A Simple Usability Example: Gift Cards

Part of reader appreciation is the ability to look at things from an end-user’s perspective. Today I will present a real-life example on how doing something good may result in possible headaches for end-users.

Gift Cards – Easy to Give

We’ve all more-or-less been in a situation where we couldn’t quite decide what to get somebody for a gift occasion such as a birthday or holiday. It’s much easier to ask someone, “Where do you usually shop?”

Once you find out where that person shops, you can head over to the store, pick up a gift card, and you’re done. Right? Well, besides giving the card away, you’re done.

But what about the recipient? What does he/she do with the card once it’s in their possession.

The Recipient – What to do with the card…

There are three logical choices for a person to do once a gift card is received.

• Travel to the store (or online) and spend the gift card.
• Give the gift card away or exchange it.
• Put the gift card in a drawer and let it expire.

Let’s face it, if everyone loved receiving gift cards, there wouldn’t be so many online exchange websites.

With the alleged “convenience” of gift cards, why are so many going unused? According to this 2006 article, more than ten percent of all gift cards go unused.

There are some obvious reasons why gift cards would go unused:

• The recipient isn’t interested in the store. I could definitely relate if given a Victoria’s Secret gift card.
• The store is out of state and unaccessible online.
• The gift card is not applicable in your country.
• The recipient may be forgetful and stash the card away for later use.

Gift Cards Can Be Extremely Inconvenient

Over Christmas I was waiting in line at a maternity store waiting to buy my friend a gift card. There was only one lady in front of me, so I figured the wait wouldn’t be that long.

I then overheard that the customer was going to pay for the transaction using a gift card.

The clerk asked the customer, “How much is on this gift card?”

The customer looked at the card and said, “I have no idea. You guys don’t know?”

The clerk rolled her eyes and said, “Hold on. I’ll have to call the customer service line on the card to figure out the amount.” After verifying the amount on the card, the clerk rang up the transaction.

After waiting in line for ten minutes, I was finally able to purchase my gift card at this store.

Another example is when I was buying something with a gift card. This was at a major retail chain called Circuit City. The clerk couldn’t finish the transaction without verifying the amount on the gift cards, so once again the customer service line was needed.

In the end, I was glad I got the items for free. However, in my opinion, the recipient of the gift card shouldn’t be tossed through the usability hoola-hoop.

Gift Cards – Conclusion

Gift cards are extremely convenient to give. It’s why there are so many contests online that give out gift cards. However, the recipient’s experience should also be taken into account. Not all gift cards are the same, and not all are convenient to purchase with.

Gift cards suffer from the same usability issues as everything else. Should it be the user’s responsibility to remember the amount on the card? I would think not. Should there be an easy way for users to cash in unwanted gift cards at the store? Sure, but there isn’t.

Remember, there is nothing more practical and usable than cold hard cash. Giving away cash online, however, usually requires another usability hurdle: Paypal.

Thank you for reading.