The Zipcar representative declined to specify how many people were affected by the outage.
A warning against total app dependency
Zipcar's app problems have not only cost the company money, but have also traumatized some users, who may think twice before using Zipcar again. The convenience of using apps to control physical products only exists if the apps are functioning and prepared for high-volume periods such as Thanksgiving weekend.
Despite Zipcar's claims that a “small percentage” of users were affected, the company's customer support system appeared overwhelmed. Long wait times combined with misinformation about things like costs leave already disrupted customers feeling even more let down.
These are the pitfalls of being completely dependent on apps for basic functionality. There was a time when Zipcar members automatically received physical “Zipcards” for opening doors. Now it's not really advertised and users have to request one.
Zipcars were also more likely to put keys in locked cars. Cutting back on these physical aspects may have saved the company money, but it essentially put all of Zipcar's eggs in one basket.
Nightmarish app problems like Zipcar's can be a dealbreaker. Just look at Sonos, whose botched app update cost millions. Plus, turning something like car rental into a service available almost exclusively through an app is a risky business, and can quickly overcomplicate simple tasks. Some petrol stations in New Zealand had bad luck earlier this year, for example when a leap day error caused payment processing software to stop working. Gas stations that needed apps for payments were unable to make sales and drivers were inconvenienced.
Apps can simplify and streamline while providing ingenuity. But that doesn't mean traditional, app-free backup measures should be eliminated.
