Ending Type: Broken / Withdrawal
This may be defined as an unplanned, and often uncomfortable separation between the provider and the consumer. For products, we experience items ending through poor manufacture or exceeding the expectations of normal usage. Common examples could be burning through a pan in the kitchen or finding a newly-purchased item shattered on delivery.
For services, consumers often have to sign some sort of contract. This could be an agreement between the provider and consumer describing the service delivery. Such an agreement usually has a planned type of ending written into it. It might be that a Time Out ending, or a Task/Event has been completed.
If the service breaks outside these planned endings, then the situation often gets legal and uncomfortable.
Legislation
An increase in laws in recent years has helped consumers to defend themselves. Privacy laws have empowered digital consumers around the world. GDPR in Europe, the California Privacy Act in the US and the updated Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) in Japan have all emerged in the last few years.
There has been an increase in the number of governing bodies and industry watchdogs. These defend customer expectations and set higher industry standards. They may also help the consumer fight bad practice from providers. For example, the UK Energy Ombudsman has recently announced compensation for bad endings, automatically paying customers who have had their switch to a new energy provider go wrong.
Software complexity
In previous generations, complex products might work independently of support for decades. A car or television was a standalone object – beyond the requirement for fuel and electricity. But now many complicated products use software, which is often supported from a remote location. Businesses don’t support that software forever, which means that a hidden lifespan is created, which was not mentioned at the on-boarding phase.
Apple has a guideline (2021) around the length of supporting products. This should be ‘5 years after the product is no longer manufactured—or longer were required by law.’ They break down these products into two groups thereafter: ‘Vintage products are those that have not been manufactured for more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.’ ‘Obsolete products are those that were discontinued more than 7 years ago.’ There are some extreme cases, such as Monster-branded Beats products, which ‘are considered obsolete regardless of when they were purchased.’ This leaves the consumer of Beats products in a hopelessly vulnerable situation.
Sonos fumbled product endings for thousands of loyal customers in 2019. First with a badly executed e-waste reclaim strategy followed shortly afterwards by an announcement about withdrawing support for legacy products. The issue was publicised on Twitter and Sonos apologised for their poorly thought-through ending.
Services
Wonga was a Pay-day loan company which was launched in 2007. It ended on 30th August 2018, when it went into administration. At launch It was a revered member of the FinTech world, celebrated as a no-nonsense, tech-savvy credit solution. It was the first to provide an instant lending App for Apple mobile phones, with a fully automated, risk processing technology.
Once the dust settled on the business ending, someone needed to sort out the mess. What happened to the customers? Where were the approaches of communication, customer support, legal adherence, etc? These jobs fell to a creditor. A company called Grant Thornton was commissioned to do this work and won the Creditor Engagement Award at the TRI Awards 2019 for it.
Grant Thornton explained that the team undertook a ‘multi-pronged approach’ to ensure coverage, clarity and consistency, to all customers throughout. There were in excess of two million individuals involved when the collapse happened, so not a small customer base. They created various channels of communication, including email, online updates and SMS campaigns. To do this they drew on a large call centre and clear access to support and answers for worried customers. This aided the resolution of claims and the speed at which they could respond.
Endings after theft
Theft is not an uncommon experience for consumers. Bags may be stolen from bars, bikes from gardens. In the past, insurance has provided a safety net for consumers. Recently, though, technology has provided a different approach. It has enabled the consumer not only to track a stolen device, but to erase content and even kill the device remotely, making it useless for the thief. And, strangely, more empowering for the consumer!
What we need to consider
Broken / withdrawal endings happen as a last resort.
Expectations have broken, so this ending starts with disappointment.
Risk assessments can aid preparation.
It can quickly become a legal matter.
Stolen items can now be tracked and ended, which makes a far more engaging end.
Insurance is often sold because of the fear of something breaking.
