Understanding My Difficulties

Why is it so difficult to get an appointment?

The most common pattern to book an appointment goes like this: You search for “Berlin Anmeldung” on Google because someone at work told you that you need to do this to avoid any trouble. You click the first link that appears. A page with an overwhelming amount of text opens. You try to read it, but since it’s in German and your level is only B1, you can’t understand it, so you start looking for a button. You click what seems to be the right button and land on another page filled with more text—and something in red, along with a countdown. 

What is this? You translate the text and realize there are no appointments available. So you wait, refresh the page, and still see the same message. Frustrated, you ask knowledgeable friends on WhatsApp if they know any tricks. They suggest waking up early to check the website at 8 AM—but you have to be quick! The appointments disappear within two minutes. You set your alarm, wake up early, and, this time, skip step one because you’ve saved the page in your favorites. You finally see four appointments!

You click on the first one, only to find it’s no longer available. You go back, and luckily, one appointment is left. You click it, fill out the form, and finally get your appointment! Then, you arrive at the office, wait an hour, and, after asking why no one has called you, you’re told you don’t have an appointment because you didn’t confirm it via the email they sent.

Well, if it is about speed, the most important thing is to get your appointment. Wouldn’t it be best to optimize for that experience?