Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic. What I’m about to share isn’t as scandalous as The Post Office vs. Mr. Bates fiasco. (A massive UK postal scandal where digital errors wrongly convicted innocent people.*) That said, having been a Post Office employee when the Horizon system was rolled out, the attitude AusPost shows toward its customers feels eerily similar in its contempt.
(*For those unaware, the UK Post Office’s Horizon scandal saw computing errors lead to perceived financial loss resulting in wrongful convictions and even suicides. You can read about that here, or watch the TV show Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office.)
As a UX consultant, I’ve dedicated much of my career to making digital products and services less frustrating. My recent AusPost experience was the very definition of frustration.
You wouldn’t think digital would be a necessity for AusPost customers since most people are sending or doing physical things when they visit a Post Office. Turns out, that’s not the case.
I have many beefs to pick with AusPost, such as their refusal to redeliver a parcel, instead sending items to my ‘local post office’ without even trying. It infuriates me that my ‘local post office’ is never one of the two that are in walking distance to my home. And no, I don’t want to give you feedback after every single interaction I have with you. So please stop with the endless emails and texts.
But today, I want to focus on a specific experience and flag it to organizations hell-bent on “digital transformation.”
Here’s the deal: Your digital solution isn’t a solution if: a) It’s the only option you give customers. b) It’s more painful than the alternative. c) It assumes your customers are all 25 (i.e tech-savvy, fit as a fiddle and sharp as a tack).
A little story about my recent AusPost experience
I went to the post office to send a set of keys from Australia to the UK.
I showed the cashier a small padded envelope and asked if it was the best option or if I should use one of their pre-labeled envelopes.
The cashier said my envelope was fine then handed me a customs form that was twice its size and quite clearly wouldn’t fit on the bag. On realising this, she told me to fill it out online by scanning a QR code on the counter. I was then asked to step aside. Apparently this was the only way I could send the keys.
Okayyyy.
So I scanned the QR code on the print-out stuck to the wall and I filled an online form out about HS codes (what?) The result was a message that said I didn’t need one.
I went back to the print-out, noticed a second QR code and eventually found the right online customs form. I started filling it out on my phone, struggling to read it as I didn’t have my glasses with me. (Zooming wasn’t working).
I then hit another wall because I didn’t know the recipient’s phone number.
Back in line, I waited, then explained my problem. The cashier said “in that case you should fill out the customs pack that I gave you first and buy a bigger padded bag”.
(If you’re wondering why she didn’t suggest that first time around, ditto).
I asked the cashier why the paper form didn’t require a phone number, but the digital version did. Her response? “The UK requires the phone number.”
Rubbish. They clearly accept the paper version without one.
I’ve been in the Post Office around 20 minutes at this point, and I’m getting stressed out. I have somewhere I need to be and I’m going to be late, given how complex sending my parcel has become.
I enter any old phone number in order to submit the form, then wait for the cashier to be free again.
She told me I needed to wait for an email from AusPost. Again I was asked to step aside.
I waited again, refreshing my inbox, half expecting the ‘You’ve been framed’ crew to come bursting through the back office.
Eventually the required email arrived and I handed my phone back to the cashier. After some frantic scrolling up and down the email, she scanned found and scanned a code. Only then could I start the actual process of posting my parcel.
It was an absurd amount of effort to complete a task that should’ve taken 5 minutes.
And this was me—a digital native—trying to navigate their system.
I posting the item for my parents, (both in their 70’s), they wouldn’t stand a chance. They don’t always take their phones with them—and, just like me, they often forget their glasses.
Here’s what frustrates me:
Organizations are pushing digital transformation (often just to increase profit) but are leaving customers—especially older and less tech-savvy ones—in the dust. The idea that everything must go digital is problematic when the solutions being offered create more barriers, not fewer.
Take RAC, for example. I spoke with someone from their digital team recently who admitted they face resistance from stakeholders, as their customers prefer phoning up and talking to a real person. I get it—I’m an RAC customer, and I like that I can call and talk to someone quickly when needed. It works! Why break it?
Death of Common Sense, rise of The Blocker
Sadly, AusPost isn’t alone in these challenges. During a recent trip to the UK, I ran into similar frustrations with automated phone systems. Systems that couldn’t understand me or my Yorkshire accent, leading to long waits, dead phone batteries, or getting told to visit a branch—only for there to be none within driving distance.
It typically went something like this:
Recorded message: “Thank you for calling ‘x” today. Your call is important to us. So that we can help you, please tell us why you are calling today”.
Me: “I’d like to {something spoken in a Yorkshire accent}”
Recorded message: “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that. Can you tell me what you are calling about today?”
Me, again: “I’d like to {something spoken in a Yorkshire accent}”
Recorded message: “I‘m sorry, I didn’t get that. Please press 1 if you are calling about {x} Please press 2 if you are calling about {x} Please press 3 if you are calling about {x} Please press 4 if you are calling about {x}”
Nothing applicable there, so;
Me: “I’d like to talk to a human”.
Recorded message: Did you know you can find out about {random, not-related thing) on our website? Please visit this.com/ridicuslouslylongurl to learn about {x}
Me: 🙄 eye roll
Recorded message: “Please press 3 if you still need to talk to a member of our team”.
I press 3.
Recorded message: “We are experiencing an unusually high volume of calls at the moment. Your call is important to us and we will connect you to someone as soon as we can”.
SHOOT ME.
Digital isn’t the answer to everything.
- Human connection is the most powerful tool your organization has to build and maintain customer relationships.
- Not all your customers are 25. (The over-50s spend more than any other demographic, yet companies forget that many have been experiencing cognitive or sight decline for a decade or more.)
- Not everyone has high digital literacy, and even those who do struggle when systems are convoluted and obtuse.
Before you go all-digital, consider this:
- Is there a real problem that you and your customers want solved with a digital solution?
- Does the digital solution make tasks easier, or does it complicate them?
- Can you offer a non-digital alternative for those who need it?
- Be honest, will your “solution” actually make things better than they were before?
We’re all getting older.
As a 40-odd-year-old woman working in UX, I’ve spent years advocating for digital solutions that empower organisations and the communities they serve. But as I age, I find myself increasingly concerned with how these poorly often poorly executed “solutions” will create unnecessary barriers for me—and everyone else as we get older.
The world has an aging population. Why aren’t we designing digital solutions with them in mind? Why are we making it so hard for anyone over 40 or those with disabilities to interact with us?
No one wants to talk to your bot. We know it’s just a gatekeeper. People want to talk to people.
It’s not you, it’s them.
I hope this resonates with anyone dealing with frustrating digital systems. I advocate for those who can’t or won’t speak out. Let’s design for all users—not just the ones who fit into neat little boxes. If we don’t start designing systems that work for everyone, who will we leave behind and how will that play out? We can’t afford to design for a digital future that looks worse than the analog solutions it’s replacing. We can do better and absolutely should.
Need help with digital transformation at your organisation? Let’s talk.