Don’t want to buy in this internet-shop, it’s scratched.

Recently I found this great article on carta.info. It’s in German, so I hope Meike won’t mind if I translate “freely” the important parts.

Original article on Meike Lobo’s blog.

  1. Don’t force me into yet another account!
    I have like 173 internet accounts. For each I have to register and remember a password and leave my personal details including bank account or credit card number. Any shop-software will allow using guest shopping when properly configured.
    I will stop buying in shops that do not allow me to shop without creating yet another account
  2. I’m a customer, not a billboard.
    Directly after buying I get “recommend us on xyz”, “Share what you bought on Facebook”… hey, I just bought, I haven’t even received or used the product yet. I may consider recommending, when I got it, used it and I’m happy, not before.
    I will avoid shops that value social networks more than their customers.
  3. Service is the key to my heart.
    Things can go wrong, not good, but can happen. When I have a question, I expect a human answer within 24 hours. I do want to be treated in a friendly manner, with a actual response to my actual question, not automated answer “what could help you”. When there is a delay … tell me … I don’t want to contact “customer help” multiple times to get information.
    At shops that do not treat me fairly, I will by once and never again.
  4. Shipping? I want to know how.
    Tell me HOW you ship, which company you use. I’m often not at home during daytime. I don’t want to use GLS, who never deposit with the neighbor but at some remote place where I have to pick it up during inconvenient times, or Hermes who may deposit at some random neighbor but not leave a message.
    If I can’t find information on your shipping service, I will look for another shop.
  5. I don’t use an iPad, do not treat me like second class.
    Should I find a trace that you treat customers differently based on their browser/device, I leave immediately. A tablet is a tablet, used with a finger, a computer is a computer, used with keyboard and mouse.
  6. Do not drop in items I never selected into my shopping cart.
    I did not select that insurance, that special transport box, those batteries (that don’t even fit the device I want to buy). I do not want your newsletter and no flyer, product catalog, product recommendation, coupon … or what have you. I have ways to find out if you SPAM (or sell) my email.
    Stop it, or I go somewhere else.
  7. Web-Design? Take classes.
    Use Web-Design that works on my computer with a proper browser with a reasonable screen resolution. Horizontal scrolling on a laptop?  Buttons hidden at the bottom of a page… strange icons with no text that I can’t interpret? Shopping cart icon well hidden? … I leave.

No, this is not a full translation, just some quick-and-dirty summary of the key facts of that great article. If you know German, visit the original site or try some internet translation service (well, I tested google-translate, and it was so funny, that I will not create a link here… 🙂 )