Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Seattle 2.0, and imported to GeekWire as part of our acquisition of Seattle 2.0 and its archival content. For more background, see this post.
By Richard Luck
I wish I knew how to quit you.
A while ago I signed up for the TransUnion credit reportingservice TrueCredit. As an onlineservice goes, it has a straight-forward sales pitch: all three FICO scores in one place; email alerts whenever acredit pull is performed; an obscene amount of detail regarding everycredit card, credit application, or credit query ever made using my name and/orsocial security number.
For thefirst two months I was a subscriber I absolutely loved the service. I poured over the details. I contested every little objectionable ding to my credit score using their onlinetools. I received a solideducation in the long-term impacts of having co-signed on a credit card sixyears prior with someone who it now seemed had no intention of paying theirbills on time.
Eventually, though, like any online relationship, theshininess and novelty of the service wore off. There was nothing new for me to do – or learn – and Idecided it was time for us to part ways. It was time for me to unsubscribe.
There was just one problem. There was absolutely no way for me to end therelationship. No “click here tounsubscribe” button. No “contactcustomer service to cancel” link. No nothing.
Now, if I had been able to easily unsubscribe from the sitethis would have been the end of the story. If you had asked me what I thought of TrueCredit I wouldhave told you that they had an easy-to-use interface, an impressive amount ofdata, and all of this for a very reasonable cost. A decent value, really. A service I would recommend.
Instead, if you ask me now what I think of TrueCredit I canonly offer you this one piece of feedback: I would rather be boiled alive inhot oil than ever again do business with this company.
Quitters Are GonnaQuit and Haters Are Gonna Hate
There is a subtle difference between critics andconspirators. And it usually comesdown to a sense of empowerment.
In political terms, it’s the difference between a“shellacking” and a coup d’etat. With one you have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes, to mendyour ways – to actually leave office with your head still attached. With the other, well … you do not.
It has been my experience that if you treat your users aspartners, you will learn something valuable in the process. Users who feel empowered will tell youwhat you need to build to make the service better for them. They will tell you what they will payfor and how much. They will tellyou what it will take from you for them to recommend your service to theirfriends and associates. They’lleven tell you what isn’t working for them when they vote with their click andquit you.
On the other hand, from what I’ve experienced, when usersfeel disempowered by your service, whatmay have originally started as a general disinterest in your offering can growinto a strong dislike and, if left unresolved, may fester into an outrighthatred more quickly than you can hope to respond.
Be Open, Honest andForthright
How your service approaches the idea of someone no longer wanting to be a part of what you aredoing speaks volumes about you and your company. Users pick up on these subtle clues.
Quitting your service should be easy. Most users will accept having to drillinto the My Account section of your site and, possibly, having to confirm theirdecision to leave. If you make theprocess as entertaining as unsubscribingfrom Groupon, you may actually find yourself in the unique position of receivingpraise from those who no longer use your service. This has the interesting effect of lowering the bar to entryfor any user who may be on the fence about subscribing. If, however, the only way yourcustomers can cancel their subscription is to follow very detailedinstructions posted by an ex-user on eHow … well, you’ve got biggerproblems.
