Customer Expectations: Case Study

A while back, I talked about mismanaging customer expectations. Well, I have a nice little story to share with you, let’s consider it a case study.

I was interested in a new “widget” software. After doing some search online for widgets — I found a website offering free webinars on widgets, and how to use them effectively.

When I finally returned to the link to register for the widget webinar, the webinar time I had seen before was filled. Instead, I was offered another time, a few days later.

Great! I signed up.

The day of the webinar, things were going well. I was impressed with the widget company because they had a staff member call to remind me about the webinar, and I also received a reminder email a half hour before the webinar was to begin.

When I logged onto the webinar, though, that’s where the problems began. I was greeted by name upon logging in, and though I had already selected my audio preference (computer speakers, rather than phone dial-in)… the person told me that I should consider calling in because the webinar would be interactive.

“Nope, I’d prefer to interact via the chat window.”

“Ok, but it won’t be as beneficial for you.”

Um…. ok? I’ve been to many webinars where relying on computer audio has been just as beneficial as calling in.

I was then told that the presenter would be on in a few minutes. Twelve minutes went by, and I began to have second thoughts. What kind of company hosts a webinar that starts more than ten minutes late? Why are they wasting my time?

The webinar presenter finally logged in, and to my surprise, instead of discussing widgets, I was again welcomed ….by name.

I have to say, I was nonplussed.

My participation in the webinar ended right then and there. I closed out, frustrated that I had wasted 20 minutes of my time in the “webinar” — and what was worse, had used up a valuable block of my schedule on this instead of the three other things I could have been doing.

In retrospect, the widget webinar was merely a bait-and-switch: get people to sign up to learn about widgets, and then instead of holding a real webinar about widgets, put people in a 1:1 sales conference to try and push a specific brand of widget.

If I decide to purchase widgets, would I be likely to purchase through this widget company given the circumstances?

Definitely not. I don’t like being tricked.

Now, if the widget company had been truthful about the purpose of their webinar, I simply would not have signed up. No harm, no foul. I would be where I am now, minus the frustration of being duped. I would still have to do research about widgets on my own…. but maybe I would have been willing to go with this widget company come purchasing time.