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How Dropbox makes customers jump through sales hoops before doing what they actually want.

by nrki 9y ago

raverbashing 9y ago
True, but clicking the button is still easy What is not clear is what happens if you're using more than 2GB of space and downgrade
- jffry 9y ago
  It's shown in that screenshot in the "Overcoming your objection" section of the article, next to the fish tank graphic: "If you've already reached your quota, this means that: * Your Dropbox will stop syncing * You won't be able to add any new files to your Dropbox * You can't restore any files removed from your Dropbox"
- prepend 9y ago
  I was expecting more description of the data workflow. I tested a bit as it’s not completely described and it seems like you don’t lose data, but can’t write unless you upgrade again.
scblock 9y ago
Agreed. While this is better than many services, which make it easy to upgrade on the web but impossible to cancel without a phone call, it is still user hostile.
- badwolf 9y ago
  I ended up having to make a similar flow for subscription cancellation. We've been spending lots of time removing obstacles to subscribe. CEO got a brilliant idea to hire a call center and require call-to-cancel. After weeks of "debate" we settled on a 5 page "are you sure?" "are you super duper sure?" "Everyone loves you and will miss you. are you sure?" with confusing buttons "Cancel" cancels your subscription deactivation process (subscription is still active) you have to choose "I want to deactivate my subscription" on each page. I feel a bit dead inside.
  - paulie_a 9y ago
    I will attempt to cancel with a company through the normal flow, but sometimes a simple email works just as well to get things done. If there are too many hoops to jump through, I will contact my credit card company instead, they are more than happy to resolve the situation and just not process the payments anymore.
- Spooky23 9y ago
  Sometimes the phone call is a hassle, but not evil. People don’t always understand the impact on their data and talking can help. Other companies make that a black hole as well. Back in the day Vonage would put you on hold for >30 minutes. I ended up cancelling via AMEX disputed.
  - jessriedel 9y ago
    To be clear, the reason they make you call is to try and stop you from downgrading. The fact that there are some cases where the customer doesn't understand the impact on their data is the justification (fig leaf). You know this because if the latter risk were the same but the company couldn't stop the downgrade (e.g., the company is discontinuing the service and the customer needs to be helped on how to transfer their data to a similar competing service), the company would never offer to talk about it over the phone.
jessriedel 9y ago
Yea, I can't understand the author. He's fine with Dropbox wasting his time and forcing him to give feedback info that the user is not obligated to give, but he doesn't like the way the de-emphasized buttons make him feel? There should be a fast way to downgrade, whose only confirmation dialogs are ones to prevent accidental mis-clicks or irreversible damage. (Buttons designed to make me feel certain ways will certainly lower my view of Dropbox's classiness, in the same way as a desperate salesman, but as long as I can clearly understand the UI, I haven't been wronged.) If Dropbox wants to try and persuade the user, they can do so after they confirm the user will be downgraded with no further action.
- khuknows 9y ago
  I guess it's personal opinion, but I find it understandable that business want to learn and improve from cancellations, hence why I don't mind spending a minute letting them know why I'm taking an action. You're right though, users aren't obligated to give feedback. I don't like the de-emphasized buttons because they're essentially trying to trick me into clicking the more prominent buttons, which are actions I don't want to take at all.
Spooky23 9y ago
Dropbox is infuriating. I love the app but will be switching this year. The Apple, Google, and Microsoft products are offerings are either good enough or close to it and are cheaper. I pay a premium for their basic service, which lacks features like search, but even then I can’t escape ads and nags. If I was a business, I might be interested in Dropbox business, but I’m not. Leave me alone!
- lotsofpulp 9y ago
  Too bad iCloud doesn't have sharing yet.

How Dropbox makes customers jump through sales hoops before doing what they actually want.

by nrki 9y ago

How Dropbox makes customers jump through sales hoops before doing what they actually want.

True, but clicking the button is still easy What is not clear is what happens if you're using more than 2GB of space and downgrade

jffry 9y ago
It's shown in that screenshot in the "Overcoming your objection" section of the article, next to the fish tank graphic: "If you've already reached your quota, this means that: * Your Dropbox will stop syncing * You won't be able to add any new files to your Dropbox * You can't restore any files removed from your Dropbox"
prepend 9y ago
I was expecting more description of the data workflow. I tested a bit as it’s not completely described and it seems like you don’t lose data, but can’t write unless you upgrade again.

scblock 9y ago

Agreed. While this is better than many services, which make it easy to upgrade on the web but impossible to cancel without a phone call, it is still user hostile.

badwolf 9y ago
I ended up having to make a similar flow for subscription cancellation. We've been spending lots of time removing obstacles to subscribe. CEO got a brilliant idea to hire a call center and require call-to-cancel. After weeks of "debate" we settled on a 5 page "are you sure?" "are you super duper sure?" "Everyone loves you and will miss you. are you sure?" with confusing buttons "Cancel" cancels your subscription deactivation process (subscription is still active) you have to choose "I want to deactivate my subscription" on each page. I feel a bit dead inside.
- paulie_a 9y ago
  I will attempt to cancel with a company through the normal flow, but sometimes a simple email works just as well to get things done. If there are too many hoops to jump through, I will contact my credit card company instead, they are more than happy to resolve the situation and just not process the payments anymore.
Spooky23 9y ago
Sometimes the phone call is a hassle, but not evil. People don’t always understand the impact on their data and talking can help. Other companies make that a black hole as well. Back in the day Vonage would put you on hold for >30 minutes. I ended up cancelling via AMEX disputed.
- jessriedel 9y ago
  To be clear, the reason they make you call is to try and stop you from downgrading. The fact that there are some cases where the customer doesn't understand the impact on their data is the justification (fig leaf). You know this because if the latter risk were the same but the company couldn't stop the downgrade (e.g., the company is discontinuing the service and the customer needs to be helped on how to transfer their data to a similar competing service), the company would never offer to talk about it over the phone.

jessriedel 9y ago

Yea, I can't understand the author. He's fine with Dropbox wasting his time and forcing him to give feedback info that the user is not obligated to give, but he doesn't like the way the de-emphasized buttons make him feel? There should be a fast way to downgrade, whose only confirmation dialogs are ones to prevent accidental mis-clicks or irreversible damage. (Buttons designed to make me feel certain ways will certainly lower my view of Dropbox's classiness, in the same way as a desperate salesman, but as long as I can clearly understand the UI, I haven't been wronged.) If Dropbox wants to try and persuade the user, they can do so after they confirm the user will be downgraded with no further action.

khuknows 9y ago
I guess it's personal opinion, but I find it understandable that business want to learn and improve from cancellations, hence why I don't mind spending a minute letting them know why I'm taking an action. You're right though, users aren't obligated to give feedback. I don't like the de-emphasized buttons because they're essentially trying to trick me into clicking the more prominent buttons, which are actions I don't want to take at all.

Spooky23 9y ago

Dropbox is infuriating. I love the app but will be switching this year. The Apple, Google, and Microsoft products are offerings are either good enough or close to it and are cheaper. I pay a premium for their basic service, which lacks features like search, but even then I can’t escape ads and nags. If I was a business, I might be interested in Dropbox business, but I’m not. Leave me alone!

lotsofpulp 9y ago
Too bad iCloud doesn't have sharing yet.