Terms and conditions apply
Introduction
As customers, encountering terms and conditions is a common interaction point in our customer journey, especially in the service sector. However, the mere mention of terms and conditions often brings about a negative impression. Most of us, as customers, tend to agree to these terms without reading them due to various reasons. Primarily, they are usually excessively lengthy and written in technical, legal jargon that is complex and overwhelming for the average person. The phrase “Terms and Conditions Apply,” often seen in the fine print of promotional advertisements, tends to evoke feelings of suspicion, as if deceit and trickery lie behind these words. This can immediately diminish trust in the product or service being advertised.
A Personal Story
Once, Audible, an Amazon company, deducted a subscription fee from me after a trial period for their audiobook services. I contacted them to express my unawareness of the automatic deduction. They apologized, refunded the subscription fee, and won me over as a lifelong customer and promoter of their services. This happened even though their service terms and conditions clearly stated automatic deductions after the trial period. Conversely, other companies have lost me forever as a customer for refusing to refund subscription fees. As customers, we often resort to roundabout ways to prevent websites from making unauthorized deductions, like using one-time-use bank cards. Yet, few think about addressing the main issue — revising how terms and conditions are written and considering them a critical interaction point in the customer journey with any product or service.
Improving CX with Terms and Conditions:
- Change of Perspective: We must start by changing our belief that terms and conditions should be written solely by a company’s legal team. I suggest UX writing specialists should craft them for clarity and ease of understanding and then review and approve them by legal counsel.
- Conciseness: User experience research consensus suggests that people read very little; therefore, avoid lengthy terms and conditions. Expecting people to read them and then blaming them for not being satisfied with certain service aspects is detrimental to a customer-centric culture.
- Use of Text Formatting: Utilize text formatting options to highlight important matters in bold or distinctive colors for quick scanning by users.
- Information Chunking: Process the information better by dividing it into smaller parts. Present only the terms necessary for the current service the user is trying to use. Gradually reveal more terms as the user interacts with other services (a process known as Progressive Disclosure). However, a comprehensive version should always be available for reference.
- User Testing: Before launching a service, test the terms and conditions with users to identify any unclear or unfair aspects from the customer’s perspective and make necessary adjustments.
- Addressing Customer Complaints: Remember, if customers complain about a particular point in the terms and conditions, it’s usually for a valid reason. Be willing to make immediate amendments and thank the customer for their input.
- Tabulation and Indexing: Organize the terms and conditions with a table of contents to facilitate reading or direct users to sections of interest.
- Incorporate Quizzes: Some apps use short quizzes to educate users about terms and conditions, an indirect way to ensure user understanding and awareness.
Role of Legislative Bodies
Legislative authorities have a general responsibility to protect customers. They should impose laws, regulations, and penalties on entities that deliberately make texts vague to confuse customers. They can also mandate specific terms and conditions related to complaints that have escalated to them, thus reducing repeat complaints and operational costs and increasing customer trust and satisfaction.
Conclusion:
As practitioners in the field of customer or user experience, please share your tips and practices that can enhance customer experience with terms and conditions. As for customers, I urge you to voice your complaints about unfair practices in terms and conditions and use all platforms to spread your views to encourage service providers to take this issue more seriously.
