I’ve just signed up and downloaded the app and am really looking forward to being able to use Monzo. And I am genuinely sorry to make my first post here about something negative, but it’ll bother me lots not to say.
Queue bumping. I can completely understand the need and desire to get people to spread the word and giving people an incentive to do so is a good approach. But I am totally ethically opposed to queue-jumping unless it’s according to absolute need. If I’m in A&E with a broken toe and someone comes in after me with a burst appendix, they should absolutely go first because the consequences will be dire for them if not, whereas not so much for me.
But using any sort of capital, financial or social, necessarily means that the system is exclusive. It’s not open to everyone, even if they wanted to take advantage. I’m always happy to tell people about good things I’ve found (and have told people about Monzo) but I’m really awkward about doing referrals and don’t like it when I get what feels to me like spam from other people.
That’s just me and not so bad. But what about people who couldn’t make a referral? Maybe they have an anxiety disorder, or are very introverted or shy, or have problems with social interaction due to autism spectrum disorders? People who are in situations where they are bullied or have had their confidence crushed? People who might really benefit from using Monzo to help them manage and have more control and independence, maybe?
It seems totally against what I’ve seen of Monzo’s ethos tho do that. And to be fair, I doubt this would be the intention.
Couldn’t the incentives be things that don’t actively prevent some people from getting to use Monzo just because they don’t have the right/enough social capital? Give people a personalised card with a picture of kittens on it, or send them a wooly hat, or list them in a chart of referrers or something?
I am motivated to write this in part because I’m no closer to getting a card, it seems (I’d be thinking it anyway.) But it just seems daft to me to prevent some people from using the service when you could have them plus people who’d probably like other incentives too.