Let's talk about customer service and systemic issues in China via a mini-program (sharing, venting, and reflection).

I originally intended to continue from where I left off in the previous post, but while researching WeChat's new policies and mini-programs, some interesting and thought-provoking things happened. This article should have been published last week, but I wanted to wait for the mini-programs to be released so I could brag about it, but ultimately, I failed to do so.

Let's first talk about WeChat's major update at the end of March 2017. This update was expected, but it still left most website owners bewildered. The biggest change was that shared web pages could no longer include images. Before, not including a description was manageable, but now without images, it's a disaster. I've said before that WeChat official accounts are less effective at sharing than responsive websites. Leaving aside user traffic and user ownership issues, since official accounts were hidden behind a list and no longer appeared as friends, their overall readership and reach have significantly decreased. Is it more convenient to specifically open the list and search through a bunch of accounts, or just check Moments? Of course, the needs are different, but from a reach perspective, it all ultimately comes down to reposting; the more reposted, the more views.

WeChat is becoming increasingly closed. Now, to protect official accounts, any webpages shared from domains not linked to enterprise verification (which require further development) will lack descriptions and images, making them incredibly ugly and unbearable to look at. Based on this situation, I've restarted my research on WeChat, and of course, I've also created a few mini-programs (enterprise accounts can create mini-programs). Here are a few experiences I'll share.

1. It's best not to apply for a personal WeChat account. Aside from posting, most other functions are useless. Furthermore, personal accounts don't support verification to access more APIs.
2. The review process for enterprise account applications is handled by a third party and is strictly in accordance with regulations, so as long as the documents are complete, there should be no problems. Required documents include: a business license, a corporate bank account (or the legal representative's personal account), and a company seal (if unavailable, the legal representative's WeChat account must be linked to their bank card).
3. There's no need to apply for a separate mini-program account, because even if you do, you'll need enterprise verification (300 RMB per account). Once the enterprise account is verified, you can open multiple mini-programs, which are then linked to the enterprise account, saving you a lot of money.

Let me mention WeChat Mini Program development. It's really easy to develop Mini Programs, provided you already have a complete API. The Mini Program simply calls the API and passes in the data. You can basically get started in a few hours. However, it also has significant limitations. It essentially strips up JavaScript, requiring you to follow its specifications, which makes many things difficult and necessitates consulting documentation. Nevertheless, the development tools are excellent; they support QR code login, allow for simultaneous development and browsing of the interface, and even include built-in debugging.

I created two mini-programs myself: one for stock alerts and the other for Washington Neighborhood. Creating mini-programs is slightly more difficult than creating web pages, but it's a bit like writing Vue.js (note that you can create mini-programs without an account, but you can't publish them; you can try it out). Perhaps because Tencent realized that mini-programs were too easy to create, they focused on strict review processes, which can be described as extremely rigorous.

First, Tencent's review process uses a whitelist system. This means that if your content doesn't fall under their category, it definitely can't be published. For example, if you want to publish gold news, they won't approve it, even though news is on their list, gold isn't. So my mini-program was rejected. Second, they have a very long list of "required qualification materials for special industries." Basically, anything you want to do requires government "certificates." I've compiled a list for you to see.

Let me tell you from my experience: if you're a self-media creator or a small business, mini-programs aren't for you. If you're a large company, please get all the necessary government documents ready and then develop iOS and Android apps. Mini-programs won't be of much use to you.

Okay, enough of that, let's get to the point. Since the mini-program failed the review with useless and bizarre reasons, an appeal should have been filed. The official response was neither guidance nor a valid reason in my opinion. Unfortunately, Tencent completely ignores this avenue, meaning the mini-program review process has become entirely their own decision. They approve it if they want, and disapprove if they don't. Some users have even encountered bizarre situations where the same program that failed yesterday passed today. This shows they don't have a unified standard. I experienced this myself. My gold-related mini-program passed the first review, but failed the second and subsequent reviews. It's ridiculous. Look at the reasons they gave three times. The only acceptable reason is "Content involving gold, oil, futures, etc., is temporarily unavailable," since you did state that beforehand.

This is actually fairly normal, since there's a compelling reason that can't be ignored. But the reason given for my other mini-program is even more incomprehensible: "It involves current affairs news, please add a current affairs information category." Where would a classifieds platform like mine get political entries?

Based on this, I clicked the "link if you have any questions" he left, and after going around in circles for a while, I was taken to another webpage, and then another link appeared below, this time leading to their QQ customer service. I thought this time it should be the right one, but I never expected it to be another nightmare.

The following is the main text.

I've been working on Apple apps for years, and Apple's review process is very strict. However, there are many ways to resolve issues. For example, after the review, they will provide the reasons for the rejection along with screenshots, telling you what went wrong. You can choose to reply to them and schedule a phone call to discuss the issue. If communication fails or there are other reasons, you can also choose to appeal. They have an appeals center that handles these appeals, and the process is usually quite quick.

