Business: We're going to need to easily adjust prices on products we sell on the web.Okay, see what happened there? That would be a missed requirement.
Tech: No problem, we'll have data imports and a webform for immediate product by product updates.
Business: Can we automate this? Set a time interval that says a sale price is good for a set of dates and then have it revert to a non-sale price on that schedule?
Tech: (Pause) Sure. We'll set up a process to update the price tables. Every price will have a start and stop date and any update will allow an expiration date and the price that will result after the expiration.
Business: So, after the expiration date - users will not be able to see the old price anywhere, right?
Tech: Is that a requirement?
Business: Yes.
Tech: Okay. Soon as the price updates, the old price is gone across the board. Anything else?
Business: Nah, we're good.
Because somewhere in the discussions of what needs to happen on a price change would be this little item. The user who is in the process of buying an item when the price changes.
Tech: That's an edge case.Yes, Tech, that is an edge case. And everyone hates designing for the edge case. But some edge cases have teeth.
In response to the requirement that a sale price expire universally - Tech will build a system that will allow the user to see the sale price of an item right before it expires:
And then, a moment later when the price does expire - the user will be treated to an updated Order Summary.
Now, we've all seen the price/shopping cart voodoo, where the price is hidden until you place the item into your cart. That's stupid, but at least intelligible. Sites like Best Buy deal with this by not displaying a price until you add the item to your cart.
The price of an online item is Holy Writ. It can go down during checkout. Additional detail of shipping and taxes and fees may be added, even. But the item price must never go up during the checkout process.
And Sears is F*%-ing that up.
And those two visuals are a smaller slice of what I was experiencing on the Sears.com website. The price of the item went up, then down, then up again as I reached the final screen to checkout.
I had some hope that this would sort itself out, because the website had helper language that indicated they knew they had a perception problem:
Again, a product with a low price on the initial screen. Changes to a higher price in the shopping cart, then down again as I progress, then increasing again on the "submit order" screen (not shown, but it happened, trust me).
This made no sense at all.
Convinced that this was just an interface failure, I called the Sears help line and was told that - in fact - the price of the item was now higher ($999) and that this was due to the update process just completing. The rep told me repeatedly that the lower price I'd seen expired at 7AM eastern time.
This was explained to me with a rehearsed ease that suggested this was not an uncommon question.
Think about that for a second. Your user has selected their product, proceeded into checkout, CREATED A LOG IN and (in my case) has entered payment information.
WHY are you making them unsure about their transaction?
"Yes Mr. User, I see you would like to make a sizable purchase, BUT BEFORE YOU DO..."
I told the rep "I guess I won't be buying this from you." And cancelled my order.
Then I went to a competitor's website and bought the very same item without having the price increase along the way.
There was a lot of UI I would question on the Sears website, but it should go without saying that sudden price increases during the purchase process do not help your conversion rate.
Sears missed an edge case and so the edge case bought from someone else.
********
UI aside, I should add this was my second attempt to buy from Sears. I'd been there the day before - in person, and tried to buy the same product. I met a sales person who either didn't know how to use a computer or wanted to blunder along so that I'd think they didn't. I was told the item I wanted was not in stock and that the store could not order it at the moment.
But - not to worry! - they would send me an email containing a web link that would allow me to purchase the product. Only I couldn't click the link until they called me to tell me.
This made absolutely no sense.
Me: If you don't have the product, can I order it and you will ship it to me?Seriously. W.T. F. right? This smacks of a sales rep doing an end run around some asinine corporate policy.
Sears: No. We can't order this item. But we'll send you a link to the website where you can order it.
Me: And I get the email and then I order it?
Sears: No. You can't click on the link until the item is in stock.
Me: How will I know if it is in stock?
Sears: We'll call you.
But, why do I care? If this stupid will get me my stuff at the price I want. I'll do it.
I give them my email and phone number expecting them to email me before I left the store. That might be a bit eager, but I left the rep sitting at a computer with my info.
An hour later, I have no email from Sears. Afraid that the email might have been sent to the wrong address (typo) I call the rep back and they tell me they're sorry, they're backed up and busy today, but they'll get me my email in 45 minutes.
Okay, annoying, but everyone gets behind sometimes. I mean - you're in sales, this is a large purchase, but perhaps you have better things to do. Whatevs.
I still don't have an email from them.
Which is why I tried their website this morning. And their website pricing is the reason I bought from someone else.
Way to fail, Sears.
I used to like you guys, too.
Late update, July 2, 2013: Two weeks after I was in their store, Sears finally called me back to try and take my money. I told them to cancel my order as I'd not only ordered the same products from a competitor for less - they'd already been delivered and installed - for free.
