by Chris Banescu –
Just three days after providing my business with a debit card I never requested or wanted, PayPal manages to insult and frustrate me again. Immediately after logging into my account, instead of viewing the Summary (dashboard) page that normally lists the latest financial data and activity on my account, I was met with a demand to fill out a survey. The message box replaced my normal view of the latest transactions and payments, and completely blocked my view of the Summary page information (see first survey screen shot below).
Summary Dashboard Page Held Hostage
The message read as follows: “Please take a moment to let us know what you think about the redesigned display of information on this page. Thanks!” PayPal offered me no way to bypass or close the message. My only choice was to click on the “Provide Feedback” option right bellow the message. My Summary page was being held hostage until I complied with PayPal’s demand to complete their survey. I was being forced to take this survey or I could not see my dashboard transactions information.
I was being forced to take this survey or I could not see my dashboard transactions information.
What better way to express genuine concern for customers than strong-arming them into giving feedback. “Take the darn survey or else!” A high tech financial and payment processing corporation that describes itself as a “leading technology platform company that enables digital and mobile payments on behalf of consumers and merchants worldwide,” is preventing users from accessing their financial dashboard information in order to evaluate a “page redesign” — not to notify them about a crucial financial issue, important SEC announcement, significant tax law changes, or some other critical bank regulation. Yes folks, PayPal BLOCKED customers’ homepage access because they had to know exactly what users thought about the “pretty little fonts, fancy icons, or rounded corner boxes” or some other tweaks PayPal’s web designers dreamed up.
Groundhog Day Survey
Having no choice but to comply, I clicked the “Provide Feedback” link and gave them a piece of my mind. I first typed: “Stop forcing me to take surveys. This is ridiculous.” I gave them a “Not helpful” rating (lowest possible). I then clicked Submit (see second survey screen shot below).
I was returned to that same survey page again. My dashboard was still blocked.
Stop forcing me to take surveys. This is ridiculous.
For the second time I typed: “This is sheer idiocy. Taking survey twice!” I clicked Submit. Once again I returned to the exact same survey page yet again. Maddening!
For the third time I entered: “Quit forcing us to take the same survey, over and over again, and holding our Summary Page hostage. This is idiotic!” I clicked Submit. And ended up staring at the dreaded survey page once more. Felt like a scene in a remake of the Groundhog Day movie.
I then realized some third-rate programmer was obviously in charge of setting this up and didn’t properly clear some settings. I logged out and logged back in to PayPal and thankfully the forced survey page disappeared. I was finally allowed to view my financial dashboard home page. But the saga was not over.
Later in the day yesterday and multiple times today, every time I log into my PayPal account, I am forced to take the same survey again. This time, once I click “Submit” I’m automatically logged out and required to log back in again.
Frustrate and Strong-Arm Customers – Anti-Marketing 101
Nothing says “we care” better than frustrating and strong-arming customers into giving feedback. Nothing says “high tech company” better than atrocious programming mistakes a first-year coder should not be making.
This is yet another feather in the cap of the incompetent and careless executives at PayPal. One more example of the anti-marketing and anti-user-friendliness ethos of the PayPal management team.
First Survey Screen Shot
Second Survey Screen Shot
