Be Careful about Automating away the Human Quality

I had a piece of furniture delivered today. I bought it at Office Depot, but it was delivered by a freight delivery company I had never heard of. The delivery went smooth; they were within the time window they said they would be in, etc. I wasn't really happy though about having to be home for the delivery to take place. Also, there was one banged up part of the box, but I figured if there was an issue, they would send out a replacement piece.

About 1 hour after it was delivered, I got a phone call on my cell from a number I didn't recognize. It was a computer voice (a nice sounding woman computer voice) asking me to take a 7 question survey about my delivery. She said it would be a simple, quick 7 question survey, so I thought ok...I was actually pretty happy about the delivery, and I thought at least I would get a chance to mention not liking to have to be home for delivery.

She (the computer) tells me that I need to answer yes or no, or a number to each simple question.

1.       Did they come in the time window stated? "Yes."

2.       From 1 to 5, 5 being the best, how did I feel about their adherence to the time window? "5?"

At this point, I'm thinking this is going quick, and it is simple...

3.       Was the item delivered undamaged? ...

Wait, I don't know if it's damaged. I just got it an hour ago, and haven't even opened the box. So, I said "I don't know." She said "I'm sorry, I didn't understand you. Please answer yes or no." and she repeated the question. I said "I don't know; I didn't open it yet." Well, she ended up repeating the question 4 times, and because I kept saying "I don't know," feeling more annoyed each time, I actually felt like I was getting into an argument with a real person. She really wouldn't back down, and kept insisting I answer her in the way SHE wanted!

Finally, she says "Please call our 800 number..." then I hung up while she started saying the number I'm supposed to memorize and call. Why would I call? Well, maybe to complain about the bad user experience I had on the call...I didn't call...I just blogged about it...

Once again, make sure to try out the user experience of your product, and every touchpoint and experience with your company. It matters. The concept of a survey right after delivery may have seemed like a good idea (let the customer know we care right away; get feedback while it's fresh in the customer's mind), but in execution, it ended up being a hassle. Now I don't like the delivery service as much, and it will also leave a bad emotional / brand connection for me with Office Depot.