Customer Journey - Transparency - Parental control

Dear
Xbox,
After spending days and days together with my kid and my wife to figure out how to purchase and install an simple extension, we finally were able to instal it. The journey was so complex, painful, I’ll
take even more time to share our customer journey and hope to get your feedback about it.

We bought XBOX for our kids couple of years ago, we set parental control before they could use it. "Of course” we had to create email accounts they don’t need and we don’t want but ok. We had to encode their passwords on the screen (so
we asked them to leave the room).

We bought some games and now our kid is asking for an extension. He click on the button to ask for my authorisation. I didn’t received any email or what’s however. So, I went to the xbox, (asked my son to leave the room to type the password), switched
to my profile. Click on buy and then I was prompted to install the extension and then I clicked on install button…… Sounds logical since I also have the game on my profile….WRONG !

Let the fun begin:
Extension installed, my son switched to his profile but it wasn’t working. In the meantime I received the invoice by email.
We tried again without success. We thought it might be not yet active because of some delays related to VISA payment. But it wasn’t the case.

We quickly checked online support on desktop and mobile didn’t found. Since their was no movement on my VISA account I thought it's somehow “ normal". The next day, I checked again on my mobile (iPhone - you’ll understand why this detail is “important”).
Went to online support, checked for refund, discovered that
-Extension can not be shared (can you please let me know were I was supposed to be informed that I can not “share” in the above mentioned flow ?)
-some extensions can not be refunded (if the link doesn’t appear on your account zone, it means you can’t be refunded) I logged on my account on mobile and there was no link.

I found local support phone number. Called the number. Went to 2 dead ends/endless loop (go to online support) after indicating my language preference and accepting to be recored (to improve support services ;-)))). Third call, I got the messages
in the wrong language (Flemish instead of French). I managed it and decided to go to Business support (hack#1). Had to switch in English and redirected to a first line support. Audio quality was really poor + his Indian accent vs my Belgian accent didn’t helped
but we managed it and I was redirected to another service, somewhere else in the world.

I had to confirm again and again that I’m ok to record the conversation, refuse Satisfaction survey (I hesitated on that one but I spent so much time and effort to buy and install an app extension that I declined).
After some quick verification, the support was very kind and helpful. I explained my journey and spontaneously he asked me: "did you checked with an Iphone/Safari browser?”." Yes why?”.

-> Well, you know It doesn’t work well on Apple, you know Apple “……
Wow: sorry to say, I’m working for more than 20years in digital agencies, I just checked a webpage. If you can not manage to display a link on a webpage….

So I followed instructions on my laptop this time. I found the missing link, click on the refund link. 5steps to qualify the refund.
->Among the 6 options to qualify the reasons why I want to be refunded: something like
-My child asked for it without my consent
-Another adult accept it.
-I approved but never got the content.
-I never ordered it
…

Guess which one I was about to click?
Guess which one I need to click to finalise the flow?

Final step, I was again prompted to confirm one of the above mentioned reason (guess which one again?)

Nevermind; it seems to work. I received an email explaining me that my refund request will be processed in max 72hours (so I understand that it is not confirmed)

I asked the support guy, what is the flow to install the extension.
He suggest me to do it right away with the following procedure: remove the parental control remotely, proceed to the payment and then reactivate it remotely.

NO WAY!

Then he told me that I can do it myself with the same procedure. It’s lot more easy than the standard flow….I couldn’t believe it (he’s probably right)

As we are bashing Apple, let me inform you that parental control flow is as simple as:

1. He wants an app.
2. I’m notified on my mobile
3. I accept
4. It is immediately available on his profile

I then asked what the standard procedure:

1. My son ask for an extension
2. I connect to my profile on my xbox
3. I accept
4. I log off
5. He connects to his profile
6. He install

So we did…
But it didn’t worked…

I checked again my emails etc.. at some point, I discovered a new space (account.microsoft where I found "another standard procedure” where I was invited to credit my son’s account with predefined amount (which of course doesn’t match extension
cost).
And it worked.

I’m still waiting for my refund

Based on what my ‘customer journey’ (which is not completely finished) I hope you will understand why I won’t recommend or buy an XBOX product again.

:)