Random thoughts
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Web usability: Account required
Web usability is about enabling users to achieve their goals with ease, at least not make it impossible to complete a task online. When the Nikon website no longer recognized my account credentials and the password reset function claimed to send an e-mail but I never received any communication from Nikon, I contacted their support using an online form. So far so good, the usability problem started when I received their response.
David D. from Nikon support (why do people no longer have full names?) sent me a message which started with instructions how to respond: “If you have any further questions to our support response, please click the link at the bottom. Hitting reply from your email browser will not reach our group.”
Clicking on the link then brings you to—you probably guessed it—the account login page, and there is no way to respond to the message if you don't have a valid, working account.
I did not get my account restored since I had contacted the wrong Nikon country branch, and rather than forwarding the request to the appropriate support team David sent me the country list to find out how Nikon wants to be contacted.
I have another request into the local support team now, in the same ticketing system, so I really hope that their first response will solve the problem…
Update: The local support team could easily solve what appears to be a general problem with the online support system that the first team should have been aware about as well.
David D. from Nikon support (why do people no longer have full names?) sent me a message which started with instructions how to respond: “If you have any further questions to our support response, please click the link at the bottom. Hitting reply from your email browser will not reach our group.”
Clicking on the link then brings you to—you probably guessed it—the account login page, and there is no way to respond to the message if you don't have a valid, working account.
I did not get my account restored since I had contacted the wrong Nikon country branch, and rather than forwarding the request to the appropriate support team David sent me the country list to find out how Nikon wants to be contacted.
I have another request into the local support team now, in the same ticketing system, so I really hope that their first response will solve the problem…
Recommendations
- Hide the complexity of your organisation from the customer. Forwarding a request to the appropriate contact within the company is more efficient than having the customer track down the right contact and submit the same information again.
- When sending an e-mail message, be prepared to receive a response by e-mail too. Most online support systems can handle e-mail responses and link the response to the support thread with a unique ID in the subject line.
- Provide an alternate path to address problems with the support website itself. Customers with non-working accounts obviously cannot login to discuss their account problems.
Update: The local support team could easily solve what appears to be a general problem with the online support system that the first team should have been aware about as well.
Monday, January 24, 2011
IBM turns 100
This year marks IBM's 100th anniversary. Few companies can say that they have been around that long, especially in high tech industries.
The IBM Centennial Film: 100×100 shows IBM's history of innovation, featuring one hundred people who present the IBM achievement recorded in the year they were born, and bridges into the future with new challenges to build a smarter planet.
Another 30-minute video tells the story behind IBM inventions and innovations.
For more than twenty years I have not just worked for IBM but been a part of IBM. It has been a pleasure, and I certainly look forward to many more to come!
I am an IBMer.
The IBM Centennial Film: 100×100 shows IBM's history of innovation, featuring one hundred people who present the IBM achievement recorded in the year they were born, and bridges into the future with new challenges to build a smarter planet.
Another 30-minute video tells the story behind IBM inventions and innovations.
For more than twenty years I have not just worked for IBM but been a part of IBM. It has been a pleasure, and I certainly look forward to many more to come!
I am an IBMer.
Labels: business, ibm, innovation, technology
Monday, June 29, 2009
The return of the curvy cucumber
For two decades, the European Union carefully regulated the size and shape of fruit. Often this has been quoted, and rightly so, as an example of the over-regulation by the commission.
Announced in November 2008, the return of the curvy cucumber will become effective on July 1, 2009. Now all those cucumbers and carrots will be “allowed” to grow in all shapes and sizes again (not that they cared too much about EC directives anyway).
Standards usually make life convenient. Just imagine what driving a rental car would be like if manufacturers implemented their own concept of speed and steering controls (too bad that other controls like air condition and radio aren't standardized and often not self-explanatory). Or withdrawing money from the bank without standardized bank cards and ATMs. Or connecting to networks if they weren't all using the same protocols.
Regulating the size and shape of fruit and vegetables, on the other hand, doesn't make life more convenient unless you like to see the cucumbers lined up nicely in the fridge. To me, this is mostly an indication of an unhealthy desire to control everything, including Mother Nature. More than two decades ago, the movement which eventually became the Green party started questioning large technology projects, be it nuclear power plants or ecologically questionable hydropower plants. Many of the environmental and energy related issues still need to be addressed. But, at least we have the curvy cucumber back.
Announced in November 2008, the return of the curvy cucumber will become effective on July 1, 2009. Now all those cucumbers and carrots will be “allowed” to grow in all shapes and sizes again (not that they cared too much about EC directives anyway).
Standards usually make life convenient. Just imagine what driving a rental car would be like if manufacturers implemented their own concept of speed and steering controls (too bad that other controls like air condition and radio aren't standardized and often not self-explanatory). Or withdrawing money from the bank without standardized bank cards and ATMs. Or connecting to networks if they weren't all using the same protocols.
Regulating the size and shape of fruit and vegetables, on the other hand, doesn't make life more convenient unless you like to see the cucumbers lined up nicely in the fridge. To me, this is mostly an indication of an unhealthy desire to control everything, including Mother Nature. More than two decades ago, the movement which eventually became the Green party started questioning large technology projects, be it nuclear power plants or ecologically questionable hydropower plants. Many of the environmental and energy related issues still need to be addressed. But, at least we have the curvy cucumber back.
