Loyalty? Not so much

Sorry for the Twitter rant, but one of my favorite applications on my iPhone recently went through a massive overhaul, and in doing so created a better product. Kudos to Hootsuite for making something great even better. I liked the look of it, so I paid the $1.99 or whatever it was for the application, and I enjoyed using it as I found he interface to be such that enabled me to use Twitter in a whole new way. Here is where it gets sticky...with the upgrade, they made it so you had to purchase the "New & Improved Hootsuite...sure there is still a free version of it, but many of the functions you had in the previous version were gone or not available in that version.

Uggh, so here it is...Hootsuite upgraded their software (which is to be expected,) but then to turn around and essentially screw their existing customers (who paid for the app already) by charging them again for the app is about the stupidest thing ever. Here is where Hootsuite went wrong IMHO...They had an existing fan base...a group of users who loved the product...a group who talks to each other and promotes your product...so why on earth would you turn your back on those people and not offer that generation of early adopters a free upgrade?? Chances are, they are going to talk about the improved services, application, etc etc etc. But now, they have gone elsewhere. I have! Way to crap the bed Hootsuite!! You've lost me as a customer, and where I may not have mean that much to you overall, it makes me feel better to give you the Proverbial Bird!