What the account?
There are many examples of terrible unsubscribe experiences. But none can be worse than being automatically signed up for a service.
In July 2014, I received this email from Brain Pickings.
The letter from Maria simply acknowledges that I haven’t really read many of her mails, and encourages me to let go. Her own motives, are of course to lighten the load on their servers. And I dare say, the environment is a little better with lesser junk being maintained on the server. This simple message inspired me to write an article about unsubscribe experiences over at the Ideafarms blog. Very few service providers would be bold enough to take this step (if you have more examples, please share!)
I am sharing this because it deserves to be shared as an example of great experience. Also, I like to include something positive in my stories — unlike my previous stories about happy experiences, this one is a very detailed rant.
Considering the company is a well known one, I am shocked at how apathetic they are towards their users.
The curious case of JobBuzz
JobBuzz is one of the web services owned by Times Business Solutions (the same folks who own timesjobs). As of writing this story, their website claims that they are loved by 6754174 amazing JBians.
So I want to set the record straight.
- The number needs to be reduced by 1, since I definitely do not love JobBuzz.
- I may or may not be amazing (from their point of view, once I am done with this story)
So here is the conversation that I have had with the company:
Company: Hey! We saw that you’re a member of one of our clubs. So we’re initiating you to another one. Simply because we can. It increases our number of users. And it may be good for you.
Me: Excuse me? Who’re you? I am not interested in your services.
Company: And yeah, you can thank us later!
Me: (thinking) this is going to be bad.
Over the next several days:
Company: Hey again! We’re now going to send you daily emails. Because we automatically opted you in. And we like to tell you we exist and how awesome this club is — all the time!
Me: (rolls eyes and clicks on unsubscribe)
Company: Look! We have sooo many options for you to unsubscribe from! Isn’t it exciting?
Me: You subscribed me to how many lists?
(rolls eyes again, taps on each unsubscribe and hits save)
Company: Hey! You haven’t posted a review of your company — we need it for our database.
Me: Umm, help you out? I’ll pass.
(rolls eyes sideways because eyes can no longer roll back, hits delete, again)
Company: Hey! You know what, we decided that we will ignore your preferences, because, well, we know you absolutely need us. We’ll email you anyway.
Emails persistently piling up even after unsubscribing:
Me: Hey there! You know what, I am so happy with the way your designers have gone about messing with trusting people. You are clearly way too superior; its your human users who are just so inefficient and dumb that they don’t know what to do. Genius, I say.
I am so thrilled, in fact, that I am going to write all about you on Medium.
PS: Report SPAM.
PPS: FU.
