Surface Ripples

Be “Up Front”

I’ve talked before about clear communication. More recently, I’ve heard people complain about how they aren’t given complete information when making a decision to purchase.

Recently, a friend decided to download an app recommended on a YouTube video.  He went to the App Store found the app and downloaded it. However, when he had gone through the process of setting up an account, the app informed him that its first use was free, but that subsequent uses would incur a charge.

I understand: app developers need to finance their business and pay developers for any updates that they implement.  If you don’t pay your developers, nothing gets developed (and they’ll go to an employer who doespay them)! What my friend objected to was that he wasn’t unaware that there would be a cost and the extent of that cost before he downloaded the app.

There are plenty of other stories, in which consumers complain about failure to disclose material facts that might impact their decision on whether to buy a product or service. Some end well with refunds being paid and an apology. In other cases, things get more heated and the merchant or store starts to bring out all kinds of excuses as to why they were justified in doing what they did.

Not only can this impact perception of a vendor’s brand, products and services (let alone their ethics!) it can also put them out of business.  Such is the power of social media…

The worst scenario is going out of business following an unfavourable review, followed by others, followed by investigations by the relevant industry regulator. Whilst it may be “painful” for vendors to disclose “bad news” (like pricing), it’s nonetheless a vital part of doing business in an ethical manner. 

In my friend’s case, the app vendors had stated that first use of their product was free that subsequent uses would be subject to a charge but hadn’t disclosed what those charges might be. However, their disclosure came towards the end of their product description.  Again, this might be tricky: people download the same app from different app stores which are priced in different currencies. It would be unreasonable to expect any vendor to disclose all possible prices in all possible currencies. 

In short, we need to be as “up front” (transparent) as possible. This means delivering “bad news” in a factual manner and advising any alternatives that may make a difference to buying decisions. People who develop apps or deliver products or services deserve to be paid for their labour. Very few of us work for free.

I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  

Labels: Customer Care, Financial, Selling, Strategy

posted by William Martin @ 11:38