Mike Cooper
What did you expect from me?
Can you tell me what is wrong with this question? Take a minute to think about it before you read further.The one main problem with this question is that it is past tense. Reading it clearly indicates that one person is upset that something was expected from them that may not have been reasonable. For a business this is the worst possible position it can be in with a customer. Let’s change one word in that question.
What do you expect from me?
Did you catch the small change? That small change can now put your business in the best possible position with customers. The biggest difference is the first question is asked after a business transaction while the second one is asked before the transaction.
Set the expectation.
Setting the expectation before a customer purchases from your business is highly important to ensure they are happy with your business or their purchase from your business. This is why it is very important to make sure you are providing a clear message to consumers about your business before they arrive.
Let’s use Disneyland as an example. Their slogan is “The happiest place on earth”. This is the most important message they put out there as they are setting the expectation of the visitor! When you go there, you are expecting to have lots of fun and be happy. Personally, I have never left there unhappy!
Setting the expectation is not limited to your slogan. You need to set the expectation in as many ways as possible when interacting with the consumer. Having a posted guarantee on your website or in your store sets the expectation. You are promising a specific level of service in your guarantee.
Having a contract is also a great way to set an expectation. While this is not suitable for all businesses there are far too many small businesses that do not have contracts that should. As a result, these businesses suffer because the customer had an expectation that was not delivered or the business thinks the customer is expecting more than they should for the price of the product or service being provided.
A contract between you and your customer does not need to be a big legal document to protect your company from a lawsuit. A contract can simply be a document that clearly outlines the product and service you are providing to the consumer. By simply having your customer sign it, you have a document that both parties can look back on to make sure the expectation was met.
Exceed the Expectation!
I am a firm believer in the strategy to under promise and over deliver. When setting any kind of expectation in your business you should make sure it is easily achievable by you or your staff. If you cannot meet your end of the expectation you need to reconsider and change it to something more realistic. You must also never set the bar too high, because you should always exceed the expectations! Let me repeat that: Always exceed the expectations!
When you deliver what is expected customers appreciate it, but it is rarely talked about. When you exceed the expectation, people talk. Here is a quick example of that.
The Hums Family stayed at the Ritz Carlton hotel and upon checkout they had left their son's stuffed giraffe 'Joshie' in the room by mistake. Instead of Mr. Hums letting his son know the truth, he told him that Joshie was on an extended vacation. He called the hotel and explained to them what he had told his son and they located Joshie for him.
The Ritz mailed Joshie back free of charge! Ok, for most of us that would have been cool enough as they send back our child’s favourite toy at no charge and saved us a world of misery of having to explain to our child that it is gone forever. But that was not enough for the Ritz! Along with Johsie they sent pictures of Joshie sunbathing by the pool, meeting new friends at the bar, playing a round of golf and working in loss prevention to pay for his bills. Let’s just say the boy was excited to see all the fun his buddy had for his extended vacation.
To wrap this up, the Ritz Carlton Hotel never sets the expectation that they will mail you back your forgotten goods at no charge. They do however set the expectation that your stay there will be memorable. In this case it was creating a memory for the Hums family that they will never forget and will talk about how the Ritz Carlton exceeds expectations for many years to come!
Mike Cooper is the owner of Black Mountain Media.
Send Mike a note at: mike@blackmountainmedia.ca
See what Black Mountain does at: www.blackmountainmedia.ca
You can also call: 778-214-0519