Rory on Bad Interface Design

Rory Blythe on Bad, bad, BAD user interface design

Excellent points, I thought. I remember back when Sprint was my Cellular provider and they started using the virtual operator. It would take five minutes repeating what I wanted before finally being dropped off to the operator.

Virtual Operator: Welcome to Sprint PCS! How may I help you?

Real Brandon: Could you connect me to billing?

Virtual Operator: I'm sorry, Sprint does not engage in any offshore drilling. How may I help you?

Real Brandon: Billing please.

Virtual Operator: While Chili-cheese would hit the spot for me right now, I'd rather help you get to where you need to go. How may I help you?

Real Brandon: (through gritted teeth) Operator!

Virtual Operator: Yes. How may I help you?

Real Brandon: I give up! Could you fry my brain for me?

Virtual Operator: Certainly! Please hold for the billing department.

Little do we "users" know, (and I mean "user" in the worst sense of the word) that "I give up" is the skeleton key that gets you exactly where you've been trying to go.

Doesn't it make you feel as if there is a conspiracy against you?

I have a feeling that this is all just an elaborate hold system cooked up by these corporations. I'm quite certain that there are people who listen to the hilarious recordings we produce for them, and then edit them for the execs, who open each board meeting with a greatest hits segment. Can't you see this happening?

And honestly, if that's the real purpose, it's better than Muzak as far as I'm concerned.

Either way, Rory's final point is yet another great example of how the lack of real world usability would be downright foolish if implemented in software.