Yesterday an open letter to RIM by a high-level executive was published by Boy Genius Report, and it seemed to mirror the sentiment that many BlackBerry fans have been airing for years. The lack of confidence in that particular RIM employee is probably rampant amongst other employees and perhaps even other executives. RIM and the BlackBerry brand have been struggling to please customers, despite the numbers and earnings figures they keep throwing out to the public, and it seems that someone finally broke.
RIM responded to the letter, however, mostly denying its authenticity, but acknowledging the issues within the letter as items that are being addressed internally. It wasn’t a very convincing response, but in RIM’s defense, the letter might have come from left field. But that might be part of the problem, it shouldn’t have been as big a surprise as it was.
However, the letter apparently sparked other RIM employees to do the same, and BGR was inundated with e-mails from current and former employees who feel the same way about the company and BlackBerry as a brand. One of the anonymous letters from a previous employee says:
My first week started with a complete change in my title and duties without anyone telling me, and when I dared ask what was happening, the director (my boss) and her BFF the OD business partner ganged up on me and threatened to let me go, setting the tone for the remainder of my time there.
BGR claims that the veracity of these letters have been confirmed, and it seems to shed a little more light into the corporate culture at RIM.
The main issue that RIM needs to address is its internal affairs, especially if employees are willing to air dirty laundry to the press. The company has never been particularly good about controlling information and product leaks, but perhaps these recent events might be a wake up call. The BlackBerry maker doesn’t need to just address its customer’s evolving wants and needs, but it needs to treat its employees a little differently, too. Apparently.
[Via: BGR]