For example, hearing aid / hearing loss companies call patients. It’s counterproductive because the patients are the ones who have trouble hearing.
I wanted a specific example more than a general one, so I’m going to go with Alamo Drafthouse. The company built its brand on being the theater chain for movie geeks, people that like the theatrical experience, but wished for something better than what megaplexes were offering. The company rode that identity until 2024, when Sony bought it out. Not coincidentally, 6 months later, they announced that they were mandating the use of QR codes to order food and drinks during the showings. Imagine my surprise when I showed up to a screening and had to dig into my phone, download their app, reset my password, and then navigate a hastily slapped together system just to request a glass of ice water at the start of the 3rd act.
That’s, admittedly, not a huge deal on the face of it. But it’s such a betrayal of the entire reason that I had preferentially chosen to see movies at my local Drafthouse that I haven’t returned since. It does not help my attitude that the underlying reason for this change in policy seems to be cost-cutting and union busting.
While the refusal to change course seems to indicate my aversion is the minority opinion, my mind still boggles at Sony’s willingness to cut off their nose just to spite their face.
Advertising
The process of getting on adhd meds involves routinely visiting the doctor, testing different meds, scheduling appointments, getting a referral to a specialist, contacting the specialist to schedule appointments that may be months out, then going in for testing, and even then because of drug scheduling you can’t get refills of meds because they’re controlled so you have to visit the doctor for every other bottle.
It’s like replacing every single wheelchair ramp with a balance beam and wondering why paraplegics can’t get into the building.
Works that way with pain meds too. Utter bullshit
Software updates that serve no benefit to the end user and often breaks things that used to work. The updates also change where things are located all the time.
Outlook for example changed the location of the icon I click to quote someone. The quick email I wanted to send ended up being something I have to deal with later when I have time to hunt down one of my most commonly used outlook features.
Most of the time it’s just the software engineers of the company being forced to look productive so they have to move stuff around just for the sake of it so they don’t lose their job. It’s sad, even they realize that the new version is a step back, but the stakeholders can’t accept that and require something “fresh and exciting” all the time.
Makes sense. Gotta keep the bean counters happy.
Advertising. I’ll have been thinking about something I want to buy, but then the product or retailer shoves their shit in front of me with advertisements and I’ll give up on it out of principle.
Where are you getting ads? I have it all blocked everywhere.
the insurance industry – especially health insurance – has got to be the biggest and most glaring example of this.
Only if you assume their “target audience” is the policyholders.
When you realise their target audience is their shareholders, you see that everything they do is directly for them.
This applies to almost every industry nowadays…
With so much enshittification, most products are various levels of hostile to customers.
