Fix your damn app – and site!
If you know me, you know that I’m mobile obsessed.
Yes. Obsessed.
For the past nine or ten years, I’ve been immersed in mobile.
Mobile marketing, mobile websites, mobile apps, mobile devices.
Mobile. Mobile. Mobile.
As a self-professed advocate, I’m constantly extolling the virtues of mobile.
Especially apps.
Apps, to me, are the greatest thing since sliced bread.
They’ve got all the utility of a mobile site, without the need (for the most part) for an internet connection.
Utility apps are my favorite.
If I can get something done faster, in fewer steps, or using my phone in lieu of pulling out my wallet, or keys or ID, then it’s worth it.
So when Dunkin’ Donuts came out with their Dunkin’ app, I was ecstatic.
I’m always going to Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks.
I blame the wife – a coffee whore (and I mean that in the kindest possible way) and the kids.
I’m constantly making runs for egg and cheese croissants, donuts and coffee.
I was parting with my cash regularly with no other perk than a free donut if I filled out their survey online – very analog.
Dunkin’ Donuts perks were a big donut hole.
Unlike Starbucks, whose loyalty program gave me free coffee, iTunes music and app downloads, discounts, coupons, the works.
Starbucks treated me like they cared.
Dunkin’ not so much.
But then one day I discovered the Dunkin’ app, and immediately set out to add it to my collection.
Having previously used the Starbucks app, I figured the Dunkin’ app would be along the same lines.
Download the app. Charge it up. Present it at the point of sale. Earn rewards. Get perks.
Simple, right?
Wrong!
For one, there are like three or four different apps in the app store (albeit by different developers – but you get my drift).
So many choices!
Once you figure out which one you’re supposed to be using, it required an advanced degree in game theory to figure out exactly how to use it.
All I wanted to do was put some money on the damn thing!
Is that so hard?!!
Eventually, I was able to figure it all out, put money on my account and complete a transaction using their app.
The sense of accomplishment was short lived, though.
A few days after I got the app working, I upgraded my 64GB iPhone 6 Plus to the 128 GB version, and had to restore by new device from my iTunes backup, which essentially wiped all my stored passwords and forced me to log in to each one anew.
By itself, that wasn’t so bad, since all my passwords are stored in 1Password and I simply had to cut and paste to get back up and running.
That is, except for the Dunkin’ app.
For some reason, it wouldn’t take my password.
So I did what anyone faced with a similar scenario would do, I clicked “Forgot Password” fully expecting to walk through the fairly routine process of recovering or resetting my password.
But that would have been too much like right.
Instead of getting a confirmation screen telling me that my password (or instructions for resetting my password) had been sent to my email, I got a “We are currently experiencing technical difficulty and are unable to process your request” message.
Wait. What?
Confused by this seemingly ill-timed error message, I tried again – and got the same message.
Technical difficulties processing a “forgot password” request?
A horrible user experience at a critical moment.
Oh, did I mention that I was standing at the register of Dunkin’ Donuts, with several frustrated customers behind me watching me fumble with the app?
My frustration was all the more palpable because (prior to swapping devices) I had loaded my account with $25, which I could not use.
Flustered, I pulled out my bank card and swiped – angrily – snatched my order from the counter (which I no longer wanted) and stomped away in a huff.
For the next few days, I repeatedly tried to log in – unsuccessfully, before relenting and visiting the Dunkin’ Donuts website.
And you know what happened when I got there?
The same damn thing that happened on the app!
“We are currently experiencing technical difficulty and are unable to process your request.”
Really? So you’re planning on fixing this when?
Sonofabitch!
On your site? Technical difficulties on your site?
Is sending an email with password recovery instructions a technically challenging activity?
This borders on lunacy.
So what am I left with?
What am I to make of this?
Well that’s easy.
Dunkin’ Donuts is stealing my money by preventing me from accessing my account and make purchases using the funds I’ve uploaded to the Dunkin’ app.
Their “technical difficulties” are subterfuge allowing them to hold my monies hostage and force me to use my bank card depriving me of precious points, perks or rewards.
Dunkin’ Donuts, get your act together.
Fix your technical difficulties.
Or give me back my money.
The Starbucks app still works and I need to reload.
Note: Prior to penning this post, I sent Dunkin’ Donuts an email on their site, an email from the app, and tweet asking for assistance. As of this posting they have been radio silent.
Update 2/12/15: Dunkin’ Donuts’ customer service send me a response giving me the steps to recover my password, which I had already done – and was still broken.
Update 2/27/15: Problem solved! After waiting on hold for an hour to speak to a customer service representative, we determined that I had registered with “.con” at the end of my email address, instead of “.com.” I told the rep who helped me that the more appropriate error message to keying in an incorrect email address should have been something like “The email address you have provided is not in our records. Please check the address and try again.” and not “Sorry, we are currently experiencing technical difficulty and are unable to process your request.” With the error message DD provided, one would never realize that they may have made an error keying in their email address, as I did.
Stephen Chukumba 