treatment of customers. You "doubt that support matters hurt their bottom line with any significance", spoken like a true dictator, tyrant or monopoly interested in only looking forward and making as much money as it can while ignoring their most important asset, their customers, big and small. If DJI were more interested in their customers, most of the posts on this board would not exist complaining about how they were treated by DJI.



Again, that is only one measure of success. A truly successful company cant focus on one aspect of the business while ignoring another, just as important, aspect. DJI has repeat customer business, but as for customer loyalty, if another company were to come along and produce a similar product at the same price, but offered stellar customer service, you would see DJI lose a substantial percentage of it's customer base. Too bad the Karma failed, because Gopro had a loyal, well earned customer base, and those same customers would never have bought the Mavic over the Karma if it didnt have it design flaws and outdated design. I would be the first and I am always on the lookout for new products that could eclipse what DJI is doing. I dont like being lied to repeatedly, or having my money held for months while a company got caught up with their paperwork.



So what youre saying is that you've gotten used to being treated like this, so it's the new norm. I couldnt disagree more. It's every buyers right to expect accurate delivery times, and to expect full disclosure by the company about when it's release timeline has changed. Im shocked that of the tens of millions of dollars of customers money that DJI held for months back in 2016, they werent brought up on charges of larceny. I thought the company would have learned not to take peoples money in advance before having a hard, solid release date, but DJI is still doing it again with the Spark. Ok, pay us now, and the expected release date is June 15. To the average buyer, he will expect his drone to be delivered on that date. In DJI's world, they determine customer demand by taking peoples money in what they deem a "preorder," but not knowing when they will actually be able to meet that demand is deception. It would be acceptable to allow a customer to preorder and not pay anything, and that would allow DJI to determine what demand they will have to meet. But, no, DJI again demands prepayment, and they will tell you when youre drone is ready to ship. You have no input except to cancel your order, which payment DJI could have held for months already. Some customers know already that the first Sparks to ship will be the flyless arctic white. But DJI doesnt tell their customers this, you can only find out by going on the forums. Bad business, and money hungry mindset.



It doesnt make sense to you because you have become accustomed to, and maybe enjoy, being treated unfairly, as you mention above, "it's not really that surprising anymore." There's a term for that and it's called Stockholm Syndrome. When you have a leader of a company whose business ethics are morally and ethically corrupt, but his products are stellar, there needs to be a change. He is the wrong person to still be running the company, but he should be allowed to keep his designs competitive.

You ask why a company should be taken over by another company when it could simply hire competent help itself? Simple answer. DJI doesnt think like that. They have had years to hire competent organizational staff, but instead decided to ply all their funding into looking forward with new designs. They dont think they have a problem with their organization, but they do, and thats the problem. They are so busy dreaming, planning for the future, being competitive, and destroying their competition that they refuse to acknowledge that they have the worst customer service in the industry.

This statement you wrote really got me. "...because IMO they know full well about the issues, just are taking a well informed decision that for their business it is not the most important thing currently needed." In other words, screw the customers who have complaints, pocket as much money as DJI can, and move forward with new products instead of looking back and taking care of the very customers who have made your company what it is. A recipe for disaster, but DJI's day of reckoning has not come yet. Nothing lasts forever, and people remember how you treated them.



ThunderDrones , You said it the best !!!!!

"A company whose business ethics are morally and ethically corrupt"
"DJI's day of reckoning has not come yet. Nothing lasts forever", and people remember how you treated them"

Don't get your feathers ruffled over what he said ...... He's just trying to get you to accept his and DJI's BS knowing that you know its crap. he's just another, Damage Control agent Chan lolllllll
FlySafe-FlyFree
 
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DJI is the only game in town. The Mavic Pro is an amazing craft and they will continue to make it better and better. A decade ago I used to fly Align helicopters and I never would have imagined a product like the Mavic or the Spark. Blown shipping times? Yep, it happened. Bad customer support? Yep, that is correct also. But if you want to purchase a ready to fly drone at Best Buy this is the company that makes it happen. When I would fly helicopters they were always breaking or needing parts and the parts were not always great quality. But, that is just how it was. I know that many people have had poor experiences with DJI but face it- they make the best products and they keep pushing themselves to make even better products. When you really think about the concept of a flying craft that can go forty miles an hour and fold up into a smaller footprint, with 4K video and a four mile range. Not for five grand, but for one thousand dollars. Truly fantastic times we are living in. My two cents.
 
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When you really think about the concept of a flying craft that can go forty miles an hour and fold up into a smaller footprint, with 4K video and a four mile range. Not for five grand, but for one thousand dollars. Truly fantastic times we are living in.

I totally agree with you here. I think the Mavic could have sold for $1999 or at least $1499 for the flyless and would have sold almost as many at that price if it were not for the Gopro Karma's release.

A decade ago I used to fly Align helicopters... When I would fly helicopters they were always breaking or needing parts and the parts were not always great quality. But, that is just how it was.

