Is Technology Promoting Unreasonable Customer Demands?

Technology has made life simple — eCommerce platforms like Amazon offer one-click service, instant returns, and maximized personalization. But, a new wave of viral social media complaints has uncovered the hidden hardships of this hyper-convenient culture.

Platforms like Twitter and TikTok have recently been abuzz with stories of customer requests that range from mostly annoying to blatantly unreasonable. These anecdotes have highlighted the occasionally unfair demands customers have placed on service professionals and also demonstrated some negative effects of increasingly over-the-top digital experiences.

Here we unpack two recent cases of extreme customer demands to highlight this new digital phenomenon: 

Starbucks ‘Edward’ Drink

In the first example, Starbucks customer ‘Edward’ was recently called out in a Twitter post showcasing his mobile order requesting an extensive and seemingly involved drink. The image aired his 13-ingredient frappucino, which included 5 bananas, 7 pumps of caramel sauce, frappucino chips, and extra whipped cream, making his creation a whopping $14. It also led to the Barista’s termination, as Starbucks stated that the post violated its social media policy.

The post immediately went viral, with users mimicking the barista's sentiment in his Tweet stating, “On [today’s] episode of why I wanna quit my job.” But, it also sparked a fairly heated debate discussing whether or not this kind of request should be accommodated. While some users think this unnecessary and over-the-top drink is the mark of an excessive and rude customer, others believe that it’s simply part of the job. 

When considering this example, although it is an intense order, it is technically a tamer customer request. It is not completely unreasonable to craft up an involved drink if Starbucks offers the ingredients, but it does pose an interesting question of whether digital technology is creating a more demanding and critical customer.

From the image, the drink was clearly ordered through Starbucks’ mobile app, which makes all of these extras and add ons easily accessible. But, if this customer simply walked into a Starbucks location and ordered off of their established menu board, would they still decide on such an involved and intricate coffee? If not, we could reasonably assume that the technology is encouraging these ‘off the menu’ orders.

However, this trend more likely represents a disconnect between the technology and the Starbucks’ baristas executing the orders. Although hyper-personalization and access to endless ingredient options may seem like a good idea, Starbucks needs to check in with its frontline staff to ensure these services are actually feasible. And, if not, offer the proper training and resources to effectively meet these expectations. 

Amazon vs. UPS 

In another example, TikTok user ‘Uncle Dave’ shares his story of an unreasonable demand from an Amazon customer seeking a return. Upon arriving at the individual’s house for the return pick-up, the customer who greeted him simply pointed to his couch expecting the UPS employee to disassemble the furniture and process the return for him. Once the UPS driver explained that he is not allowed to return items that are not fully packaged, the customer became angry and explained that Amazon assured him that he would in fact disassemble and repackage the item.

This led to an unproductive back and forth that ultimately prompted the customer to ask him to reach out to the CEO of Amazon or UPS to settle the dispute. 

While the UPS employee notes that Amazon does not maintain any policy that would demand him to repackage an item for a customer, it’s interesting that a customer would state this with such authority. Although he may have been exuding some sense of false confidence, it seems he may have actually believed that he was entitled to this kind of service. Amazon has established a quality of service so seamless that customers expect their returns to be just as simple. 

It represents another case where technology and digital customer service may, in some ways, contribute to these heightened expectations. This example does illustrate a more difficult and unreasonable case, but it is likely not an isolated incident. With customers now receiving instant support, they are less willing to accept personal accountability for their purchases — placing the burden on the service representatives navigating these over-the-top requests. However, it’s also relevant to recognize the fact that companies like Amazon often attempt to alleviate customer disappointment by simplifying the return process and offering an above-and-beyond gesture to attract the all-important 5-star review. While this may be more difficult for larger purchases, like furniture, it may pinpoint the cause of this particular customer’s intense reaction. In cases like these, customer service representatives must determine the most reasonable outcome, given the circumstances, and it may not always align with customers’ expectations.

Ultimately, both examples illustrate cases of oppositional requests; while most customers are still reasonable regardless of their access to over-the-top digital technology, we may begin to see customers become increasingly particular and argumentative if their requests are refused. Therefore, companies must form a more united front with the frontline service workers and customer support teams to ensure that employees are adequately prepared to support these heightened demands.