Actually read this book a while ago, but just now getting to the review.
Some very good ideas here, in particular the quick reference material: The Hatrix. If I have one takeaway, its the value of recognizing the differing needs of ‘onstage haters’ and ‘offstage haters.’
Since I’ve worked in WordPress support both privately and publicly, most of the examples were like familiar friends to me. But there’s a lot of value to quickly noting to yourself: is this hater looking for me to solve a problem? Or are they looking for an audience to validate their feelings?
Neither is really wrong. I definitely agree with Seth Godin that if you think it’s broken, it’s broken. But identifying the source of the interaction is important in helping to make that hater feel a sense of resolution.
This book validated a lot of ways we support customers at Automattic. It felt like we’re doing things right (except that, like a lot of companies, we’re still too slow to respond due to overwhelming demand.)
The writing is less solid. If I wasn’t interested in the topic I wouldn’t have finished this. But the ideas are good. So if nothing else, borrow it, skim it, then go back and re-read the pages that seem to impact your company the most.
Hug Your Haters by Jay Baer, part of my 2017 Reading
Alex Gustafson 