Unreasonable Support: Design for the Unhappy Path

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the importance of designing for the "unhappy path" in product development, where things don't go as planned for the user. It highlights two examples - Vinted's poor handling of a return issue, and Lime Bike's excellent customer support in refunding users for bike issues. The key message is that providing "unreasonable support" to users when things go wrong can build long-term loyalty and retention.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Unreasonable Support: Design for the Unhappy Path

1. What is the main point the article makes about designing for the "unhappy path"?

• The article emphasizes that product managers should not only focus on the "happy path" of user experiences, but also design for when things go wrong or don't go as planned.
• Providing good "unhappy path" design can create a feeling of reciprocity in users, leading to increased loyalty and retention.
• In contrast, poor unhappy path design can lead to frustrated customers and churn.

2. What are the two examples the article provides to illustrate the importance of unhappy path design?

• The first example is Vinted, an online marketplace, where the author had a poor experience returning an incorrect item due to a strict time limit and lack of flexibility.
• The second example is Lime Bikes, where the author had positive experiences getting quick refunds when encountering issues with the bikes, leading to continued use of the service.

3. What is the key lesson the article draws from these examples?

• The article suggests that providing "unreasonable support" to users when things go wrong, such as easy refunds or accommodations, can build long-term loyalty and retention, even if the initial issue was the user's fault.
• This is more efficient than constantly acquiring new customers to replace those lost due to poor unhappy path design.

[02] Providing Unreasonable Support

1. What does the article mean by "providing unreasonable support" to users?

• The article suggests that going above and beyond in supporting users when things go wrong, even if it's not strictly necessary, can lead to increased loyalty and retention.
• Examples include Amazon quickly replacing a faulty Kindle device without requiring the return of the old one, and a shop owner reopening their store to accommodate a last-minute customer request.

2. What are the benefits of providing this level of support, according to the article?

• The article states that the cost of keeping an existing user loyal is often less than the cost of acquiring new customers.
• Providing "unreasonable support" can lead to users feeling a sense of reciprocity and remaining loyal to the product or service.

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