Yes, but the big difference is that Align sold every little screw on the heli, and parts were readily available at Hobbytown! I always thought Aligns parts were pretty good quality for OEM, and I have owned multiple copies of every heli Align ever made. Prior to them I owned JR's and Raptors, and they even sold the smaller parts. DJI just doesnt sell repair parts like they should. They leave it to the generic aftermarket to fill the hole, and what you end up with is 1000 generic companies supplying substandard parts. Luckily there are companies like @fstop.labs who care about their products and they are able to supply repairs shops and DIYers with what they need to get up and flying again, instead of waiting 6 weeks to get your drone back from DJI.

I like to hear from ex-heli guys about their new experiences with DJI products. These drones are a quantum leap from the old days and trying to tweak a nitro motor, and adjust blade pitch and balance. These days all you have to do is charge and go.

I think DJI should release a 3d capable drone like the Traxxas Aton so that ex 3d heli guys would have something to crash more often. These Mavics are just too stable for that kind of thing.
 
I totally agree with you here. I think the Mavic could have sold for $1999 or at least $1499 for the flyless and would have sold almost as many at that price if it were not for the Gopro Karma's release.



Yes, but the big difference is that Align sold every little screw on the heli, and parts were readily available at Hobbytown! I always thought Aligns parts were pretty good quality for OEM, and I have owned multiple copies of every heli Align ever made. Prior to them I owned JR's and Raptors, and they even sold the smaller parts. DJI just doesnt sell repair parts like they should. They leave it to the generic aftermarket to fill the hole, and what you end up with is 1000 generic companies supplying substandard parts. Luckily there are companies like @fstop.labs who care about their products and they are able to supply repairs shops and DIYers with what they need to get up and flying again, instead of waiting 6 weeks to get your drone back from DJI.

I like to hear from ex-heli guys about their new experiences with DJI products. These drones are a quantum leap from the old days and trying to tweak a nitro motor, and adjust blade pitch and balance. These days all you have to do is charge and go.

I think DJI should release a 3d capable drone like the Traxxas Aton so that ex 3d heli guys would have something to crash more often. These Mavics are just too stable for that kind of thing.
Old an sill a Heli guy here ;) Drone's in general not just DJI drones were a monstrous leap in technology compared to helicopters back in the day , parts were an issue that's why I began making my own parts with a mini lathe.
What made the big difference was the multi axis gyro and GPS application in drones while the helicopter back then had only a 1 axis gyro if you were lucky and with no GPS , Flying a helicopter with a 1 axis gyro that was used for horizontal L/R direction is almost the same as flying without a gyro . The easiest way I can explain it to you is : A Helicopter flying characteristic's without gyro or GPS is like : Picture a spinning Disk like a frizz-bee with no front, back, left or right sides to it hovering in front of you , the slightest wind or control input will send it off and to stop it you have to counter the direction it is going in with out over controlling it , even If you pushed on it , off it goes --- it may sound simple to control however trust me it's not --- The single axis gyro for L/R was applied to help keep the helicopter oriented to hover
or fly in a straight direction when wind or outside force would hit it from the left or right sides --- just getting it up into the air too hover in place without crashing by adjusting the directional trims is a challenge in itself. Too simply put it, without a gyro system a drone will be impossible to fly
Now helicopters have multi axis gyros and GPS there flight characteristic's are similar to a Drones but in my opinion just not as stable you still have to be on ya toe's
I would love to see a 3D Mavic model
Hope I explained it simple enough to be understood ?
 
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Old an sill a Heli guy here ;) Drone's in general not just DJI drones were a monstrous leap in technology compared to helicopters back in the day , parts were an issue that's why I began making my own parts with a mini lathe.
What made the big difference was the multi axis gyro and GPS application in drones while the helicopter back then had only a 1 axis gyro if you were lucky and with no GPS , Flying a helicopter with a 1 axis gyro that was used for horizontal L/R direction is almost the same as flying without a gyro . The easiest way I can explain it to you is : A Helicopter flying characteristic's without gyro or GPS is like : Picture a spinning Disk like a frizz-bee with no front, back, left or right sides to it hovering in front of you , the slightest wind or control input will send it off and to stop it you have to counter the direction it is going in with out over controlling it , even If you pushed on it , off it goes --- it may sound simple to control however trust me it's not --- The single axis gyro for L/R was applied to help keep the helicopter oriented to hover
or fly in a straight direction when wind or outside force would hit it from the left or right sides --- just getting it up into the air too hover in place without crashing by adjusting the directional trims is a challenge in itself. Too simply put it, without a gyro system a drone will be impossible to fly
Now helicopters have multi axis gyros and GPS there flight characteristic's are similar to a Drones but in my opinion just not as stable you still have to be on ya toe's
I would love to see a 3D Mavic model
Hope I explained it simple enough to be understood ?


I understand exactly what you wrote and it makes perfect sense.
 
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