“Even if you’re not the first customer to actually try to connect the app, you’re the first one to tell us that it doesn’t work.”
Here’s a little story. I’m not entirely sure what the takeaway is, but I suspect it will resonate differently with each reader.
I recently bought a new domestic appliance. It came with a mobile app to control it. I didn’t think the app added much to its functionality or versatility, and I didn’t particularly want to operate it from my phone. Thankfully, there were standard controls, so I could easily ignore this “feature.” I simply considered the app connectivity a redundant extra.
All was fine at first. But the nerd in me couldn’t resist trying the app, even though I knew setting it up would likely be tedious due to the appliance’s limited, basic display. However, that wasn’t the real problem — the appliance just wouldn’t connect to the app.
So I contacted the manufacturer, a company with a reputation as one of the major names in their field. To their credit, they were excellent and offered to send a technician.
Admitting Defeat
After half an hour, even the technician admitted defeat. While chatting with him, I discovered he wasn’t part of the service team — he was one of the company’s most senior engineers. My mind raced. The product had been on the market for several months.
“You must have sold hundreds of these,” I said. “If there’s an issue, it must be a faulty unit. Anyone could replace it, so why are you here?”
“Actually, nobody has reported this problem before,” he replied. “And I’ll let you in on a secret: we think the app simply doesn’t work. You’re the first customer to confirm that.”
Simply Unwanted
The company had sold plenty of these appliances, yet it seemed no one had actually used the app — otherwise, I wouldn’t have been the first to call. I hadn’t thought the app was necessary, but it turned out it was simply unwanted.
Had the company done any research to determine whether there was demand for remote control? Developing it must have been expensive.
“No,” said the engineer. “We had a managing director who was obsessed with the idea, so he made us add it.” I noted the past tense of “had.”
I can think of scenarios where this issue might still prove very costly for the manufacturer. Or perhaps it will quietly fade away, with the company merely issuing refunds to the few customers who pursue the missing functionality — or replacing some installations with a simpler, non-app-connected device.
Draw your own moral from this tale.