I wish I knew how to quit you.
A while ago I signed up for the TransUnion credit reporting service TrueCredit. As an online service goes, it has a straight-forward sales pitch: all three FICO scores in one place; email alerts whenever a credit pull is performed; an obscene amount of detail regarding every credit card, credit application, or credit query ever made using my name and/or social security number.
For the first 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 online tools. I received a solid education in the long-term impacts of having co-signed on a credit card six years prior with someone who it now seemed had no intention of paying their bills on time.
Eventually, though, like any online relationship, the shininess and novelty of the service wore off. There was nothing new for me to do – or learn – and I decided 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 the relationship. No “click here to unsubscribe” button. No “contact customer service to cancel” link. No nothing.
Now, if I had been able to easily unsubscribe from the site this would have been the end of the story. If you had asked me what I thought of TrueCredit I would have told you that they had an easy-to-use interface, an impressive amount of data, 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 can only offer you this one piece of feedback: I would rather be boiled alive in hot oil than ever again do business with this company.
Quitters Are Gonna Quit and Haters Are Gonna Hate
There is a subtle difference between critics and conspirators. And it usually comes down 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 mend your 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 as partners, you will learn something valuable in the process. Users who feel empowered will tell you what you need to build to make the service better for them. They will tell you what they will pay for and how much. They will tell you what it will take from you for them to recommend your service to their friends and associates. They’ll even tell you what isn’t working for them when they vote with their click and quit you.
On the other hand, from what I’ve experienced, when users feel disempowered by your service, what may have originally started as a general disinterest in your offering can grow into a strong dislike and, if left unresolved, may fester into an outright hatred more quickly than you can hope to respond.
Be Open, Honest and Forthright
How your service approaches the idea of someone no longer wanting to be a part of what you are doing 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 drill into the My Account section of your site and, possibly, having to confirm their decision to leave. If you make the process as entertaining as unsubscribing from Groupon, you may actually find yourself in the unique position of receiving praise from those who no longer use your service. This has the interesting effect of lowering the bar to entry for any user who may be on the fence about subscribing. If, however, the only way your customers can cancel their subscription is to follow very detailed instructions posted by an ex-user on eHow … well, you’ve got bigger problems.
Amber Heard Veronica Kay Mýa Natalie Imbruglia Patricia Velásquez
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