Some (many) businesses make changes to online systems, and produce all kinds of problems for customers. But instead of being upfront, they stonewall their customers, leading to both failed service and wasted time. A recent example of this arises from my online subscription to the Wall Street Journal. After years of working very well, suddenly my password is rejected on a random day to day basis, with the latest denial occurring on Tuesday, December 25. The Journal’s “online chat help” staff proclaims nothing changed, but that cannot possibly be true – machines do not include gremlins as components. Therefore, lumps of coal should grace the offices and/or kiosks of the decision makers at the Journal.
In contrast, Crain’s Chicago Business did the right thing. It made changes to its systems and warned its customers with an email in advance of putting the changes into action, as shown below. In a perfect world, Crain’s would ensure a seamless change, but at least it’s owning up to change, in advance. Kudos to Crain’s for at least making that effort. It is sad and telling that the most service providers today are so very sloppy that Crain’s actions are noteworthy.
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