I have a lot of meetings online. The customers go to our website and can schedule the meetings whenever they are available. It is a great system. Until recently it was Idiot proof. Then the gene pool produced a stringer idiot. Here is a phone call I just had with a customer:
Customer: Hey, I want to have a [X meeting] with you.
Me: Ok, you can just head to our website and schedule it yourself.
Customer: I tried that, it is too complicated. Can you just schedule it?
Me: well, since I don’t know when you are available, how about I walk you thru scheduling one.
Customer: FINE. (in a not too pleased voice). Ok, I'm on your site.
Me: Ok, see that 2"x3" link that says [X meeting]? Click on it.
Customer: ok, this is where I got stuck earlier.
Me: Ok. You see that on this page there are 4 choices. [Schedule a new session], [change an existing session], [Delete a session], [Add attendees to an existing session].
Customer: I see those, but which one do I want.
Me:.......(blank stare waiting for the lightbulb to glimmer)....well.....which would you guess?
Customer: well......umm......(this was seriously stressing their mental capacity)....probably.....schedule a new session? Is that right?
Me: well, it does sound like the right one. Why not give it a try.
Customer: ok. I clicked it. Now there is only one button. It says [Select a date]. What do I do?
Me: I would selecting that button.
Customer: Ok....Oh, it brought up a calendar. What do I do now?
Me: well, which day do you want to schedule for?
Customer: Tomorrow.
Me: then I bet clicking on tomorrow would be the way to go.
Customer: Ok...now it says choose a time and there is a pull down.
Me: well, then choose the time you want to have the meeting.
Customer: Oh, that makes sense. (as if I just told them that water is wet). Ok, now it is asking for my name, e-mail, and phone number.
Me: I think filling those in would be the way to go.
Customer: Ok. I hit the Submit button. It is telling me that I have just scheduled a meeting for tomorrow at 3pm. Is that right?
Me: well, did you choose the date for tomorrow, and the time as 3pm?
Customer: yes.
Me: then that is right.
Customer: It says that you will give me a call tomorrow at the meeting time to start the meeting. Now what?
Me: well, I would suggest waiting until tomorrow at 3pm.
Customer: Oh...duh....well, this was a lot easier than I expected it would be.
Me: You didn't really go on and try to schedule it before did you?
Customer: well, I am not a programmer or anything, so I didn’t think I would be able to figure it out.
Me (what I wanted to say) Yes, because MOST websites require you to be a programmer to operate the basic functions available on the site. In fact, we wrote our entire site in Binary just to make it more fun. Oh, and you have to log into a BBS to access it. The password is found simply by accessing our IRC channel to get the directions, then following a 13 step treasure map and digging up a mayonnaise jar in my backyard that contains the password written on punch cards encoded with a 128 bit encryption. Oh, and the website can only be viewed using a genuine 1984 Super Secret Decoder Ring that was provided with the 20oz box of Frosted Flakes.
Customer: Hey, I want to have a [X meeting] with you.
Me: Ok, you can just head to our website and schedule it yourself.
Customer: I tried that, it is too complicated. Can you just schedule it?
Me: well, since I don’t know when you are available, how about I walk you thru scheduling one.
Customer: FINE. (in a not too pleased voice). Ok, I'm on your site.
Me: Ok, see that 2"x3" link that says [X meeting]? Click on it.
Customer: ok, this is where I got stuck earlier.
Me: Ok. You see that on this page there are 4 choices. [Schedule a new session], [change an existing session], [Delete a session], [Add attendees to an existing session].
Customer: I see those, but which one do I want.
Me:.......(blank stare waiting for the lightbulb to glimmer)....well.....which would you guess?
Customer: well......umm......(this was seriously stressing their mental capacity)....probably.....schedule a new session? Is that right?
Me: well, it does sound like the right one. Why not give it a try.
Customer: ok. I clicked it. Now there is only one button. It says [Select a date]. What do I do?
Me: I would selecting that button.
Customer: Ok....Oh, it brought up a calendar. What do I do now?
Me: well, which day do you want to schedule for?
Customer: Tomorrow.
Me: then I bet clicking on tomorrow would be the way to go.
Customer: Ok...now it says choose a time and there is a pull down.
Me: well, then choose the time you want to have the meeting.
Customer: Oh, that makes sense. (as if I just told them that water is wet). Ok, now it is asking for my name, e-mail, and phone number.
Me: I think filling those in would be the way to go.
Customer: Ok. I hit the Submit button. It is telling me that I have just scheduled a meeting for tomorrow at 3pm. Is that right?
Me: well, did you choose the date for tomorrow, and the time as 3pm?
Customer: yes.
Me: then that is right.
Customer: It says that you will give me a call tomorrow at the meeting time to start the meeting. Now what?
Me: well, I would suggest waiting until tomorrow at 3pm.
Customer: Oh...duh....well, this was a lot easier than I expected it would be.
Me: You didn't really go on and try to schedule it before did you?
Customer: well, I am not a programmer or anything, so I didn’t think I would be able to figure it out.
Me (what I wanted to say) Yes, because MOST websites require you to be a programmer to operate the basic functions available on the site. In fact, we wrote our entire site in Binary just to make it more fun. Oh, and you have to log into a BBS to access it. The password is found simply by accessing our IRC channel to get the directions, then following a 13 step treasure map and digging up a mayonnaise jar in my backyard that contains the password written on punch cards encoded with a 128 bit encryption. Oh, and the website can only be viewed using a genuine 1984 Super Secret Decoder Ring that was provided with the 20oz box of Frosted Flakes.
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