soc-se-bot
commented
5 days ago Team's Response
We opted for these restrictions as the intended targets for our users (FAs) would be Singaporean clients that have Singaporean phone numbers, and thus aligned our restrictions with that in mind. We have also clarified that in the FA industry, policies are heavily dependent on the locality of the client (i.e. usually having international clients is not a common practice due to regulations, asking a overseas contact to sign a Singapore-based policy won't make sense as well). The budding financial advisors we are targeting will also rarely have this use case since their initial circle will be comprised of their social circles.
However, we will consider lifting this restriction should we want to cater our product to more diverse audiences in the future, but we believe the current version should work fine with the restrictions in place. These restrictions also serve to prevent typos and phone numbers of incorrect length.
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Team chose [response.NotInScope]
- [x] I disagree
Reason for disagreement: The developers claim that these restrictions are in place because the app is intended for financial advisors dealing with Singaporean clients. However, the app does not specify anywhere that it is exclusively for Singaporean users. Without such a clear designation, users expect the app to handle diverse scenarios, including international phone numbers. The current restrictions are not only inconvenient but also a significant feature flaw that undermines the app’s purpose.
Restricting phone numbers to 8 digits with specific starting digits (3, 6, 8, or 9) places unnecessary limitations on users. Financial advisors, even those just starting out, encounter international clients, whether through referrals, networking, or social circles. Instead of complementing their careers by supporting such cases, the app actively limits their access to opportunities by forcing them to rely on external tools for managing non-Singaporean clients. This contradicts the app’s intended purpose of streamlining workflows and serving as a one-stop solution.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that the professor has specifically stated that while it is acceptable to restrict input sizes, the limits must be reasonable. Limiting phone numbers to 8 digits is not reasonable unless the app exclusively targets users whose numbers are guaranteed to be in this format. Without explicitly targeting Singapore-only users, this restriction is unjustified and causes unnecessary friction.
These restrictions not only hinder the app’s usability but also reduce its potential value to financial advisors aiming to grow their client base.
Phone numbers are restricted to 8 digits, thus making the advisors miss out on leads who don't have a Singaporean number. Moreover, they are only allowed to 3,6,8, or 9 as the first digit.
I believe there is no reason to particularly have such high restrictions in storing phone numbers. Allowing users to store a greater number of digits and no restrictions on the first digit should allow them to store details of diverse clients, which is typical for financial advisors.