Prepare me for the worst gradually

Daniele Catalanotto

Oct 2, 2022

A Service Design Principle to better prepare people for tough times.

You are going to the doctor for surgery. First, he explains to you what exactly the operation is and explains why it’s so helpful. After these explanations, the doctor shares with you the scary part. He tells you all about the risks and their likelihood with percentages. Finally, the doctor reveals the worst-case scenario and reminds you how unlikely it is.

You feel a little bit scared and reassured at the same time. You are scared because you know things might go to shit. You are reassured because you see that the doctor is smart enough to follow the grandma’s advice “Hope for the best, plan for the worst.”. It’s reassuring to be guided by someone who is prepared for everything.

This is a typical conversation that doctors have with their patients but inspiring for many other service providers. We clarify and downplay our promises by showing how wrong things could go (1).

This attitude also helps to break the image of a god-like figure and expert. As the service provider, we don’t know everything.

So let me ask you this.

What’s the worst or most disappointing outcome when someone uses your service? How can you inform people of this in advance in a way that builds trust?

Footnotes

Thanks to Loris Olivier, who told me the story of how he felt during a doctor’s appointment. His story inspired several service design principles, and this is one of these. Thanks, mate.

(1) This idea also builds on the Service Design Principle “096: Under Promise, Over Deliver.”

Daniele's personal notes

This is the first draft of this Service Design Principle.
Once adapted, even more, this principle could be part of the book "Service Design Principles 201-300"
As always feel free to share comments, feedback or personal stories to improve this principle.

Daniele Catalanotto

Oct 19, 2022

The second draft of this Service Design Principle

Your doctor explains the purpose of the surgery to you. After this, he shares with you the scary part. He tells you the risks and how often they happen.

You feel both scared and reassured. You are afraid because you know things might go to shit. You are comforted because you have an intelligent doctor prepared for everything.

It’s a typical conversation between a doctor and a patient. But it’s inspiring for many other service providers. Such a conversation clarifies and downplays (1) the promises by showing how wrong things could go. It also helps to break the image of a god-like figure and expert who knows everything that could backfire later.

So let me ask you this.

What’s the worst or most disappointing outcome when someone uses your service? How can you inform people of this in advance in a way that builds trust?

Footnotes

Thanks to Loris Olivier, who told me the story of how he felt during a doctor’s appointment. His story inspired several service design principles, and this is one of these. Thanks, mate.

(1) This idea also builds on the Service Design Principle “096: Under Promise, Over Deliver.”

Daniele Catalanotto

Oct 31, 2022

The third draft of this Service Design Principle

Your doctor explains the purpose of a surgery to you. After this, he shares with you the scary part. Finally, he tells you the risks and how often they happen.

You feel both scared and reassured. You are afraid because you know things might go to shit. You are comforted because you have an intelligent doctor prepared for everything.

It’s a typical conversation between a doctor and a patient. But one that’s missing in many other services. Such a conversation clarifies and downplays (1) the promises. It shows how wrong things could go (2)

So let me ask you.

How can you build trust and inform people of the worst and most disappointing results of your service?

Footnotes

A big thank you to Loris Olivier for sharing the service experience that inspired this principle with the co-creator community.

(1) This idea also builds on the Service Design Principle “096: Under Promise, Over Deliver.”

(2) It also helps to break the image of a god-like figure who will never make a mistake and knows everything.

Daniele’s notes

This is the third draft of this principle.
I’ve reduced the length of this principle by 19 % compared to the previous draft.