I created Font Burner so that there would be a really simple way to add rich typography to your website. My philosophy is that you shouldn’t have to be a professional web designer to use fonts other than Times, Verdana, Arial, etc. on your site. I knew that font designers and font companies would be hesitant to this idea, but I had a (perhaps naive) optimism that the value of the growth of typography online would win over the industry players. I might have been wrong.

Since the launch of Font Burner last April I have had several conversations with Font business people and I can’t point to a single person who has shown any interest in embracing sIFR. At best, they are willing to turn a blind eye to the use of sIFR. At worst, they expect an additional payment for a special sIFR license.

Think about that for a second. You legally purchase a font. You can use it freely anywhere you want. In advertising, on television, in a book, on the side of a plane, in your logo, anywhere. But if you want to use this font on your website, stop the presses! Oh, no! If you want to use the font that YOU PAID FOR on your website you will have to purchase an additional license. That is ridiculous. It is greedy, plain and simple.

This type of restrictive stance is a symptom of an industry that is only interested in turning a profit. This became even more clear to me when I had some correspondence with a representative from a relatively unknown font distribution website. I won’t give them the satisfaction of a link or mentioning them by name.

I was approached by this company because they wanted to know if I would be interested in promoting their free font of the month. At first I thought it would be a mutually beneficial partnership. I would promote their free font of the month and in exchange they would let me use the font within the Font Burner system. But when the details of how the arrangement would work were explained, the obvious one-sided arrangement became apparent.

The company had no interest in letting me use their free font on Font Burner. In fact, they don’t allow the use of any of their fonts with sIFR to anyone without an additional license. Yes, you heard that correctly. You would have to buy a license to use a sIFR version of a font that they are GIVING AWAY FOR FREE! To quote:

We would not want our free font of the month posted to your site, either temporarily or permanently. Thus we were hoping that you would simply promote the free font, and link over to our site for users to download it.

Can you believe that? They expect me to promote their products and send traffic to their site without getting anything in return. They expect something for free in one breath and then in the next they refuse to loosen their restrictive policies in the slightest bit! I can’t use the very font that they want me to promote on my site without being in violation of their license! Unbelievable.

I will end this post with my response to this unscrupulous solicitor:

Thanks for clarifying your license restrictions. Unfortunately, I can’t endorse a company that takes such a limiting stance in regard to sIFR. I don’t agree with requiring additional licenses for using sIFR. If you purchase a font I believe you should legally be able to use it on your website without having to pay extra for that “luxury.” Frankly, I think you have more to gain from making it easier for people to use fonts online than by restricting them, but you guys have to run your business however you feel comfortable. Thanks again for contacting me, and keep me in mind if the licensing atmosphere loosens up at (campany name withheld).

I try to keep track of when inspiration hits me. If I am exercising or driving or reading or running when the idea comes, I make a note of it. If I could find a pattern to when I have my best ideas then maybe I could hot wire the system when I need it. Wouldn’t it be great if you had this kind of control over your mind? Knowing that you had to come up with a solution to a tough problem, you could just follow 5 easy steps.

Step 1: Skip breakfast.

Step 2: Take a 15 minute nap immediately after eating a chicken nugget value meal from McDonalds.

Step 3: When you wake up, surf the internet for rare b-sides from your favorite musician. Burn a cd of your new music and play it in your car while you drive.

Step 4: Stay up an hour later than you normally do and set your alarm for an hour earlier than you normally wake up.

Step 5: Wake up as normal, hitting the snooze twice, then take your daily shower. As you are washing your hair the solution will come to you. Guaranteed or your money back. Lather, rinse and repeat.

Do you have any routines or tricks that help you find inspiration? In reality we have very little control of when inspiration will hit us. After building Font Burner last year I went through several months of waiting for my next idea. All I could do was wait. I couldn’t force myself to think of something. My sketchbook, where I document my ideas went practically unused for most of the summer.

