Consumer Difficulties With Computerized Transactions: 
An Empirical Investigation

The prevalence with which errors may be encountered by the 
end targets of a computerized process is assessed.  How many and
what type of errors occur?  How easily are they corrected?  What
is the reaction of consumers to errors-to a failure to correct
them?  What can be learned by designers of large management packages
from such data? Results show that with the present state of the
art, approximately 40 percent of individuals (or households) having
average contacts with different types of accounts experience one
or more errors per year.  Eighty percent relate to billing.  Attempts
to correct errors often turned out to be difficult and not always
successful. There appears to be some conflict between computer-using
organizations and their public.  Also the role of poor man
agement packages including poor software is indicated.  While most
management systems may be adequate, results of the survey raise
concerns about the timeliness and the number of designs of very
large linked program packages (as EFT for instance).  

CACM May, 1979

Sterling, T.

Errors, systems errors, billing errors, management systems, consumers

2.0 2.1 2.12 2.2 3.50 3.52 3.55 4.19 4.6

CA790503 DH June 5, 1979  3:21 PM

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