The Perils of Punditry

The Information Architecture Institute has a vibrant listserv, filled with insightful comments and thought-provoking questions from skilled practitioners. Often the questions have to do with how to get a grip on what a client really needs. Steve ‘Doc’ Batty has just posted his response to that question as it relates to a User Experience project.

Batty’s list of User Experience questions is excellent because it helps clearly define the “why” of the project. This makes defining the “how” much easier.

Jack Shedd and Merlin Mann are on to something. Blogging (aka “writing on the Web”) has become an Official Industry, and as such has for some people become a soulless search for links, traffic, and advertising dollars. My experience running Mac Law Students has shown me that the right kind of small numbers beat the wrong kind of big numbers every time. It’s better to stay small and focused than attempt to be all things to all people (and advertisers).

As Merlin puts it:

Want to build a great audience, composed of people you respect? Be picky about who you decide to overserve. Then do it with all the skill and enthusiasm you can muster.

It’s good advice for anyone writing on the Web.

When is the last time you heard someone crow about their mobile carrier? More often than not you’ll hear them complaining instead. They complain more often than not about how difficult it is to interact with these companies, rather than the cost of a mobile plan.

For example, in spite of the fact that I have a Verizon account, I don’t want to handle my interactions with them via my phone. The quality of call center personnel is always hit or miss, and frankly I’d rather just be able to look up my question on line and not waste time speaking with someone.

The other day I tried to find out my contract expiration date. I jumped through several hoops to get signed up with a My Verizon account, which they continually push customers to do. “Great,” I thought. “They’ll certainly have that basic piece of information available in My Verizon.”

Wrong.

I understand the reasoning. Why would they give me access to that information, when the odds are high that I’m only going to use that info to make a decision about whether to switch to another carrier now or at some point in the future? It’s 20th century business thinking at its worst.

Annoyed but determined, I used their email form to ask the question. Lo and behold, it’s actually a commonly asked question! So common, in fact, that it’s a menu selection in the email form. Who would have imagined? Gee, it’s almost like they want to make it more difficult for me to find out this important and rather rudimentary information. 

I’ve heard that other carriers do the same thing, and I’m not surprised. Contempt for customers seems to be a common theme in the telecom industry. Perhaps it is part of their conventional wisdom, which implicitly treats customers as rodents to be caught, caged, and placed in a Habitrail. I assume this approach has worked thus far. But it won’t work forever.

It reminds me of AOL in the 90s (and perhaps now, for all I know). They made you go through countless screens to get to a phone number they made you call in order to terminate your account. At one time AOL was a colossus. Now they’re a limping also-ran, run over by competitors who provided more for less, and listened to their customers.

Discuss, according to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, means:

a: to investigate by reasoning or argument
b: to present in detail for examination or consideration
c: to talk about

We Americans have forgotten how to discuss politics. We live in red communities or blue communities. We listen to Rush or NPR, but not both. We love the smackdowns between Malkin and Olbermann. So politics, the vehicle by which the future of our republic is determined, has become akin to professional wrestling. It is all style and no substance.

Is it any wonder we are so woefully bad at discussing politics with those who don’t share our opinions? My 4th of July Resolution this year is to be a better citizen by engaging in more discussions with people whom I know don’t share my politics. Not to change their minds. Not to bad-mouth them. Just to respectfully share ideas.