Hey Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Offline
Signs of the coming collapse? (or at least, of MY coming collapse ...)
Last week I signed in to my online banking. Interface was different, and I couldn't find the bill pay section after much searching, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Noticed the banner at the page top: "We have improved our site to make it easier to use."
oy
Called the bank's online banking support line. Eager service rep quickly diagnosed the problem, but then couldn't figure out the new interface himself. Called his supervisor; I heard the super say "never knew they were going to do that". Rep and super spent 45 minutes trying to find the bill pay icon. Finally discovered it was "hidden" under the customer's login icon, which you could only see if you double clicked the login icon.
Finally got in. But then got "you have not been authorized to use this feature".
Called support again; they spent over an hour trying to "port" information from their old system into the new, gave me a new login and password, then said to use that to make payments . Of course, that didn't work either, so I had to call a third time, and completely re-explain the situation. This time, the new rep, said "oh right - I think now you have to set up a new two-level password with security code and visual identifier". After two hours, I could finally use my bill pay system. Previous reps never mentioned that.
On Monday, my phone service speed dial stopped working. Entering the one digit speed dial plus the # sign only resulted in a couple of beeps in the handset. Went online and found the speed dial setup "has been changed to better serve our valued customers".
oy
I used the instructions to reset the speed dial, but nothing changed. Called customer service, and the eager rep quickly diagnosed the problem. But then couldnt' figure out the new system either. Had to call her supervisor, who also had to call his supervisor. Upper level super said they'd been getting lots of calls about this. Supervisor said service rep couldn't make changes if I was logged in, so asked me to log out. I logged out, and service rep then said "click the Admin icon on your Personal Profile page".
I'm not logged in, so I can't access that. Told rep, and she had to log out so I could log in. But then rep couldn't see what I was doing. Good grief.
So yesterday at the air museum, I asked other volunteers if they have problems logging in and making changes to their cable tv, internet service, telephone service, credit cards, online banking, etc. Every single one (over a dozen) said they'd given up on trying to figure them out. When they use the online help, it's automated, and gives them nothing. When they reach a human, even the human can't always figure out the problem (especially trying to mesh what the rep sees on his/her screen, with what the customer sees on his/her screen at home).
I'd imagine this is even worse for customers "of a certain age, with vision and memory limitations".
As services are increasingly automated, they're increasingly impossible to use. And users stop using them.
Anyone else notice this "overwhelmed with the technical labyrinth" syndrome? And/or wonder if it's all about to collapse?
oy oy
Last week I signed in to my online banking. Interface was different, and I couldn't find the bill pay section after much searching, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Noticed the banner at the page top: "We have improved our site to make it easier to use."
oy
Called the bank's online banking support line. Eager service rep quickly diagnosed the problem, but then couldn't figure out the new interface himself. Called his supervisor; I heard the super say "never knew they were going to do that". Rep and super spent 45 minutes trying to find the bill pay icon. Finally discovered it was "hidden" under the customer's login icon, which you could only see if you double clicked the login icon.
Finally got in. But then got "you have not been authorized to use this feature".
Called support again; they spent over an hour trying to "port" information from their old system into the new, gave me a new login and password, then said to use that to make payments . Of course, that didn't work either, so I had to call a third time, and completely re-explain the situation. This time, the new rep, said "oh right - I think now you have to set up a new two-level password with security code and visual identifier". After two hours, I could finally use my bill pay system. Previous reps never mentioned that.
On Monday, my phone service speed dial stopped working. Entering the one digit speed dial plus the # sign only resulted in a couple of beeps in the handset. Went online and found the speed dial setup "has been changed to better serve our valued customers".
oy
I used the instructions to reset the speed dial, but nothing changed. Called customer service, and the eager rep quickly diagnosed the problem. But then couldnt' figure out the new system either. Had to call her supervisor, who also had to call his supervisor. Upper level super said they'd been getting lots of calls about this. Supervisor said service rep couldn't make changes if I was logged in, so asked me to log out. I logged out, and service rep then said "click the Admin icon on your Personal Profile page".
I'm not logged in, so I can't access that. Told rep, and she had to log out so I could log in. But then rep couldn't see what I was doing. Good grief.
So yesterday at the air museum, I asked other volunteers if they have problems logging in and making changes to their cable tv, internet service, telephone service, credit cards, online banking, etc. Every single one (over a dozen) said they'd given up on trying to figure them out. When they use the online help, it's automated, and gives them nothing. When they reach a human, even the human can't always figure out the problem (especially trying to mesh what the rep sees on his/her screen, with what the customer sees on his/her screen at home).
I'd imagine this is even worse for customers "of a certain age, with vision and memory limitations".
As services are increasingly automated, they're increasingly impossible to use. And users stop using them.
Anyone else notice this "overwhelmed with the technical labyrinth" syndrome? And/or wonder if it's all about to collapse?
oy oy