The idea for Phone Feedr came to me as I lay in bed around midnight. It kept me up for hours and I had the whole site completed in my mind by morning. All that was left was the execution. Since then I have felt like I am in a zone. One idea connects to another. Ideas that have been dormant for literally years have resurfaced thanks to a new insights. My sketchbook is active again and I feel like I have to write things down for fear of forgetting them. No joke, I had a dream that I was working on a website for work. In my dream I had added a feature that hadn’t even crossed my mind while I was awake. The next day I remembered the dream, and thought, “Wow, that is actually a pretty good idea.

I don’t want to sound like I some kind of a genius or anything. Most of my ideas are crap and I won’t know it until some time in the future when I can look back at them with objectivity. But that doesn’t matter. The thrill of creating something is my drug. There isn’t a better feeling than being in the zone, having ideas that build off each other.

So as I sort through my ideas and try to carve out time to pursue my projects I find myself sleeping less and working longer. This is another chance to try to find a pattern to my productivity. How does sleep affect the equation? Too much sleep and I am lazy and unambitious. Too little sleep and I am impatient and easily distracted. But at about six and a half hours of sleep I am on fire. My brain is dulled just enough to make connections that a fully alert and rational mind would skim over. It lingers on the thoughts a little longer, in slow motion, spinning them around and remixing them. For the visual graph-lovers out there, it looks something like the graph on the right. There is a sweet spot of sleep where creativity peaks. I have a feeling that this is the same reason why some people use drugs.

So I am looking forward to finishing some of these ideas up and sharing them here soon. I have a couple Wordpress plugins in the works. I also plan on releasing some Wordpress themes. I have a significant improvement to Font Burner on the way. Some iPhone related things, and some refinements for Phone Feedr. I am really excited about it all. Better get back to work.

Got the following letter today. As obvious as the advice in the letter is, It makes me feel good to know the police are doing this. What a great PR opportunity!

Dear Resident,

In an effort to reduce crime and assist you from becoming a victim of crime, the Evans Police Department has instituted a theft target program. If one of our officers identifies a possible easy target for theft, he/she will report it to my office. We then contact you by this letter, hopefully bringing the target to attention.

On 11-04-06 at 11:45 PM Officer Povsha of the Evans Police observed the garage door of your residence was open.

Our suggestion for reducing your chance of becoming a victim of crime is the following:

Make sure the residence/garage is locked and secure.

Please accept this letter strictly as a service from the Evans Police Department. It is our goal to make the community crime free.

If you have any questions or would like further information about our other Crime Prevention Programs, please contact us at 339-2441.

Sincerely,
Lee Carrillo
Interim Chief of Police

It seems like I have been complaining quite a bit lately about poor customer service so I thought I would share a more positive story with you for a change.

Yesterday at dinner, Betsy reminded me about a letter I received over a month ago from the Weld county jury commissioner. I was selected for jury duty and had totally forgot about it until Betsy mentioned it. I went looking for the jury summons, but I couldn’t find it. I remembered that the date was some time at the end of August but I couldn’t remember the day. Since the court meets on Wednesday and today was the last Wednesday of the month, I decided to go to the courthouse this morning and hope I got the day right.

I arrived at the courthouse on what they told me was probably one of the busiest days of the year. There were probably over one hundred jurors. As I stood in line, I was prepared for the worst. I have had several bad experiences with government offices in Weld county (mainly at the DMV), so I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Would I spend all day filling out paperwork? Would I get a ticket? Would I have to reschedule? They wouldn’t put me in jail, would they?

When I got to the front of the line, I was helped by Lanelle Coble-McEachron, the jury commissioner. I explained my situation and she said that since it was so hectic she didn’t have time to look up my name and number. She suggested that I serve my jury duty today, and I agreed. I filled out a form and before I knew it I was waiting in a room with the other jurors. Eventually we were ushered into the courtroom where we were interrogated by the attorneys. Eventually I was excused because apparently I didn’t fit the profile that the attorneys were looking for. I went looking for Lanelle and found her alone in her office. I reminded her of my situation and she looked me up in the computer. Sure enough my jury duty date was the 23rd. I had missed it. I was prepared to take whatever punishment she was going to hand out. What was going to be the penalty for my mistake? To my joy she removed the “failure to appear” flag from my name and told me my jury service was complete for the year.

