Managing User Expectations

Photo Credit: IRC

Another way we can cause harm is by raising people's expectations about the type or quality of help to expect when passing on service information. It is important to know and clearly define your limitations as a digital community liaison and be ready to communicate them with users. We have discussed some of these in the handbook but they can be limitations around geographies we do and do not cover or specialized services we do or do not offer, etc. 

How to Manage Expectations  

When giving people information about a service we need to be friendly/supportive but without promising. 

Here are some Examples:

• That we will be able to resolve their issue for them
• What the service provider can offer specifically
• Whether services will be immediately available
• Whether services will be high quality
• Whether services will resolve the issue for that person.  

This is because we are not responsible for the delivery of services we list on our site. By raising expectations about what people might receive from a service, you could cause serious mental and emotional harm if they are not able to get the help they are looking for or have a negative experience. When providing information to people about a service we need to strike a balance between being friendly/supportive but without promising anything.

For Example:

Rather than saying:

• “You need to go to XYZ service, they will be able to help you with your legal problem.” 

 We should instead say: 

• “Hi, we’re sorry, but we can’t offer legal advice on individual situations. A lawyer would be better suited to answer your question" or...
• "A list of legal services for refugees in XYZ can be found here: https://www.Signpost/greece/services/ ” 

It is also better to say:

• “We will do our best to help you resolve this issue”  instead of "We will help you."

You might also encounter people who will continue to reach out for help even after they have been given information about services. Try to be patient with these people, while still being clear about the role of our information platform. Do not overpromise, continue to respond clarifying the role of our information platform.

For Example:

A young man reached out to CuéntaNos inquiring about a place to live. He also told CuéntaNos that he belonged to a church and that was able to show that “he was a good young man”. He also required food, because he only did small jobs and did not have a stable employment. He wrote every day for a week and kept insisting on a place to live with access to basic needs.

After his first message, a CuéntaNos DCL explained that CuéntaNos does not provide direct care, but offered a list of organizations that support youth with employment searches and other essential services. They also provided references for psychological care, because he had said he was depressed. He continued to write even though he had already been given information and moderators had explained that CuéntaNos does not provide direct attention. The function of CuéntaNos was clarified to him on multiple occasions and he was invited to communicate with the options that were offered to him.

In this situation the CuéntaNos DCL did everything they could to manage this user’s expectations and provide him with information about services that could help.