I have new evidence for my latest hypothesis, that people put off buying goods and services they want because they are expecting a hassle. They are expecting uncertainty, delays, and distress. They are actually surprised when this doesn't happen.
Here's my proof, for which I need to tell you a mother story. A real one, about my own cool mom, who probably would prefer that I not reveal what decade she was born in, let alone her actual age.
She's had a few computers over the years, and been through the pain of installation and upgrades. She's dealt with viruses and hard-drive crashes. She pays her bills online, and monitors and trades her stocks online, and has done all this for quite a few years. She e-mails digital photos of her hiking trips. In short, not a Luddite.
Surprise, it works!
What my mom did not have, until yesterday, was high-speed internet access. She wanted it. She's wanted it for a long time, actually. But to get high speed, she had to switch ISPs, and convert to a cable hookup. And she was expecting that switch, and the house-call to install the cable, both to be a big headache.
When it wasn't a big hassle, she was genuinely surprised.
Shocking to think that people put off buying your service even though they want it. Revenue forever lost, because someone expected the customer experience to be painful.