I made an honest yet very stupid mistake and could have been punished. It was a pleasant surprise to be treated kindly in the face of my neglect. Lanelle was calm and friendly in the midst of a stressful situation. She was fair and kind in her response to my mistakes. She didn’t have to do that, and I thank her. I hope that some day she googles her name and finds this post!

I have had a few really bad customer service transactions lately. Buying a car was a nightmare. Next, despite a no soliciting sign on my front door, I was pressured by a home security salesman in my front yard for about a half hour until I walked away from him. Then I was being scammed by a company called Privacy Matters. Today, Aurora Loans, who services my home loan, was giving me problems. Perhaps someone can point me to an online resource where companies like these can be reported and exposed for their poor customer service skills. This should be public knowledge, and companies should fear the results from searches for terms like “Aurora Loan Services sucks” and the like. Here is the letter that I sent to Aurora Loans.

Dear Aurora Loan Services,

Thank you for calling me today to notify me that my July payment has not yet posted to my account. According to my records, I wrote and mailed check #2368 on June 25, 2006. I can only assume that you have made a clerical error and misplaced my payment. I understand that these mistakes happen, and as a courtesy to you, I made another payment online.

In talking to one of your customer service representatives today, I was troubled that he was unwilling to remove the late payment fee of $28.28 from my account. When I have been in similar situations with other companies, late fees have been quickly reversed as soon as the problem was corrected. In fact, I had a great experience with Wells Fargo who credited my account with $75 when they lost a check. I don’t expect to be reimbursed for this mistake, but I do expect you to reverse the late payment fee. I have done everything I can to correct the problem, so it appears to me that a refusal to remove the fee is a major customer service failure by your company.

I would also like to address the possibility that the Post Office may have lost the letter containing my payment. While this is a possibility, it seems much more likely that it is a clerical error on your part due to the exceptional reputation that the Post Office has for delivering the mail flawlessly. Therefore, I will not blame the post office and I will not accept that as your excuse for not processing my payment on time.

As you consider whether or not you will reverse the fee, please recognize my spotless record with your company as well as my prompt willingness to make a second payment immediately after learning of the situation.

I believe that customer service is a direct reflection of the integrity of a company. It is integrity (or lack there of) that I believe should be public knowledge. That is why I should alert you to the fact that this letter and your response will be posted online for public review. Please don’t feel threatened by this. By correcting this error, the online publicity has the potential to make you look very good. In the end, the $28.28 fee is not as important as the relationship I have with you and you have with your customers. Our reputations are formed one transaction at a time, and I am giving you the opportunity to correct the problem. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Adrian Hanft

Update 1: August 1st (six days after I faxed my request to Aurora Loans, I received this response:

Dear Borrower(s):

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the outstanding fee(s) balance on the above referenced loan.

A review of Aurora Loan Services (“Aurora”) records indicates the fee(s) was assessed in keeping with our servicing requirements. Enclosed is a payment history to verify the date(s) payment(s) was received, and the date(s) the fee(s) was assessed.

If you feel the fee(s) assessed by Aurora is in error, please forward copies of supporting documentation (i.e. cancelled check(s), overnight receipt(s)) to substantiate your request.

If we may be of further assistance, feel free to contact one of our Customer Service Representatives at the address above or by calling 800-550-0508.

Sincerely,
Rosie M. Chavez
Customer Service

Update 2: Here is my response to Rosie M. Chavez, sent on August 10, 2006:

Dear Rosie M. Chavez,

Thanks for your prompt response regarding my request for you to reevaluate your fee. I have attached the carbon copy of the check I wrote on June 27 and my bank statement showing that this check was never cashed. If this is insufficient evidence for you that I made the appropriate effort to make a payment on time, please let me know what else I can do. I would again like to point to the fact that I made the payment online as soon as I learned that you failed to process my payment on time.

