(123)456 7890 [email protected]

Expectceed – The new frontier in customer service

The next time you visit your favorite store, take a moment to think about why you go there. If you are like many, it is probably because of the way you are treated. You see, every time we go into a customer service situation we have certain expectations. In each of these experiences one of three things usually happens. Your expectations are met; not fulfilled; Or maybe it’s over. The companies that strive to exceed your expectations are the companies that keep their customers coming back. The late Sam Walton once posted signs at the customer service counter to remind everyone: “Give the customer more than he expects and he will keep coming back.” That’s why it’s vital that all your employees understand how important it is to continue to meet customer expectations and, more importantly, try to exceed them.

This really isn’t rocket science and in fact most of the time it’s the very simple things an associate can do without adding any expense. Here is a very simple example. I stop at the neighborhood bank to make a deposit. The cashier completes the transaction and then asks if I would like a printed balance. Or, while I’m going to the same bank to make a withdrawal, the teller asks me if I want an envelope. Very simple, but in both cases my expectations were exceeded.

All employees can reflect on this more closely by following a 4-step thought process called “Waiting.” This process applies to all areas of customer service. This means Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Treasury, and yes, even your delivery man. David Packard once said that marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department. The same can be said for Customer Service. It is too important to be left to the Customer Service Department alone.

The first step is to think about personal customer service experiences. Reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly. This exercise allows employees to reflect on what their expectations were before the meeting.

The second step is to create a list of what you think your customer expects when they contact you. I call this the customer expectation index. It is helpful to take this list and place check marks indicating whether these expectations are not met, met, or exceeded.

The third step builds on the list above by examining how your competitors handle these same tasks.

The fourth step allows you to examine the Index to see how these gaps can be closed. The end result is a concise list of how to best meet your customers’ expectations. Hopefully there will be plenty of areas where you can wait.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *