Model O Post-Launch Analysis and Public Transparency Report
Shazim M
June 20, 2019
Photo credit: @ChandlerBeers
With the first month of the Model O launch behind us, I wanted to take some time and discuss how it all went. You've all been instrumental in our success, and I feel an obligation to provide as much transparency as possible.
Saying it’s been a wild ride would be a massive understatement. Glorious has grown fairly rapidly over the last several years, but the past few months have been truly explosive. Even knowing the high pre-launch hype, we were blown away by the momentum of the takeoff.
Once some of the reviewers we’ve followed for years started saying things like, “This might be the best gaming mouse I’ve ever used”, we knew we’d achieved something special.
For most, the Model O is just a mouse. But for some, it’s a big step in the right direction - a symbol of support for enthusiast gamers in an industry that typically only sees them as future dollar signs. We’re honored that so many people have stood behind both this product and our small brand.
Of course, as a still young company, there have been plenty of hiccups and lessons learned throughout the process (some of which most companies will probably never have to deal with). All of this has kept us on our toes, and we’re better off for it.
Over the past several weeks, our staff has grown more than 3X. Numerous international partnerships have been signed, many more are in the works. Development on new projects continues at full speed. We have some BIG plans in the works, and we’re excited to make you a part of it.
Performance
To date, we have shipped tens of thousands of Model O units to over 120 countries.
More than 80% of people who reserved units completed their orders through our site (and a fair number opted to purchase from international retailers instead). Initial stock was sold out from our store within the first week. We recently shipped out Wave 3 backorders, with a big supply shipment due to arrive next month.
We remain committed to our promise to keep the Model O accessible & in-stock; we are very close to that goal.
Between rave customer reviews, international attention, and volume of distribution... along with a marketing budget close to $0… we can officially mark this launch as an unequivocal success.
Quality Control
From day 1 of development, quality was a top priority. We were determined to do this right regardless of cost. Even as hype pressure mounted, we delayed launch until we could ensure every detail of the mouse was as close to perfect as we could get it.
For future reference, we will always put quality over a launch date estimate.
We pushed our suppliers well beyond the industry-standard QC benchmarks, and hired additional auditing staff to ensure things went smoothly.
From a QC standpoint, the Model O exceeded both manufacturer benchmarks and our own expectations. The confirmed defect rate has been less than 1% of the tens of thousands of units already shipped and delivered.
The 2 most commonly user-reported issues have been “loose mouse buttons", and “sidewall clicks”. However, the vast majority of reports we’ve examined have been well within acceptable limits for even strenuous gaming use.
That said, although the actual defect rate is very small, a relatively high percentage of those customers did seem to post about their issues on Reddit and other social media. This is one of the unique issues I mentioned earlier, and no doubt a direct result of the hype & high expectations surrounding this release.
The upside to these posts was that it kept customers on the look-out for defects, and allowed us to proactively track potential new issues.
The downside was that some of these public posts caused a degree of unwarranted panic, compelling certain customers to test their mice well beyond the limits of reasonable gaming use. We received numerous videos of users violently grabbing & wiggling their buttons, or squeezing their sidewalls with enough force to crush a watermelon. Don't do this.
However, a small portion of units did in fact exhibit real defects which could affect gameplay - all of these were handled by our CS staff. If you think your unit may have a genuine defect, we encourage you to contact our support team so we can handle the issue.
Quality remains a paramount concern for our company. We are diligently logging any reported issue, and are actively working with our suppliers to further reduce the defect rate. Model O will continue to improve with each supply run.
Shipping & Logistics
After receiving an extremely high volume of reservations, we expanded our fulfillment operations in preparation for the launch. This included adding new warehouses across the US, ramping up staffing, and partnering with new international distributors.
We were able to ship over 95% of units out within the 5 business day target timeframe.
One issue we frequently encountered was with some customers confusing the 5 day order fulfillment estimate as a 5 day delivery estimate - thus expecting their orders sooner. We are clarifying the language in our communication to hopefully help reduce future confusion.
The majority of orders exceeding the time frame were affected by relatively brief, but unavoidable delays caused by the Memorial Day holiday weekend (and in many cases, customers not seeing their shipment confirmation email).
One of the biggest challenges we’ve encountered has been with carriers giving delayed or inadequate tracking information to recipients. This can create a lot of confusion and anxiety for customers. Unfortunately, we don’t have control over carriers’ tracking systems, but we’re exploring all options that could help keep customers informed.
We have plans for more expansion of our logistics operations to further reduce order processing times, increase customer awareness, and improve overall customer experience during periods of high volume.
Distribution Network
To make our products more accessible to international customers, we’ve been working diligently to expand our network of international distributors (and the retailers they work with).
Since the Model O launch, we’ve received orders from over 20+ new distributors around the world. Many of these will soon carry the full suite of Glorious products if they don’t already. We’ve also recently added Microcenter as our current sole US-based brick & mortar retailer.
We continue to seek out new international distributors in regions of high customer interest as we expand global operations.
Customer Support
If you’ve followed Glorious for any period of time, you’ll know that one of our calling cards has always been delivering fast, responsive, and knowledgeable customer support. We hate long wait times and automated support as much as you do. Before this launch, our typical support response time was less than 24 hours.
We scaled the support team in anticipation of a large influx of tickets. However, this was initially still not enough. The volume of support inquiries far outpaced the typical percentage of order volume. At highest volume, average support response times went up to around 60 hours.
This appeared to be another instance of a unique side effect of the unprecedented popularity of this launch.
With customer anticipation far above typical levels, we received a much higher than normal percentage of tickets from customers inquiring about their order status prior to given estimates, checking if they were on backorder, or asking about delayed tracking updates from the carrier (things covered in our FAQs). We took this uptick as a signal for us to improve our communications throughout the ordering & fulfillment process.
Unfortunately, we also encountered many people trying to abuse the RMA system.
This included attempts to get a free mouse by emailing support videos already publicly posted on Reddit/Twitter (don’t do this btw, we’ll know). In other cases, we found a simple social media post could cause a domino effect of concerned customers submitting tickets to check on their own orders (i.e. Someone else in Canada already received their order, where is mine?”).
These types of tickets unfortunately flooded our support queue, creating some delays responding to higher priority tickets (such as lost items, actual dead on arrival units, defects etc.).
To help remedy these issues, we tripled the size of our existing support team in the last few weeks. We’ve had the support desk staffed 24/7 answering tickets and optimized prioritization workflows. When necessary, we even put our administration team all-hands-on-deck (at one point everyone was voluntarily putting in 18+ hour days answering tickets, even over Memorial Day weekend - I am so grateful to have an amazing dedicated team!).
In addition, we temporarily disabled live support chat, and enabled an autoresponder FAQ email to cut back on easily solvable inquiries, ensuring high priority cases are seen first.
Reminder to make sure you reply to the auto responder email if you need your post seen by a CS agent.
We’ve also expanded our public knowledge base, increased the frequency of user notifications, and have worked with the /r/MouseReview mods to ensure CS inquiries are directed to the right place. As a result, we’ve cut first response times down to 24-48 hours, and are returning to our typical (desired) CS standards.
Our goal is to continue to expand & improve our support operations - re-enabling live support chat as soon as possible is a top priority.
Next Steps & Future
We are excited about our new growth, and confident in our ability to continue to scale to meet the new demand. We remain committed to our core values, and prioritizing customer satisfaction over all else.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be making some big announcements regarding some new products in the shoot we think you’ll all be anxious to hear about.
I created Glorious PC Gaming Race 5 years ago essentially as an experiment, largely inspired by the Reddit PC gaming community. Since then, through the support of many, it's turned into something I would never have dreamed possible in this relatively short period of time.
Thank you again to all of you who have helped make this a reality. We have ascended - together.
- Shazim Mohammad
Founder of Glorious PC Gaming Race
Comments
I’ve actually ordered the model O on the 23rd of may and still hadn’t received till this day (21st of June) Iam really disappointed of this issue and glorious you really should work on your international services.
I saw a number of YouTube videos on this mouse before the initial launch wave. I just happened to be looking for a light mouse at the time, as I thought my play style required a weighted mouse but began noticing wrist fatigue when using my M65. Now I can’t speak for the customer service side as I was one of the many lucky ones that had no issues with shipping and my Model O arrived in great condition. I grabbed my Model O for wave 2. June 7th I believe was when we were told they would ship. They shipped that day. I would not prefer USPS as I work with them at my job and see how terrible they can be at times. Also, their tracking system is inferior to others. But I understand that Glorious is a small company and USPS is probably the most cost effective route. I love my Model O. It’s been a game changer for me, literally. I went from being a total trash Apex Legends player to being a kind of trash Apex player. Also no more wrist fatigue. I also bought a GMMK 60% keeb and a XL deskmat. Amazing products. I guess I’m a fanboy now. Bravo Glorious and cheers to the PC Gaming Race.
When I ordered my mouse it clearly stated that it wouldn’t be shipping out until an estimated restock date of 7/16. I was and still am completely fine with that. I do not expect to receive my mouse until near the end of July even though I ordered it in May. That is fine by me, but I think some people did not read the clear warning messages when ordering, thus causing much confusion. READ OR YOU WILL BE CONFUSED. That’s all. Thanks Glorious! Keep it up
@anas
@Gabe
In order for your ticket to be seen by a live CS agent, you need to reply directly to the automated FAQ message you get from us – we state this in said message.
@Kori
Sorry to see you feel this way. However, we have been getting numerous fake RMA requests and this is the easiest way for us to confirm there is indeed an issue with your mouse.
@Jonathan,
As CS representatives, we can only respond using the data we have at disposal. If you think a CS representative “lied” to you, it means that said CS representative had different data at disposal at that given moment.
@Ron
If you read the article, we state that we’re doing our best to get to a point when the Model O will be available at all times without needing to backorder.
@Branson
If you can’t add it to cart, please try using another browser.
cool how about you tell your huge customer support team to reply to emails of people who waited more than 35 days and still didn’t receive their mouse. Your customer support literally ignore every email and offer 0 help.
I guess I just got unlucky but my first mouse had an issue with an inconsistent and sticking left mouse click. Please look into this because it seems to be a common defect.
I sent mine back to the Australian supplier I purchased it from and the replacement seems good so far.
Glorious support left a bit to be desired.
Hi !
Someone know information about shipping ?
I’m waiting more then 16 days to my mouse, no live support, no answer for e-mail, can not change or cancel order…..
Great mouse, took me a few days to get used to how light it was switching from the G502 but definitely an improvement in aim, my right click is super sensitive and gets me killed sometimes since it is easier to press down than my left click. Not sure if this is supposed to happen but overall, great mouse.
Hi random question i wonder that i can get one of the mouse free i dont have any money right now and because in 2 or something like that i will fly to turkey and have vacation is it possible i cant get one free❤️
I purchased the model o matte white from Glorious PC Gaming Race but was sent the wrong version of the product… 😕
Man was I let down by this mouse, but in the end it’s my own fault for buying into the hype. The quality control issues are awful (my mouse has side wall click, squeaky right click, and extremely wobbly mouse buttons) and for a company to say that these are within an acceptable range is ridiculous along with them never replying to support tickets even after submitting multiple and trying to reach out on reddit. Overall I won’t say the mouse is terrible but a huge let down, hopefully they learn from their mistakes and improve on their next mouse but I will not be buying another product from GPCGR after this experience.
At first the mouse was great, a few hours in and the left click started to stick, after complaining to customer service, they want you to upload a video to a file dump site so they can confirm the mouse buttons are sticking.
Super inconvenient considering how little use the mouse actually got, I was excited for this mouse, and I can’t believe I’m the only one having this issue. It seems more like cheap switches in the right and left click than anything. Everything else felt fine, the mouse wheel was pretty nice. The side buttons all felt normal.
I like the mouse so far.
But I would prefer if the mouse is smaller for the future additions.
Thank you,
James
Glorious Model O is great. It’s my most ideal mouse in all aspects but one, size. I have rather large hands. They’re 24×13cm l/w, so anything bigger would be a godsend and I would absolutely love it.
I’m excited for the tease about the Model O- and the D. Regardless, thanks for making quality gaming products that the consumer wants for reasonable prices and ACTUALLY DELIVERING (Looking at you FinalMouse).
While the mouse itself is a wonderful product, your customer service is trash. Was lied to multiple times by a representative and told me numerous times that I ordered my mouse after the cutoff for backorder. Even though I had the purchase receipt stating I had purchased before. Great product. Terrible service.
hello, as a middle age fps gamer, I really loved the concept of light mouse, also an alternative to finalmouse.
After one week of use, I really love your mouse even I have never used a single ambidextrous mouse for maybe 15 years. this one I feel good.
I think I would definitely buy a right one model later if available.
My opinion is:
Buttons can be improved, the feel is not so constant, after 1 week it feels a little bit crispy.
Grip feel can be better, I need some sweat to lift it, to feel it sticks in my hand.
Otherwise I think All good!
Congratulations!
Great mouse only side wall clicks are the worst part , and no it doesn’t require big force to activate it !
PS: also side buttons are bit to forward have to move them back for the next mouse if you make one .
everything else is pretty much perfect .
With the early rumours about the model O mouse I had my doubts. Could all these features be packed in one mouse for this price point? I decided to take a ‘leap of faith’ with, for me, a relatively unknown company. And in complete honesty: my expactations where exceeded.
My mouse shipped from USA to The Netherlands, so it took quite some time. But that was the only downside. The mouse feels so good in the hand, looks amazing and is really really light. Glorious had crushed it with this release. Together with their clear communications and email support, they’ve created a fan in me.
I’ll be looking forward to future product releases from Glorious!
Have recieved my Model, which seems nice and light so far.
-Would be nice if the white mice came with a white cord.
-Can I set a profile to a game, I can’t see it in the software.
I bought this mouse at launch, and it is really impressive what you guys did for your first mouse and for the price. Even though mine was missing mouse feet on the rear, support responded quickly and sent replacements. I’m excited for what you’re going to do in the future!
I LOVE my Model O. I wasn’t hyped in the least about it as I didn’t need a mouse, lol. I found out about them the day my own mouse finally broke while playing Hell Let Loose (no more left clicking!) and simply searched, “Best Mouse 2019 Reddit”.
I was immediately hit with hundreds of people hyped over recieving their Model O’s. I was a bit wary about the honeycomb cutouts all over the mouse but decided to make the purchase as I was very impressed with the specs & price. What especially won me over was the shade thrown on the largely overpriced FinalMouse Ninja and how they abused their customers.
I received the second batch shipped out and I am VERY happy with it. And I love the honeycomb! The buttons also feel fantastic, I didn’t realize how crappy my previous mouse was, hahahah.
Thank you so much for doing this for us. I am definitely turning to Glorious for my next keyboard purchase.
Amazing mouse. After playing on my 2011 Deathadder which I bought on a whim because I was getting back into PC gaming, then recently getting a Rival 600, which I modded with gun tape grips and loved, I couldn’t resist pre-ordering this beauty. From watching many of Rocket Jump Ninja’s mice reviews, I was curious about a lighter mouse. I literally ordered this mouse within minutes of the pre-order window opening, and I love the quality, feel, etc. I’m curious to try a smaller mouse. With Rocket Jump Ninja loving the size of the Zowie S2, I’m hoping Finalmouse can bring something like that to the table, but within the 60 some gram area. Now I have to find someone who would like to buy my Rival 600 because it just can’t play as well as my new Finalmouse! Damn you!! (just kidding… I love you)
I came back to the PC Gaming scene after a few (10) years away. After building my new rig I start looking for a new mouse. When I first saw the Model O online my first thought was “I wish I could buy this in Europe”… And then the sale began and I found it at Globaldata.pt (CaseKing partner)! Now I am looking forward for new products. Congratulations and thank you!
I buy a lot of mice. Recently I’ve used two different Zowie’s, a newer Logitech with a Hero sensor and a Finalmouse. This mouse, in my opinion is better than them all. Better build quality, more for your money and nice and light. I absolutely recommend this mouse to everyone. I will be back for a keyboard soon!
This is the first mouse I’ve ever payed for, prior to this I had been using a mouse given to me for free since 2011.
I’ve been absolutely blown away by it
If this product remains available on this website in the future, then I’ll eventually buy 2 or 3 more of it so that it can be the mouse I use for the rest of my life.
And I think its funny, I purchased the matte black mouse
and the mouse’s side buttons are glossy, and the way that those buttons feel convinced me that I should have got a glossy mouse instead.
Best mouse I ever used, you have a new fan!
This long wait for your mouse and keyboard (mouse backorder) is gonna be worth it! Glad to see the success and hope to see more! Hope to buy more amazing things Glorious has to offer. Keep up the good work!
I had heard some people say they received a mouse with an off centre scroll wheel. Was this a common problem?
Model O has been great. I was wireless for a year and going back to wired I was hesitant. But with the awesome cord and lightweight mouse I’m really happy. Haven’t even followed any news on the mouse. Sucks to hear people abusing the system. Keep up the quality products at affordable prices.
As someone who decided to purchase a Model O I have to say I’m surprised at how… perfect.. the mouse is. I can’t help but love how active Glorious is within the community to consistently improve their products as well, as I can’t remember a single peripheral company that has done it better.
Honestly the only thing that I could ask for are different shapes/sizes for the mouse — the overall structure, design, etc. is perfect, but it’d be nice to have a smaller version available (perhaps one akin to the dm3 mini/kinzu in size? :p) for purchase. Other than it’s the first mouse I’ve ever owned (and I’ve owned A LOT of them) that I honestly can’t come up with a criticism for.
Leave a comment!