Archive for April, 2006

There is nothing more frustrating from a customer prospective than a very poorly implemented product launch. When I ordered my new Dell D620 laptop a few weeks ago, I was given the option of adding a biometric fingerprint reader for about $50, which would allow me to use a finger rather than a password to log onto Windows. These devices have been gaining popularity for the past year and the price point seemed right. However, when I got my computer, I couldn’t find any documentation on the system or how to use it, so I called Dell. They explained that the necessary software was actually not installed and had to be added manually to my computer’s BIOS for some security reasons. A rep then proceeded to direct me to a site to download the driver and walked me through the process which took about 40 minutes. I was then transferred to the manufacturer of the product, Wave Systems, whose support team walked me through the very poorly designed and complicated enrollment process, which took another 20 minutes. The whole time, I kept asking both parties if they were really doing this for every single person that had one of these devices installed on their laptop and the answer I got was yes. Putting the obvious customer service issues with this process aside, how can you make money on a product at this price point which requires so much human intervention? For a company that prides itself on the efficiency of its operations, I really don’t get how they let this product roll out the door in this fashion.

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I have been a customer of Fidelity Investments for over 10 years. Since the internet began to take off, Fidelity has done a great job developing web based tools for making customer service more “self service”. It’s actually faster and easier for me to use their website than to call customer service for things like changing my address, ordering checks, etc. Likewise, I find the new self-service check-in kiosks at airports to be very convenient and most importantly, a better alternative to waiting in line.

I bring up these examples because of my frustration with the automated checkout machines at the Home Depot, especially the West Roxbury MA store which I frequent. Home Depot has been increasingly phasing in these machines in favor of regular check-out stations, especially for the late night shifts when automated checkout is often the only option. These machines are a huge step backwards in customer service. When they actually work, they are extremely finicky, can’t handle complicated or competitor coupons and are sub optimal for the types of items that people buy at Home Depot, many of which have a measurement or weight component that determines price. Also, many items won’t fit in the special holding area on the machine which uses the weight of the product to verify that you have purchased it, thereby producing an error and getting the attendant involved. Additionally, as soon as a person has a problem, it pretty much shuts down the whole line. It’s gotten to the point where the lines are so bad on a crowded day, that I have started driving further to Lowe’s just to avoid the checkout hassle. If Home Depot is keen on this technology, they should restrict it to “quick checkout” purchases and more adequately staff their registers so that customers can make their purchases in a reasonable period of time. Technology for technology sake is often the quickest way to lose a customer.

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