What's the most disappointing product you've ever received? No matter how carefully you vet the seller, sometimes you're going to end up with a subpar product. This seems to happen constantly to people who buy things online, where tricky photography angles can be used to disguise subpar products. One person bought a cat sweater, only to realize it wasn't a sweater at all. It was a sweater print , printed onto some cheap fabric. It looks like the kind of fabric people wear for an ugly holiday sw…

All too often in life, things aren't quite what we expect them to be, and these days, there are so many products promising so much and delivering so little that you almost expect there to be some creative deception (also known as “marketing”) going on with products you're purchasing. With the rampant application of strategies by businesses like “shrinkflation," which is really usually just “greedflation,” we're almost relieved to discover that a “croissant lamp” is actually a croissant lamp. Of…

It's important to keep a friendly relationship with your neighbors. Depending on how you play your cards, they could either be your greatest ally or your worst enemy. However, what would happen if your neighbor turned out to be the devil dressed like an angel? This is the story of the new guy on the block. OP moved to a new, developing neighborhood with his lady love. They were ecstatic about starting a new chapter in their lives and moving to their new home. However, things changed when the un…

Two basic rules are taught to us when we work in customer service. First of all, we should never presume that consumers will read the small print at the bottom of our signage. The second universal guideline is to never, ever concede that you are correct and the client is mistaken. The story below is an account of a frustrated arts and crafts store manager. OP has been managing the store for a while, and quite frankly, presumably has encountered an endless amount of difficult customers. However,…

Whether we would like to admit it or not, some people have been blessed with endless patience—or at least, what passes for boundless in our minds when we have the patience of a ten-year-old. However, does that suggest that those people are suddenly better than us mortals? No, it does not. It does, however, imply that we still have room for growth. In the story that follows, a displeased waitress talks about having to cope with a continuous flow of rough customers. However, OP explains that she…

I have had the privilege of getting to know soldiers over the years, and when I say that their bond is unbreakable, I mean that they will stop at nothing to ensure that the people they love are taken care of. Whether they like it or not, they are now a family, and families stick together through good times and bad. There are many stories, like the one below, about troops sticking together. However, the story below is of an active-duty trooper who was denied entry into a local bar shortly after…

When you order online, you do so at your own peril. It's a learning experience: can you really buy that $200 blanket for $2? Could a new gaming console really cost just $15 plus shipping? You know the saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is"? That definitely applies here. After you check out these goofy expectation vs. reality photos, check out these fashion trends from each generation that haven't aged well (shoulder pads and big hair, we're looking at you).

While online shopping , you can't believe everything you see. Sometimes you have to read between the lines a little bit, and know when a deal is too good to be true.

Managing people's expectations is one of the most important parts of any communication around service delivery. The last thing you want to do is overpromise and then not deliver on the expectations that you have set for yourself. Underdelivering on expectations will always end up with people being disappointed—regardless of if it's a business or personal relationship. It's far easier to set realistic expectations in the first place and then win them over when you exceed that just-average level…

Man that thing is huge!

A collection of times things weren't what they expected

Sometimes your expectations just lose to the reality of the situation. Is it us getting swept up in our own hopes and dreams, blinded by an optimistic outlook? Or are we victims of lies being forced upon us? It's a notion as old as time — people say never meet your heroes, or not to get your hopes up when something major is on the line. It's all about managing expectations so when reality inevitably disappoints, you're not too bummed out. You be the judge of how these strange expectations vs. r…