In July 2016, a new social gaming and entertainment app, Pokémon Go, took the world by storm, quickly topping global app charts and capturing the imaginations of millions of users. This augmented reality (AR) game, which allows players to use their smartphones to catch virtual Pokémon in real-world locations, quickly outperformed some of the largest social media platforms in terms of user interaction and downloads. Within weeks of its release, Pokémon Go surged ahead of leading entertainment apps, including Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Twitter. It became the most downloaded app in both the App Store and Google Play Store, a feat not often accomplished by gaming applications.
The game’s success was unprecedented, bringing together communities of people to explore the outdoors, connect with one another, and rediscover their love for Pokémon, a beloved franchise that has spanned decades. The app redefined how we perceive social gaming and augmented reality, offering a novel experience that went far beyond the screen of a mobile device. At its peak, Pokémon Go’s user engagement far surpassed those of Instagram and Twitter, making it a cultural phenomenon for most of the second half of 2016.
However, despite its initial success, the experience of playing Pokémon Go varied greatly among users, leading to some unforeseen challenges. Concerns around safety, connection issues, and unstable servers became prominent, and the app’s explosive popularity turned out to be a double-edged sword. Data from Survey Monkey Intelligence, as reviewed by Business Insider, revealed that Pokémon Go’s weekly active user count in the U.S. peaked at around 40 million on July 24, 2016, but dropped to 28 million by August 18. This downward trend suggested that user interest was waning, partially due to unmet expectations and gameplay frustrations.
Managing Customer Expectations: Three Winning Tips for Businesses
The rapid rise and decline of Pokémon Go’s user base serve as a valuable case study for businesses seeking to design their strategies around managing customer expectations effectively. While Pokémon Go revolutionized the gaming industry, its challenges in managing user expectations and delivering consistent experiences provide critical lessons for businesses looking to foster loyalty, engagement, and sustained growth. Below are three essential tips for managing customer expectations based on insights derived from the Pokémon Go experience:
1. Effective Communication: The Foundation of Customer Satisfaction
Effective communication is crucial in managing customer expectations and is as vital to a business as oil is to the smooth operation of a car engine. In any customer journey, errors, oversights, and missteps can occur—whether they are related to product quality, service delivery, or system glitches. How these issues are communicated to customers can make all the difference in how they perceive and experience your brand.
One of the common complaints with Pokémon Go was the inconsistency of information and lack of clear communication from the app’s developers, Niantic. As players faced frequent server crashes, safety concerns, and unstable gameplay, many found themselves frustrated not just by the issues themselves but by the lack of transparency about what was being done to resolve them. This led to confusion and dissatisfaction, as players were left guessing about the nature and timeline of fixes.
The Importance of Real-Time Communication Channels
To effectively manage customer expectations, it’s crucial to provide timely, clear, and transparent updates across multiple touchpoints. A study by Econsultancy revealed that live chat has the highest satisfaction levels among all customer service channels, with 73% of users preferring it over email (61%) and phone support (44%). This indicates that customers value real-time support and quick responses, particularly when they encounter issues or have urgent questions.
For instance, if a business faces a technical difficulty or service outage, promptly informing customers through email alerts, social media updates, or in-app notifications can help alleviate customer anxiety and demonstrate accountability. Customers are more forgiving when they feel they are being kept in the loop and that the business is actively working to resolve their issues.
Managing Expectations When Problems Arise
Effective communication also means setting the right expectations when problems arise. If a product or service encounters an unexpected issue, be proactive about informing customers of the problem, its anticipated impact, and the steps being taken to resolve it. This can help maintain trust and confidence in your brand, even when things don’t go as planned. By being transparent and addressing challenges head-on, businesses can turn potentially negative situations into opportunities to strengthen their relationship with customers.
2. Realistic Promises: The Art of Balancing Marketing and Delivery
One of the most common pitfalls for businesses is the temptation to overpromise in their marketing efforts to attract customers. This often stems from a desire to differentiate from competitors, create buzz, and boost sales quickly. However, overselling products or services can lead to a disconnect between customer expectations and the actual experience, resulting in disappointment and frustration. Pokémon Go’s launch demonstrated how difficult it can be to balance high marketing expectations with practical delivery.
