Quote -     It's like a brick and mortar store grand opening with the cash registers on the fritz and shelves falling apart.  I mean, what is going on here :-S

 

That's funny... I said virtually the same thing... I can't find the thread at DAZ (who could) but luckily I wrote it on a notepad-like app an a tablet while I was out waiting for someone, so I had it saved... This was probably about two and a half weeks into the site change:

"I feel bad saying negative things about this whole site revamp, but the whole thing feels odd...
Hard to describe exactly, but it is like you used to go to the local book store, you knew everyone there, it was a pleasant atmosphere, soft lighting, nice music playing and you knew where all the books you liked were... and then one day you go back and.... The front door requires an entry keycode, the first floor is a coffee bar,the second floor a tattoo parlor and for some reason all the books are located on the third floor, there is now an escalator- but that only works sporadically, There is a different way that the books are organized that you don't really get, The lighting is SUPER bright, the music is acid fusion punk polka jazz played at high volume, and there does not really seem to be anywhere to sit... Oh, and the bathrooms are now located in the basement.
So now you kinda don't really feel so comfortable there... yeah, its just a store, you are really only there to buy books and leave... but part of the draw of THAT place was the fact that while you where there you would see your friends that also shopped there, you would talk about what books you where reading, you get curious and check out some of their selections you would joke around get a coffee or tea at the snack counter and feel at home... yeah, the coffee bar is bigger and right at the first floor, but there are no more seats- only stools at counters... there are more stools but stools are not like chairs, you wonder why the books are are on the first Third floor (you get maybe, the coffee bar draws in people who just want coffee, but why a tattoo parlor in a bookstore and why on the second floor instead of the third?... in case people did not realize the store had one or that they themselves might want a tattoo? building code?), Yeah the stark bright lights are cool in an Apple store but, in this setting they are too bright... The new filing system sounds cool but it really is a pain because it is a lot different from the old one... The old book club you used to belong to has changed too and now you have to spend your coupon all at once or lose your remaining credit... you are not too crazy about that either and don't really see a reason for that...
You are not really mad at the owner... but you just feel kind of out of place... is it nitpicking or just disliking change?
When the owner said they were gonna fix the place up you said to yourself, "I hope this goes well... sounds like it shouldn't be so bad..."
Now you just feel sorta disappointed.
Ah, its just a store what's the big deal, right... you don't care when the supermarket moves the dairy section around or the beer is with the soda... why should this be a big deal?"

That was a couple of weeks ago (I guess). Since then I have learned a bit about the nature of the software they chose (if that is indeed is REALLY the software)... I have come across numerous articles that warn small businesses against going live before working out the bugs and at least having some familiarity with it first, most of the common (store) complaints and issues seem to more or less correlate with the ones DAZ has been or is experiencing. I would really hope they did at least a minimal amount of research before changing and where at least aware that these issues were quite possible, since I really did not have to expend a lot of time finding out about it. 

I've been to a lot of meeting where a client sat down and pulled out every stop to make their product's design process go smoothly and they still got screwed by bad luck and unforeseen events... and I've seen clients who obviously care nothing about results go against all sane advice and warnings to proceed in the direction of ruin and STILL get surprised by the results.... You never know what happens behind the scenes. Good luck to them and I hope they take stock in the value of the community they helped create.