Summary: This post explores a misunderstood type of communication that appears everyday in systems-driven businesses: the generic error message. Using the example of a JSON error response indicating an “insufficient account balance,” we dig into how technical errors can derail customer trust, cripple user experience, and—if left unexamined—damage your brand. This isn’t about coding or APIs. It’s about whether your systems are speaking your client’s language or shoving them out the digital door without context, care, or resolution.
From Zero Balance to Zero Trust
Let’s rip off the Band-Aid: “I’m sorry, but the text you provided does not contain a story…” is both accurate and useless. Yes, the message describes a failed API action caused by insufficient funds, but it delivers nothing of value to the user. There’s no empathy. No next step. No acknowledgment of the client’s intent. Just a dead end buried in JSON syntax.
Here’s what too many businesses forget: Data errors are human moments. Someone tried to take an action. They had a goal. They hit a wall. And that wall came with no explanation and even less humanity.
When your brand hides behind rigid system language, it teaches customers one lesson loud and clear: “We don’t care if you understand. Just go away until it works.” Is that really the reputation you want?
What Is This Really Telling Us?
On the surface, a JSON error tells a developer what went wrong. But that’s not your target. Your real audience is the customer. So let’s pick this apart:
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Error Type: Insufficient Balance – The user tried to do something they don’t currently have funds for. Fine. But why? Was it a monthly cap? Did a payment fail? Doesn’t their credit card work? We’ve got no clue.
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Response Format: Machine-readable – Helpful for a developer, completely foreign to your average user. That’s like giving someone a roadmap in Klingon and blaming them when they get lost.
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Action Stopped: Transaction, access, feature execution – Most likely, the user didn’t just get rejected—they got blocked from doing what they came here to do. Which feels less like a nudge and more like a slap in the face.
So here’s the question: What’s the real cost of not explaining errors in plain language? How much goodwill do you lose with every generic notice?
Empathy Wrapped in Logic—Why It Works
Look, nobody wants billing issues. People hate being interrupted mid-process. But here’s an opportunity in disguise. Every system error is a moment to deepen brand trust through strategic messaging. The fix isn’t just technical—it’s psychological.
Chris Voss taught us the power of mirrors and no-oriented questions. Let’s apply that here:
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Mirror the Confusion: “Looks like you’re trying to perform an action that exceeds your current balance…” shows you’re attuned to the customer’s intent. You’re in the boat with them, not paddling away.
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Use Strategic Silence: “Do you want to add funds now, or figure out what caused the issue?” Let the customer think. Let them decide. That small pause creates autonomy.
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Allow the Power of ‘No’: “Is this a bad time to take care of this?” gives the user permission to control the moment. Strange as it sounds, saying ‘no’ puts people back in control. That builds trust even in friction points.
Why talk like a robot when the moment calls for real connection?
You’re Not In Tech. You’re In the Trust Business.
Let’s be clear: platforms don’t win loyalty by being smart. They win by being useful and respectful. And that’s especially true in moments of frustration. Think of the last time your payment failed or an app locked you out. Now ask: did the message you got sound like it came from someone who gave a damn?
Your clients aren’t just requesting a transaction—they’re risking a little bit of frustration every time they use your platform. Every error message either reassures that risk—or validates their fear that they’re just another number.
So What Should You Say Instead?
Here’s a human version of the same JSON fail message—designed to keep the client engaged, not alienated:
“Uh-oh, it looks like your account balance isn’t enough to complete this action. Want to add funds, or get help figuring out what’s going wrong?”
Simple. Empathetic. Actionable. That’s the trifecta. It doesn’t explain code. It explains what to do next—and why it matters.
Error Design Is Brand Design
Do your error messages increase clarity? Or add confusion? Do they make users feel heard? Or shut out? Because here’s the hidden truth: every well-written error becomes a magnet for retention. It shows that someone thought about the customer and chose plain speech over tech arrogance.
If your system handles errors exactly like everyone else, you’re saying “We’re just another tool.” Worse, you’re begging to be replaced. These moments are when loyalty is actually created. Not during a smooth transaction—but during recovery from a failed one.
Push Forward or Push People Out
The cold logic of a JSON error might technically be “right,” but it’s functionally hostile. It puts the burden of understanding on the user—instead of on the brand, where it belongs. When you don’t explain, suggest, or empathize, you’re turning every system hiccup into a reason to quit.
Nobody ever got fired for following API standards. But plenty of companies lost customers because their products talked like machines, not people.
The Real Story Is the Missed Opportunity
So yes, you’re correct: “the text provided does not contain a story.” But that’s the problem. Every customer touchpoint should contain a story—their story. If all you give them is a dead JSON string about a failed balance, you’re not offering clarity, you’re offering a shrug.
What happens when every part of your user experience—from glory to glitch—is expected to deliver empathy, choice, and next steps? You build systems that people trust. And pay for. And recommend.
Bottom Line: Stop letting your backend banish your front-end reputation. Superior error messaging isn’t coding—it’s brand defense. It’s negotiation. And it’s the difference between friction that ends in flight… or a new level of trust.
#UXMessaging #ErrorDesign #CustomerTrust #PlainLanguage #ServiceDesign #EmpathyInTech #NegotiationStrategy #APIUX #ProductMessaging #IEEOMarketing
Featured Image courtesy of Unsplash and Claudio Schwarz (4RSsW2aJ6wU)
