A while back I attended a community event with 100 other participants. Just like any other community event, the whole idea was to gather, have fun, and make friends! However, during my train ride home from the event, I couldn't help but dissect the whole experience from a Customer Experience (CX) analyst's perspective. It truly felt like living though that classic expectations versus reality meme.

My (sky-high?) expectations

Let me set the scene with my expectations:

The personal touch
Despite there being more than 8 billion people in the world, I felt like the event was personally hosted for me. It had no agenda other than to mingle around, eat good food, have fun, and gain friendships. We just had to be authentically ourselves and enjoy the experience.

The promised experience
The event organiser (EO) promoted exciting activities including food vendors, carnival games, a photobooth, a water balloon fight, and a fireworks show to cap off the night.

Social proof that convinced me
I'd always heard great feedback about their events from other community members. Plus, their captivating and highly engaging TikTok videos and Instagram reels were genuinely convincing.

The cherry on top
I was completely sold by the mention of goodie bags worth RM50, which included a tumbler that I desperately wanted.

Questioning my life choices on the train home

The event delivered on its core promise. I did mingle, made new friends, and enjoyed their company. However, the promised activities fell significantly short of expectations.  

Food vendor fiasco
There were only 3 food vendors total: One drinks vendor, one dessert vendor, and one actual food vendor. The food vendor struggled immensely with slow service, unable to cope with the volume of customers and orders. I'm not sure if this was a budget issue, but I was expecting at least 5-6 food vendors given how heavily the "wide selection of food" was promoted.

Carnival games that weren't very carnival-like
The 3 'carnival' games were set up on basic tables – Not booths with tents or umbrellas, just bare tables. Each had one person managing it, with no signage explaining the games and zero carnival-esque decorations. It felt more like a school fair setup than the festive carnival atmosphere that was advertised.

The lacklustre photobooth
The photobooth consisted of a poor-quality backdrop featuring a sunny sky (it was very pixelated) with two lumps of 'clouds' at the top. No props, no actual photobooth camera – Just the humble backdrop and your phone.

Fireworks and goodie bag letdowns
The fireworks display was mediocre at best, and the goodie bag was filled with a flimsy notebook, a couple of low-quality stickers, and a tumbler that looked completely different from the one promoted on social media.

Unrealistic expectations or poor execution?

This isn't meant as a dig at the EO and its sponsors, but it raises important questions. Were my expectations set too high? While I didn't expect 20 food vendors, detailed and elaborately decorated carnival booths, a 10-minute fireworks spectacular, or goodie bags worth a fortune, I also wasn't prepared for the event to feel this underwhelming.  

Sure, technically, the EO did hold up their end of the bargain. They provided food vendors, carnival games, a photobooth, and goodie bags as promised. But when most of these deliverables were subpar, did they really deliver on the CX?  

The conundrum is that we’re no longer in the day and age where customers will settle for the bare minimum. They’ll go where they’re valued, where they can get their money’s worth, and that’s where they’ll stay. Up until the next competitor can sweep them away, that is.  

A lesson for organisations

This incident perfectly illustrates the difference between delivery and experience. Every promised element was present, but the execution felt like checking boxes rather than creating moments and building loyalty.  

This brings up a crucial question for any organisation: Is going 'above and beyond' for customers unrealistic, or is it the bare minimum for creating memorable experiences? In the world of CX, meeting the technical requirements while missing the emotional mark often leads to disappointed customers. Even when you've technically delivered what was promised.

Throughout my train ride home, the experience reminded me that the gap between expectation and reality doesn't just impact individual satisfaction. It shapes trust, word-of-mouth recommendations, and future engagement. Sometimes, the difference between a good experience and a great one isn't about doing more. It's about doing what you promised, but doing it well.

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