Companies make the customer’s task difficult (on purpose): what is the sludge

A tired process, a timely phone call, a unnecessary form. But the company prefers this way, to save time and money.

It is another expression in English that defines what happens in several countries. In this case, in the relationship between enterprise e customer, or sometimes even within the company.

The expression is sludge. Are processes, policies or systems that create unnecessary friction, which make the customer’s task difficult or the worker himself, or a partner, a partner.

There are several ways to apply this term: excessive bureaucracy (too much approvals or management levels for simple decisions), or poorly designed systems or interfaces (tools that are difficult to use or software outdated).

A very viewed way: Little clear or redundant procedures (confusing rules or duplicate tasks).

It also undergoes friction, deliberate resistance: These are policies that make it difficult to cancel services, return products or access to customer support.

Or by requirements who waste time: unnecessary paperwork, useless meetings or mandatory training with little value.

Examples: An employee needs five approvals to order a software basic; A customer wants to cancel the subscription but is required to call customer support and is waiting (for a long time); A new collaborator has to complete 20 different forms with the same information.

And we return to an essential word up there: “Deliberate.”

Is that, often, the Companies make it difficult for the process purposefully.

A process that tires, a call that takes time, passing the call to one service and another and another, an unnecessary letter, one site which is not intuitive for the user, complicated and ambiguous phrases in a contract.

Mass Company thus prefers to save time and moneyas described.

Especially in times of conflict-like a customer complaining about something or wanting to even cancel the service-it’s a strategy conscious of the company to tire the customer.

Because there are customers who prefer not to make a painful way of appeal against the decision of appeal, followed by a long, dragged bureaucratic process.

In fact, in some companies this principle is systematically incorporated. It is a Internal rule: Do not spend too much time with a customer. Even if you’re right.

“It’s not worth it.” And the customer gives up, or annoyed, or conformed.

It is a company victory over customersconcludes Handelsblatt.