I had an experience where my HelloGwu app was inexplicably removed from the App Store, supposedly for content duplication with other apps. I contacted them asking which app it was, but no one replied for two days. I decided to appeal, clearly stating my reasons, and Apple processed it immediately, quickly putting it back on the App Store.

I initially thought Tencent in China would be more efficient, resolving issues directly through online chat like Taobao. However, after my conversation, I realized I was wrong. Chinese customer service, much like the government, handles problems with an "it's not my problem" attitude. When you threaten to expose something, they pretend to process it, but ultimately, nothing comes of it. Leaving aside the long queues—which is understandable given the large user base and the size of the Chinese market—once you reach the front of the queue and start explaining the problem, no matter what you say, the response is always the same: "It didn't pass, please modify it according to the result." They give you the same answer no matter what you ask, until I say, "Then I'll take a screenshot and post it online," and only then do they start doing anything... (Listen to our conversation; note the speed of their response.)

The final result was that he said he had registered me, recorded my number, and would process it within 24 hours. Well, I believed him. Almost a week has passed, and there's been no feedback, not even a message… This has made me think deeply.

This is just a small program. If it were other issues involving interests, how would those in power react? Lack of openness, transparency, and competition ultimately depend on the qualities and mood of those in power.

Of course, we can't entirely blame the customers, because Chinese customers do have very little power. In the US, customer service might be able to process a return and refund directly. But Chinese customers don't have that power; they either have to consult their superiors or simply can't do it at all. The reason for this is actually a lack of social trust. Once power is delegated, loopholes appear, and people are prone to misbehaving, making it impossible to regulate. Of course, it's also possible that people are simply too lazy to regulate. In the US, no one usually regulates, but if customer service misbehaves, the person can be traced back to their credit record. This system has been used in various industries. The initial steps are: trust you, give you the power to do whatever you want, but once you're found to have a problem, it's serious; you might face difficulties everywhere. Based on this, everyone behaves themselves.

This is also closely related to social systems. American society has a network structure, while Chinese society has a tree structure (pyramid). What's the difference? In a network structure, anyone can potentially hold any position under any circumstances, such as president, or all government officials appointed by the president. Anyone can do it. In China, however, there's a very clear hierarchical system, with promotions ascending step by step according to time. I won't comment on the merits of these two systems, but these two different systems lead to huge differences in society. In a tree structure, customer service representatives at the bottom have very little power, and they prefer to avoid trouble; their task is simply to appease customers.

Let me briefly mention "In the Name of the People." I really enjoy this drama, and I myself benefited from working within the system during my student days. However, after watching it, there are many things I don't understand. Why must it always be the superiors investigating the subordinates? If this situation exists where only superiors can investigate subordinates, then who at the highest level can investigate? Let alone the highest level, even at the city or provincial level, the head of the Discipline Inspection Commission and the provincial party committee are at the same level, but the Discipline Inspection Commission can't investigate him. Why? Because the provincial party secretary holds real power and can mobilize all resources. What can the Discipline Inspection Commission do? Report to higher authorities? I hope someone can answer this question for me.

When I came to the US five years ago, I couldn't understand how e-commerce could be so rudimentary in the world's leading superpower. Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce platform, offered nothing but product descriptions and reviews; there was no online customer service. You had to rely entirely on reviews and online questions. Why was eBay, the originator of Taobao, the same? No internal messaging; communication was only possible via email, which was slow and frustrating. How can my needs regarding product quality and other issues be met before I even buy?

When we enjoy chatting with sellers on Taobao's AliWangwang, have we ever wondered why we need to ask questions, and why sellers spend so much effort on customer service? It's because of the system and the trust it places on customers. Whether it's Amazon or eBay, they have robust buyer protection systems. They offer no-questions-asked returns, and you don't even have to pay for shipping. Moreover, if a dispute arises, the platform intervenes quickly and resolves it promptly. Gradually, users develop trust, so they don't need to ask questions before buying; they just buy it and can return it later if it doesn't work out.

Why are Taobao sellers so friendly and affectionate on AliWangwang? Because they are the demand side; they need you to meet their selling needs. Last year, I bought a popular item, and when I chatted with the seller, their attitude was completely different because they were sold out and naturally didn't need to pay attention to me anymore.

At this point, you should understand why Tencent customer service is so brazen. Because publishing the program is your requirement, and they don't care. So what do they care about? Probably those clients big enough to personally visit and chat with the boss?

Actually, this can't be entirely blamed on the platform and its system; it's a huge issue. Even if returns are allowed freely, will users be able to comply? A few days ago, I saw news reports of elderly people constantly filling buckets at drinking fountains. After seeing this, I realized that the authorities' forceful management isn't due to anything else but certain corrupt officials. If there's a worm in a dish, it can't be served.

These are two completely different worlds, two completely different systems. Two entirely different systems, two entirely different groups of people.