Too much service
September 9, 2010 4:44 AM Subscribe
WhatsTheWord filter: a service offering more than you want causes you not to want the service at all?
I need help finding a word for a common scenario I see a lot.
Imagine for a moment that you have a gym membership, but you want to learn karate with a private teacher. He's expensive, so you look at other options. Another gym nearby offers group karate lessons, your gym doesn't (and won't). You'd really like to join that other gym, but there's a problem: you don't want to pay twice two be a member of two gyms, and you don't want to leave your current gym.
The key part here is that if the second gym was offering only group karate lessons for the money, everything would be fine and you'd be happy. If you could pretend that the second gym only offered karate lessons, everything would also be fine. But the second gym _is_ also a gym. And that's the problem.
I'd like to know if there is a word or phrase for this particular situation, and if there is perhaps a list of these sort of scenarios somewhere.
I need help finding a word for a common scenario I see a lot.
Imagine for a moment that you have a gym membership, but you want to learn karate with a private teacher. He's expensive, so you look at other options. Another gym nearby offers group karate lessons, your gym doesn't (and won't). You'd really like to join that other gym, but there's a problem: you don't want to pay twice two be a member of two gyms, and you don't want to leave your current gym.
The key part here is that if the second gym was offering only group karate lessons for the money, everything would be fine and you'd be happy. If you could pretend that the second gym only offered karate lessons, everything would also be fine. But the second gym _is_ also a gym. And that's the problem.
I'd like to know if there is a word or phrase for this particular situation, and if there is perhaps a list of these sort of scenarios somewhere.
I don't know a word for it, but I imagine a popular scenario involves cellphones. You want to buy a cellphone that is just a phone, but it's almost impossible to do so these days(smartphones, gps, texting, data, etc.), so you just stick with your good old land line.
posted by Grither at 4:55 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by Grither at 4:55 AM on September 9, 2010
Featuritis.
Google "featuritis curve". For instance this example is close to what you describe.
posted by multivalent at 4:58 AM on September 9, 2010
Google "featuritis curve". For instance this example is close to what you describe.
posted by multivalent at 4:58 AM on September 9, 2010
It's duplication of features and expense. And it happens when you get locked in.
The purpose of locking in is just that - knowing that at some point people's attitudes, needs etc change. But as the business you're ok in the short term because they're locked in.
The locking in can be overt (e.g. a subscription) or covert (e.g. the cost of buying a new car or the inconvenience of moving bank accounts).
posted by MuffinMan at 5:01 AM on September 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
The purpose of locking in is just that - knowing that at some point people's attitudes, needs etc change. But as the business you're ok in the short term because they're locked in.
The locking in can be overt (e.g. a subscription) or covert (e.g. the cost of buying a new car or the inconvenience of moving bank accounts).
posted by MuffinMan at 5:01 AM on September 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
overkill, maybe? I'm not sure you can state both "offers more than you want/need" and "thus causes you to not want it" in a single English-language word.
posted by drlith at 5:13 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by drlith at 5:13 AM on September 9, 2010
A microeconomist would call it price discrimination. Maybe second-degree price discrimination or a two-part tariff, to be more specific. Someone who paid more attention in intermediate microeconomics class could probably give a more detailed answer or even cite a paper about this type of pricing strategy.
posted by mullacc at 5:23 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by mullacc at 5:23 AM on September 9, 2010
In the Innovator's Solution, I think Christensen called this over-serving the market. He used the example of going to a hospital and waiting 5 hours just to get your kid's ears checked. The solution was those clinics that are now coming out in grocery stores.
posted by jasonhong at 5:46 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by jasonhong at 5:46 AM on September 9, 2010
I just call it anxiety of choice - Here is a relevant article.
posted by Dmenet at 11:36 AM on September 9, 2010
posted by Dmenet at 11:36 AM on September 9, 2010
Response by poster: A follow up: thanks for all the replies.
I think I could have worded my question better. I was looking for the angle of this person's perfect solution being met, albeit with extras, but from the psychological point of view: what is the psychological word or phrase for this?
posted by devnull at 10:25 AM on October 11, 2010
I think I could have worded my question better. I was looking for the angle of this person's perfect solution being met, albeit with extras, but from the psychological point of view: what is the psychological word or phrase for this?
posted by devnull at 10:25 AM on October 11, 2010
Best answer: Donald A. Norman's "The Design of Everyday Things" has several relevant sections about the frustration response to creeping featurism. He has another book coming out this month, called "Living With Complexity"--I know nothing about it, but it sounds like it might address your question. If anyone has the answer to the psychological response to design problems, Norman does (somewhere).
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:32 PM on October 11, 2010
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:32 PM on October 11, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:54 AM on September 9, 2010