Over Engineered & Under Thought

Recently I looked at my remote control instead of my TV. I noticed how some buttons are well worn from repeated use. But on one of the top rows, I noticed a rather new looking button. It features the symbol of an asterisk. I then found the instruction manual where I tried to find out the button's function. I was surprised to read: "This button is not available."

Evidently the creators of the device decided to place a nonfunctioning button prominently on the keypad. That's a bit weird as there is an expectation that a button must do something.

In other areas of life we see similar things. Ever been told about a daily special at a restaurant, order it, and then be told there's no more available. Perhaps you've bought a ticket for a movie but when you get in the theater, the only seats available are in the front row. Or you've gone to a 24 hour pharmacy at 2 a.m. only to find that the convenience is outweighed by the fact that the place is massively understaffed.

It's good to deliver a product or service that creates anticipation. But it's equally important to make sure the expectation of quality is met.