Gmail’s Permanent Failure: Only Humans Can Build Software For Humans

http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/31/gmail-permanent-failure/

by icey • 16 years ago

14 6 16 years ago

acqq3• 16 years ago

Awful. The article writer complains that Gmail bounced his mails after his subscription expired. However careful reading reveals that he was able to select automatic renewal when he subscribed for a given time and he just didn't do that.

As the subscription was only 5 dollars, I can only conclude the service was fully unimportant for him. And now he's all mad.

16s• 16 years ago

The short version:

1. User decided to not automatically renew payment.

2. Google sent email telling user to renew manually.

3. User ignored renewal email and Google cut him off.

4. User complains that Google mistreated him.

acqq3• 16 years ago

It's much worse: the user:

1. is an "entrepreneur"

2. uses gmail as his only mail service

3. receives "up to 600 emails a day"

4. has paid 5 USD for subscription, once

5. doesn't want to automatically renew

6. ignores the expiration notification

7. observes expiration occurs

8. bitches

michael_scheibe2• 16 years ago

I can't understand the overwhelmingly negative response to the OP here and on TC. From a purely logical point of view sure, he should have opted for auto-renew or at the least noticed the expiration mail. However, that's precisely the argument in the article, Google is logical and lacks a human point of view.

Consider:

1) Google only sent one renewal notification email for what is obviously a critical service.

2) Some people distrust auto-renewing subscriptions (like me). I've used services that didn't realize my credit card was going to expire and gave me no warning before they cut me off. I'd rather receive a clear and concise notice email.

Human things Google could have done:

1) Sent a 1 month, 1 week and 24 hour notice.

2) Put a renewal notification in the Gmail UI. There is a system for this already to occasionally confirm your alternate email address etc.

3) Give a 7 day grace period after your subscription expires.

4) Respond with a transient full inbox failure, instead of a permanent failure which cause all sorts of havoc.

5) Put an explanation next to auto-renew option saying they will send you a email notices if your credit card might expire.

The OP in this case is somewhat technical and should have known better, but if this had happened to my mom, my grandparents or my girlfriend then I would say the blame falls squarely with Google for lack of UX due diligence.

acqq3• 16 years ago

> one renewal notification email for what is obviously a critical service.

And preserved all his mails.

> I'd rather receive a clear and concise notice email.

He ignored it.

> Put a renewal notification in the Gmail UI

He already said he doesn't use web interface

> Respond with a transient full inbox failure

The mails bounced as he already used up immense amount of storage which he didn't pay.

> instead of a permanent failure

But they preserved all his immense gigabytes piled up in 6 years of his e-mail.

> OP in this case is somewhat technical

He gets 600 e-mails per day, as his main work, and doesn't want to even pay regularly for the service.

> but if this had happened to my mom, my grandparents

Because your mother or grandparent is also "an entrepreneur," gets 600 e-mails per day and has much more than seven gigabytes in gmail?

He just trolls to get the attention.

michael_scheibe2• 16 years ago

Your statements are valid, but I'm not that concerned with the character of the OP or the exact details of his situation.

The point I'm trying to make is that Google could have done a lot more to prevent situations like this with very little extra cost to them. Sure, technically Google doesn't owe this guy anything, but I think there is a lack of empathy on Google's part here and it's one of the reasons they are struggling with social.

Gmail’s Permanent Failure: Only Humans Can Build Software For Humans

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