Summary: What looks like just a boring system message at first glance—a JSON-formatted error about insufficient account balance—actually tells us something far deeper about user experience, system communication, and how ignoring the small stuff often leads to bigger costs. This blog unpacks why treating even basic error messages as part of your product journey isn't just tech hygiene—it's a commercial necessity.
The Error Message That Says More Than It Should
Let’s break it down. The message in question reads like this: {"error": "Insufficient funds", "message": "You do not have enough balance to run this query", "action": "Please recharge your account"}. On the surface, there’s no drama here. No narrative. No story arc. Just cold system constraints coughed up in readable JSON. And that's exactly the problem. It’s clean, technical, and utterly detached from the user’s real experience.
But if you look closer, this message tells a story—just not one people want to hear. It’s abrupt. It lacks empathy. It leaves questions dangling. Why was I charged? How much am I short? What happens if I don’t recharge now? When systems treat users like error codes, what does that say about the service behind them?
When Messaging Fails, Confidence Crumbles
Whatever trust you spent time and money building evaporates the moment your platform talks down to someone. A payment glitch can already brew frustration. An emotionless error message—especially one that mirrors a vending machine saying “Insert Coin”—pushes it into anger. Instead of bringing the user back in, it pushes them further out.
Can you see where this is headed? If the product treats customers as account balances instead of humans, what’s the long-term cost? Are we really okay with gambling goodwill because engineering didn’t loop in marketing or support? What’s the strategy behind letting error messages become brand liabilities?
Text Isn’t Just Code—It’s Communication
Don’t kid yourself: every character of text your platform outputs shapes perception. That includes 404 pages, timeout warnings, and yes—error messages like this one. If your copy doesn’t acknowledge the user’s state of mind in that moment, the experience fractures. Their cognitive load increases, and worse, their trust in the platform erodes.
How would this message change if we asked a few basic questions first? What’s the user likely doing when they see this message? Are they running urgent analytics for a report due in an hour? Are they testing features before upgrading? Are they confused about billing?
Now ask yourself: what would it cost to soften this message, offer context, or suggest the next best action? Far less than losing a paying user.
Designing a Better Message: Not Complicated, Just Human
Let’s rewrite the error for functionality and empathy:
{
"error": "Insufficient Balance",
"message": "Your current balance of €1.76 won't cover this usage. To continue, please recharge your account.",
"details": {
"estimated cost": "€3.20",
"last transaction": "May 16, 2024 - €5.00",
"recharge link": "https://app.example.com/account/recharge"
},
"support": "Need help understanding your charges? Contact our support team at support@example.com."
}
See the difference? No fluff. No theatrics. We’re showing the impact, giving an action, offering help, and doing it all while speaking plainly. This small fix creates clarity, builds trust, and helps users feel in control even in error states.
Error States Should Close Loops, Not Create Them
Most businesses operate under pressure—financial, technical, and competitive. That’s not an excuse to let user communication degrade into sterile, transactional noise. Clear, useful messaging isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a performance lever. It reduces support tickets. It accelerates conversions. And it makes your tool feel like an ally instead of a machine serving invoices.
If your system throws up a fenced gate, you'd better give the user a map—and maybe a little encouragement. Especially the ones ready to pay but unsure why their card didn’t go through or what’s next. Do your error states invite confidence or breed confusion?
When There's No Story, Users Write Their Own
Let me be blunt: if your product doesn’t explain what's happening, your users fill in the gaps—with assumptions, bad reviews, or worse—churn. Think about your own frustrations with banking apps or subscription services. How often did a shutdown or limit feel like a verdict rather than a dialogue?
Chris Voss talks about tactical empathy—identifying what the other person feels before offering anything. Product messaging should take the same cue. Repeat the key concern (“You’re trying to run a query, but your balance isn’t enough”), and then sit back. Let the silence provoke the next question. “What can I do now?” That’s when your platform must answer.
The Message Behind the Message
This is more than product polish. It’s about aligning your company's voice with user experience philosophy. Clean error messaging puts reciprocity into motion: when users feel understood, they respond with loyalty. When users commit money, time, or attention to your app, they expect consistent, respectful answers. Not deadpan barriers.
Consistency matters. If your front-end sales pitch empathizes, your backend better do the same. Social proof doesn’t just come from testimonials—it comes from how your platform handles stress. Tense moments are proving grounds. Do you show up calmly and helpfully, or disappear behind numbered error codes?
Charging for Queries? Then Justify the Price with Clarity
Monetized queries, credits, freemium barriers—it’s all fair game. What’s not fair is forgetting to explain what’s going on. If customers have to guess why they can't access something they paid for, they won’t chase answers—they’ll simply leave. And do you really want your competitors gifting those answers in their next onboarding?
Ask Better Questions. Reduce Friction. Keep Their Attention.
So, ask yourself this: How often does an “error message” steal revenue by turning interest into doubt? How hard would it be to fix one line of JSON to reroute frustration into resolution? If you're running SaaS, mobile, or web services with pay-per-use models—can you afford to ignore this corner of your UX?
Because when you say nothing in the problem moments, users start telling themselves a story. And 9 out of 10 times, it ends in cancellation.
Final Takeaway: Every message matters. Especially the ones your system sends during breakdowns. They’re little negotiation points, not code output. Show empathy, offer clarity, and keep the user motivated—don’t just fire off another JSON brick wall.
#ProductUX #ErrorMessageDesign #SaaSCommunications #UserRetention #CustomerExperience #HumanCenteredDesign
Featured Image courtesy of Unsplash and Frederic Köberl (VV5w_PAchIk)