Credit Where Credit Is Due

February 1st, 2008

Fog Creek Software are the makers of the fine FogBugz bug tracking system, which I have started using for managing my own projects. You probably also know one of its founders, Joel Spolsky, as the author of an entertaining and informative blog about programming, and other software business-y stuff.

Today, Fog Creek posted an item to their new network status blog, confessing that 14 users had been overcharged for Copilot in January. Everything’s OK, these users are being refunded for the overcharge. The problem is resolved. And yet, Fog Creek chose to publicize the mistake anyway.

Fog Creek obviously recognizes that you earn the respect of customers when you’re willing to admit to thousands (hundreds of thousands?) that you screwed up, even if only 14 were actually affected.

Bravo, Fog Creek.

The reason I’m blogging this is because, well, I like Fog Creek, but also because I think heaping praise on companies that do the right thing is the best way to encourage other companies to follow suit.

3 Responses to “Credit Where Credit Is Due”

  1. pauldwaite Says:

    Word.

    Do you use their hosted FogBugz, or have you got it installed on your own server?

  2. Jan Says:

    “The reason I”™m blogging this is because, well, I like Fog Creek, but also because I think heaping praise on companies that do the right thing is the best way to encourage other companies to follow suit.”

    And the reason that you’ve had a hand in Copilot for the Mac? :-) Or am I way off?

  3. Colin Gislason Says:

    It certainly is a brave thing to do. Not many companies would be so open.

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