Ancestry & FMP search comparisons

[Bob Spiers]

Unfortunately it doesn't always work like that - have a look at the reviews for Findmypast at TrustPilot (that's when I realised just how dangerous misinformed whinging could be).

Yes had a look at Trust pilot Findmypast reviews and indeed see they get a Bad 1.4 (out of 10 overall rating). Amazingly most are about subscriptions and continuous renewals, Customer Services and on being unable to find persons when carrying out a search. It makes sorry reading by I think FMP handled themselves well in their responses.

Apart from subscriptions which have never given me bother, I can certainly relate to poor customer services (mostly in the past it is true) and on innumerable occasions being unable to find persons sought (and such have been aired from time to time in the Forum and commented upon by Peter). FMP is nowhere near as bad as painted by Trust Pilot and to me is and likely always will be a valuable research aid and has made many improvements to its service. As they say with the National Lottery 'you have to be in it to win it' so it is with FMP. Best advice is to stay with it and learn how to use it and yes.....read Peter's advice notes if necessary.

 

[peter]

Bob, almost all the whinges and complaints that come to me are about other websites, some of which (the websites, I mean) I have mentioned in my newsletter, and some of which I haven't (often with good reason).

I therefore don't proceed on the basis that "the customer is always right" because that would be ludicrous - I need to know which are genuine grievances (so that, if necessary, I can warn other members), and which are simply misunderstandings (so that I can explain to the member concerned how they can do things differently).

 

[peter]

read Peter's advice notes if necessary

Since Findmypast themselves don't explain how to get the best results, reading my tips articles is possibly the only solution. It took me weeks to figure out the best strategy - most people simply don't have the patience (and in any case why bother, when I've already done it on their behalf?).

 

[Bob Spiers]

I therefore don't proceed on the basis that "the customer is always right" because that would be ludicrous

I've lost count of the number of times I have said that, yes truly, to those who were above me when I worked for a large national company; and be overruled in quite a short shrift manner. From this experience came the greater lesson that the customer believes he/she is right which led on to an understanding how best to handle the situation without the customer losing face. That is the most important lesson of all.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Since Findmypast themselves don't explain how to get the best results, reading my tips articles is possibly the only solution. It took me weeks to figure out the best strategy - most people simply don't have the patience (and in any case why bother, when I've already done it on their behalf?).

At the risk of you once again you telling me I am different, can I just say I do have the patience and believe in finding my own solutions. If and when I meet a brick wall then it is time to turn to seek the advice of others and if such exists, read the Manual!

 

[Alexander Bisset]

Unfortunately it doesn't always work like that - have a look at the reviews for Findmypast at TrustPilot (that's when I realised just how dangerous misinformed whinging could be).

The world is full of the mis-informed who blindly follow the flock rather than seeing out the truth for themselves. Knowing that people are ignorant doesn't diminish the suggestion that we should shine the light on truth and expose errors, if anything it amplifies the need to be open and engaging.

Mis-informed whinging is exactly that. Mis-informed. If someone posts mis-informed comments then I would be shocked if there aren't people equally vocally correcting them. I'd only ever be concerned about people airing their views if they were derogatory of others. However an open honest exchange of views is usually the only way to clear the air. Keeping things hidden and suppressed is almost always a bad thing.

 

[peter]

I've lost count of the number of times I have said that, yes truly, to those who were above me when I worked for a large national company; and be overruled in quite a short shrift manner. From this experience came the greater lesson that the customer believes he/she is right which led on to an understanding how best to handle the situation without the customer losing face. That is the most important lesson of all.

Unfortunately when you say things like "the customer is always right" people tend to believe them - especially customers. As a result their expectations can be sky-high and, even with the best will in the world, impossible to meet.

For me the most important lesson is that problems are like icebergs - for every customer who complains there are another 10 who don't bother. That's why when someone contacts me about a problem, whether at LostCousins or any other site, I try to find out as much as I can about the problem, rather than simply focusing on making the customer 'happy'.

 

[Alexander Bisset]

when someone contacts me about a problem, whether at LostCousins or any other site, I try to find out as much as I can about the problem, rather than simply focusing on making the customer 'happy'.

A good philosophy and sadly not one usually prevalent in today's customer support environments where the focus is usually on number of calls processed that can be checked off as complete within the "acceptable timeframe" rather than actually getting to the root cause of the issue so that others don't have the problem in the first place.

 

[Britjan]

I don't think anyone has mentioned that "Findmypast" has a free weekend coming up and I quote ......
"Free access lasts from 12:00pm midday (GMT) on Friday 6th March 2015 until 11:59am (GMT) on Monday 9th March 2015. To access the records you will need to be signed in at Findmypast: you can register for free using your name, email address and country of residence. The free access excludes the UK Electoral Registers (2002-2013) and the UK Companies House Directors (2002-2013) record sets. Current Findmypast Local subscribers (whilst they have an active Britain, Ireland, US & Canada or Australia & New Zealand subscription) will be able to access all World records (except those listed above) while the free access is live. Current Findmypast World subscribers (with active World subscriptions expiring after 11:59pm (GMT) on Friday 6th March 2015, excluding Findmypast Library accounts) will have an additional three days added on to their subscription. Free access is subject to our fair usage policy: each account may view up to a maximum of 1,000 records per day."
In addition in honour of International Women's Day on March 8 at 3pm GMT they are also hosting a webinar on searching for women in their records.

 

[peter]

I don't think anyone has mentioned that "Findmypast" has a free weekend coming up and I quote ......
"Free access lasts from 12:00pm midday (GMT) on Friday 6th March 2015 until 11:59am (GMT) on Monday 9th March 2015. To access the records you will need to be signed in at Findmypast: you can register for free using your name, email address and country of residence. The free access excludes the UK Electoral Registers (2002-2013) and the UK Companies House Directors (2002-2013) record sets. Current Findmypast Local subscribers (whilst they have an active Britain, Ireland, US & Canada or Australia & New Zealand subscription) will be able to access all World records (except those listed above) while the free access is live. Current Findmypast World subscribers (with active World subscriptions expiring after 11:59pm (GMT) on Friday 6th March 2015, excluding Findmypast Library accounts) will have an additional three days added on to their subscription. Free access is subject to our fair usage policy: each account may view up to a maximum of 1,000 records per day."
In addition in honour of International Women's Day on March 8 at 3pm GMT they are also hosting a webinar on searching for women in their records.

See my latest newsletter.

 

[emjay]

A widely publicised event, including emails from Genes Reunited...expect heavy traffic!

 

[Marguerite]

At least I have got 2 (they say 3 free days tacked on to my World monthly subscription.

 

[Bob Spiers]

A widely publicised event, including emails from Genes Reunited...expect heavy traffic!

How very true! I think I must be off my trolley as someone retired with a World subscription who tried to use FMP over a free weekend. I needed some information from the USA Censuses of 1900 and onwards to fill in some detail in my on-going Story and decided it could not wait. I was seeking a Great Aunt who emigrated in 1895 and who (I believe) lived in New York State. Navigating in FMP to the right 1900 USA Census page was no problem but the search took for ever, or the page froze, or produced an error message time after time. I knew it was nothing but heavy internet traffic a bit like motoring on the M25 on a Saturday morning. So I came out and left it a couple of hours.

Things improved somewhat but then I had to overcome the intricacies of FMP search techniques with the less is best in mind. I met success when I switched from searching for my Aunt and changed it to her spouse and omitted other family members. I found them and learned the area of New York state and this proved successful in both 1910 & 1920 but after several aborted time outs. In the end I even found them in 1930 where they had moved to Philadelphia by use of some open search techniques. I had no luck with death registrations but that can wait another time.

If my timed-out experiences are anything to go by an awful lot of people responded to the free weekend I just hope the extended wait times did not put them off.

 

[emjay]

Yes it has certainly tested my various search techniques. With excessive talking-to events taking place!