The Risk of Overpromising and Under-Delivering
At its height, Pokémon Go was promoted as an unparalleled AR experience that allowed players to “catch ’em all” in their own backyards. However, as millions of users flocked to the app, the surge in traffic overwhelmed the game’s servers, causing frequent connectivity issues and lag. Moreover, safety concerns arose when players wandered into unsafe areas or became so engrossed in the game that they didn’t pay attention to their surroundings. For many, the reality of gameplay fell short of the excitement created by the app’s marketing campaigns, leading to unmet expectations.
To avoid similar pitfalls, businesses must ensure that they make realistic promises that can be delivered upon consistently. This means understanding the capabilities of your product or service, the resources available to your team, and any limitations that may affect delivery. The goal should be to create marketing messages that are aspirational yet grounded in what your business can reliably provide.
Meeting and Exceeding Customer Expectations Through Honesty
When setting customer expectations, aim to “underpromise and overdeliver.” By setting realistic expectations, you leave room for your product or service to exceed what the customer anticipates, creating a positive experience that leads to satisfaction, loyalty, and word-of-mouth promotion. For example, if a business provides an estimated delivery window of 5-7 days but typically delivers in 3-4 days, customers will be pleasantly surprised when their orders arrive early.
Remember, promises should be within the competency of your business and aligned with the experience you intend to deliver. Doing so helps avoid customer disappointment and builds trust, as customers know they can rely on your business to keep its word.
3. Prioritization: Making Strategic Decisions to Meet Customer Needs
One of the most important lessons from the Pokémon Go phenomenon is the need to prioritize resources, features, and services that align with your core business objectives and the needs of your customers.
The app’s developers faced numerous challenges related to managing large-scale server loads, security concerns, and global gameplay—all while meeting the expectations of a growing user base. This put the team in a position where they needed to prioritize which issues to address first, balancing the trade-offs between different service aspects.
Prioritizing Key Features and Service Characteristics
Every business must make strategic decisions about which features and services to prioritize, especially when faced with resource constraints or competing demands. For example, if a software company must choose between enhancing user interface design or improving data security, it must consider which improvement will have the greatest positive impact on the customer experience and overall business success.
In the case of Pokémon Go, Niantic’s decision-making process could have benefited from a clearer prioritization of user experience elements. By focusing on key aspects—such as server stability, reliable gameplay, and player safety—the app’s developers could have better managed customer expectations and reduced potential sources of frustration. This prioritization helps create a more consistent experience and ensures that critical touchpoints in the customer journey are well-managed.
Opportunity Cost and the Customer Journey
At every stage of the customer journey, businesses must weigh opportunity costs to determine the best course of action. The concept of opportunity cost—essentially the trade-off between choosing one option over another—plays a crucial role in how businesses allocate their resources. For instance, improving customer support responsiveness may come at the expense of investing in new product features. By carefully evaluating the opportunity cost of each decision, businesses can align their actions with their customer experience goals and ensure that resources are used effectively to meet customer needs.
In practice, this means constantly evaluating which features and services are most important to your customer base and ensuring that they receive the attention and investment needed to create a positive and memorable experience. When businesses successfully prioritize their efforts, they are better equipped to manage customer expectations and deliver value that resonates with their audience.
Conclusion: Crafting a Customer-Centric Approach to Business
The rapid rise and fall of Pokémon Go’s user base serve as a reminder of the importance of managing customer expectations effectively. While the app’s initial success was extraordinary, its challenges with communication, overpromising, and prioritization highlight the critical need for businesses to be mindful of how they set and meet customer expectations.
By focusing on clear and effective communication, making realistic promises, and prioritizing key aspects of the customer experience, businesses can build trust, foster loyalty, and create lasting relationships with their customers. Whether launching a new product, scaling an existing service, or navigating unexpected challenges, these principles will help you create a customer experience that not only meets but exceeds expectations, ensuring that your business remains competitive and customer-focused in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
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