Michael Gaigg: Über UI/UX Design

Make it easy for your customers to throw money at you!

Posted by Michael Gaigg

Ok, I don't know how to state this any better: "Make it easy for your customers to throw money at you!" or "Don't talk back when your customers wave at you with their Credit Card".

The reverse postulation is also true: "Don't hide your products that are meaningful to your customers" or "Enable your customer to purchase what they want however they want".

What you should do

This being said, during the shopping procedure, remove any unnecessary distractions, offer alternative payment methods, only ask for information really necessary and most important of all, make sure it works!

I hate showing bad examples but I'm really frustrated and sense some redemption in publishing the following screenshots, so please bear with me:

Make a Payment

Yes, it's this time around, a check needs to be delivered and I wish to do this online. I've registered and see great potential in setting up automatic payments so that my money arrives in the banks hands on time. I select the choice "Automatically pay ... using a non-Wells Fargo checking or savings account" (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Choose a payment type

I arrive at a screen (Figure 2) with 70 links (besides 2 tab menus, header, footer and something that seems to be commercials). What the h...? Only later I realize the error message in between the jiggle "You have no accounts eligible to set up a recurring payment." - well, I knew that, but how about I can set one up now?

Figure 2: You have no accounts eligible to set up a recurring payment

All right, I really want to throw money at them, so I start digging into the links to see if there is actually one that might help setting up the missing 'eligible account'.

So I click on "Add accounts"... just to find the same error message from before (Figure 3). Am I crazy or who is?

Figure 3: Add accounts for access online error

I pogo-stick between some more links from the previous page with the same result, this $%^&*$ error message seems to keep on hunting me. Do I call the 1-800 number? I should, let them at least pay for their negligence - or just send a check by mail like always. The bitter taste stays, believe me.

Lesson learned?

No, nobody learned anything here, at least not Wells Fargo. They will probably never find out. Or how the famous Benny Hill once said: "Just because nobody complains doesn’t mean all parachutes are perfect".

But for you, my dear readers, please help making the world a better place to pay your bills. Don't keep your customers from throwing money at you Cheers.