To children, the claw machine is the thrill of a lifetime. To adults, the claw machine is another money draining vortex. It’s quite obvious why claw machines lose their popularity as an individual becomes older. While some people happen to be really good with claw machines, most people never get a prize from the claw machine. You only have an 8.33% chance of winning something with a claw machine. In addition, as we get older, the stuffed animals in the claw machine that used to be attractive lose their appeal.
The problem with a claw machine is that it is very difficult to win, and most of the prizes in the claw machine are not even worth the trouble. The only prizes that are worth it tend to be all the way at the very back and bottom of the prizes. It seems as if the only way to get a prize is by smashing the glass (not recommended).
The reason why a claw machine works like this is because the people who offer the claw machines want to make a profit. These people make a profit at the cost of losing customers. In the end, people say that the claw machines are just a scam and then give up on it. For these people, it’s no longer worth continuing.
What the claw machine makers don’t want is a loss in profit. Many businesses will strive to make a profit at the cost of the customer’s satisfaction. If everyone had a 50% chance of winning the claw machine, they’d be in trouble. Customers would actually be getting what they want at the cost of a profit.
The claw machine is an example of a win-lose situation. If customers can’t get the prize, they lose, but the people with the claw machines win. If customers get the prize, they win, but the claw machine people lose. So many people live in a win-lose world in so many different ways of either winning or losing that they forget that a win-win world still exists.
What does a win-win look like? Distributing a free prize at no cost to you (PDF or video) and then sending a series of follow up emails that promote a paid product. You give away valuable information (your customers win), and some of your customers will tell others about you and also buy your paid product (you win). There are plenty of ways to turn a win-lose situation into a win-win solution.
The claw machine is a win-lose situation that gets left behind and becomes a dust collector, just like the prizes inside. The win-win solution shines bright and results in everyone being happy.