Labels: business, technology
Monday, February 23, 2009
Amazon.com: User experience delivering value
While shopping on Amazon the other day, I noticed a subtle yet still noticeable hint that I had bought the very same article already in October 2007.
At first glance, the notice would appear to drive customers away from buying; however Amazon.com has a long-standing reputation for innovation in online commerce and good customer service (although I have been less satisfied with their handling of e-mail correspondence lately) so this didn't come as a complete surprise.
Good user experience design is all about delivering value to the customer, and to the business too:
Links:
At first glance, the notice would appear to drive customers away from buying; however Amazon.com has a long-standing reputation for innovation in online commerce and good customer service (although I have been less satisfied with their handling of e-mail correspondence lately) so this didn't come as a complete surprise.
Good user experience design is all about delivering value to the customer, and to the business too:
- The customer may have bought the product earlier and order another copy as a present, which was actually the case for me.
- Some products, such as blank CDs/DVDs, lend themselves to repetitive orders. Knowing that this is the same product ordered before is reassuring to the customer, which means more business with fewer clicks.
- In the unlikely case that a customer accidentally orders the same product twice, chances are that she would return the product for a refund, incurring shipping and handling cost for the business; therefore not shipping the product in the first place is not only the most customer friendly, but also the most cost effective solution.
Links:
Labels: business, ibm, kudos, technology
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Jamming at the InnovationJam™ 2008
Want to explore how organizations can transform themselves into truly global enterprises of the future? Ready to collaborate with technology and business thought-leaders?
Join the InnovationJam™ 2008.
Labels: business, innovation, technology
Friday, June 20, 2008
Happy anniversary, Marriott Rewards!
Marriott Rewards celebrates its 25th anniversary. The customer loyalty program was also recognized as the best award program by the Freddie Awards, and in my humble opinion rightly so.
High class properties around the globe, including hotels and extended stay suites, a painless online reservation system that doesn't require me to memorize lengthy membership numbers and company rate codes and loyalty to customers—my points never expired even when I didn't stay with them for a while—make Marriott Rewards a great program.
By contrast, Hilton HHonors not only forfeited my points but also canceled my HHonors account, in line with their terms of use, when I failed to accumulate points while the property I had usually stayed at was closed for renovation. (As a gesture of goodwill they did offer extra points for additional stays to compensate for the loss.)
Most customer loyalty programs are free. One notable exception is the Accor Favorite Guest program, which offers reductions on standard rates, reservation priority, gift vouchers and partner advantages like other programs do, “for only 130 euros per year”.
The quality of the customer loyalty programs may not be the most important factor when choosing accommodation, but a good program certainly helps with the decision where to stay.
High class properties around the globe, including hotels and extended stay suites, a painless online reservation system that doesn't require me to memorize lengthy membership numbers and company rate codes and loyalty to customers—my points never expired even when I didn't stay with them for a while—make Marriott Rewards a great program.
By contrast, Hilton HHonors not only forfeited my points but also canceled my HHonors account, in line with their terms of use, when I failed to accumulate points while the property I had usually stayed at was closed for renovation. (As a gesture of goodwill they did offer extra points for additional stays to compensate for the loss.)
Most customer loyalty programs are free. One notable exception is the Accor Favorite Guest program, which offers reductions on standard rates, reservation priority, gift vouchers and partner advantages like other programs do, “for only 130 euros per year”.
The quality of the customer loyalty programs may not be the most important factor when choosing accommodation, but a good program certainly helps with the decision where to stay.
Friday, December 7, 2007
The 4-Hour Workweek
An interview "The Business of Life" first triggered my interest in The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferris.
Of course even the author will readily admit that one should "not to take the four hours too literally" and it certainly makes a catchier title than "Save an hour per week for things you like", but then anything that means getting more done with less effort and having more time left for the things you really enjoy is good, right?
Ferris may get some basic facts wrong, as readers noted on amazon.com, but he certainly gets his marketing right. His book must have been featured in about every TV show and newspaper by now, judging from the number of comments and the news coverage since. Some claim this book changed their lives while others feel tricked by the simple, well-known recipes -- not everyone is going to make a living from selling nutritional supplements.
Despite the criticism I ordered my copy last month (so I guess the concept worked!) and also added Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, which received favorable comments that I can relate to.
The books were in the mail today, and I will start reading them over the holidays. They probably won't significantly change my life but they should make light reading over the holidays and nicely complement the fiction books, and they may even give me some useful ideas for New Year's resolutions.
Of course even the author will readily admit that one should "not to take the four hours too literally" and it certainly makes a catchier title than "Save an hour per week for things you like", but then anything that means getting more done with less effort and having more time left for the things you really enjoy is good, right?
Ferris may get some basic facts wrong, as readers noted on amazon.com, but he certainly gets his marketing right. His book must have been featured in about every TV show and newspaper by now, judging from the number of comments and the news coverage since. Some claim this book changed their lives while others feel tricked by the simple, well-known recipes -- not everyone is going to make a living from selling nutritional supplements.
Despite the criticism I ordered my copy last month (so I guess the concept worked!) and also added Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, which received favorable comments that I can relate to.
The books were in the mail today, and I will start reading them over the holidays. They probably won't significantly change my life but they should make light reading over the holidays and nicely complement the fiction books, and they may even give me some useful ideas for New Year's resolutions.