As a side note, I was a bit disturbed by the impersonal tone of your response. I assume that you, Rosie, are a person, and I can’t understand why you wouldn’t treat me as real person. Form letters that don’t respond to any of the points of my correspondence are a poor example of customer service. Up until your false accusation that I didn’t make a payment on time, I was one of your best customers with a spotless record. I feel I deserve a little more respect than the letter you sent me.

Sincerely
Adrian Hanft
Customer Expecting Service

Update 3: August 28th

Today I learned that my effort payed off. Aurora Loan Services agreed to waive the late charge. Thanks, Aurora Loans for doing the right thing. Here is their reponse:

Dear Borrower(s):

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the above referenced loan.

Aurora Loan Services has agreed to waive the late charge assessed on July 17, 2006 as a one time courtesy.

The amount of 28.28 will be applied as a principal payment.

If we may be of further assistence, feel free to contact our Customer Service Department at the address above or by calling 800-550-0508.

Sincerely,
Rosie M. Chavez
Customer Service

I promised to tell you about my encounter with Privacy Matters. While balancing my checkbook, I noticed two charges for $14.95 made on the 5th of two consecutive months. There was an 800 number listed on the statement so I called the number. The conversation went something like this. I wish I could have recorded it:

Me: Hi, I am calling about a couple charges made to my checking account by your company. I never signed up for anything with your company, and I think it may be identity theft or some sort of fraud.

Privacy Matters: Let me check my records… It shows that Elizabeth signed up for our service through Vista Print.

Me: Mister Int? What?

Privacy Matters: VIS TA PRINT

Me: I can’t understand you, is that a person’s name?

Privacy Matters: No, Vista Print is a company. V-I-S-T-A P-R-I-N-T.

Me: What do they do?

Privacy Matters: I don’t know, sir.

Me: Well, anyway, we never signed up for your services, so please cancel my account and reverse the charges.

Privacy Matters: I will be happy to cancel your membership, and refund the most recent charge. I can’t reverse the second charge because it was made too long ago.

Me: Well, I am telling you that I never signed up for an account, why can’t you refund the charge?

Privacy Matters: Whether you used our service or not, it was still available for you at that time, and you still have to pay for it?

Me: Even if I didn’t sign up for your service?

Privacy Matters: Yes, sir.

Me: What service have I been getting for the past two months? What exactly do you do?

Privacy Matters: We provide… [I can't remember everything he said] …and identity theft protection for $20,000.

Me: Identity theft? That is what I am telling you must have happened to me. Why would someone sign up for an account with you in my name?

Privacy Matters: They didn’t, it was signed up in your wife’s name.

Me: I told you, my wife didn’t sign up for this. That is what identity theft is, when someone uses your name. Your company offers identity theft protection, and you don’t even know what identity theft is? You don’t believe your customers when they tell you identity theft occurs?

Privacy Matters: It shows in our records that Elizabeth signed up through Bistec.

Me: I am telling you that if that is true, it was fraud. Does this happen often? Why would someone sign up with your company in my name? What would that person gain from doing that?

Privacy Matters: Nothing.

Me: So if I didn’t sign up for an account with you, and it is unlikely that someone would sign up under my name, the only person who is gaining anything out of this transaction is you because you won’t refund the charges you made to my account. I have never received a letter, or an email, or anything from your company. It seems like a scam.

Privacy Matters: It is not a scam sir.

Me: Then refund my money.

Privacy Matters: I can’t do that, sir.

Me: Let me talk to your manager.

Privacy Matters: He can’t help you, either.

Me: Either this was identity theft, or you are scamming me. Either way, I am going to report this to my bank, and they will investigate it. If I have to, I will file charges against you. Are you sure there is nothing you can do?

Privacy Matters: I will talk to my manager… [silence] …I explained the situation to my manager, and he authorized me to credit your account with the second charge. I have canceled your account. Is there anything else I can do for you?

Me: No. Thank you.

Privacy Matters did refund my money, but only after a great struggle. Later, I found out that Betsy made a purchase from vistaprint.com, but she never signed up for anything with Privacy Matters. I would suggest that you avoid both of these companies, just to be safe. If something like this happens to you, report it to your bank.