Delight = Consumer Expectation plus 1. This was the simple method for delighting your customers that Ken Blanchard knowledgeable us of in his book &quotRaving Fans&quot

For me this is a fantastic method, but in itself it also raises a number of concerns. For example, to supply a plus 1, to exceed something, you must know what that something is in the initial location? so do you? Do you know what your customer expectations are at every second of get in touch with? I am constantly shocked by how many of our customers don’t. They have their own individual opinions of what their customers’ expectations are, they think they know, but can they show me evidence, no! They perhaps show me a survey they conducted over ten many years ago and say &quotI’m certain it’s the exact same now&quot!

If you want a clue as to what your customers expectations are then just pay attention to the words they use. Customers say, &quotI didn’t anticipate to be treated in that way&quot. People use the word expects a fantastic offer??..when they do they are referring to their internal expectations???which they then use to measure your performance against those expectations.

On our seminars and conferences, I often inquire the audience to shut their eyes and think of landing in an airport in a foreign nation they have never visited before. I inquire them to appear about and tell me what it is like and how they really feel. People start to tell me, they usually say they really feel anxious, baffled, they are concerned and worried as they have landed in a foreign nation and are not certain what to do and exactly where to go, they are defensive. What are they describing right here??..They are describing feelings, they are describing their emotional expectations, they are describing how they Anticipate to really feel. Consequently we tell our customers that there are two types of expectation, physical expectations, i.e. how quickly a item will be delivered, how many rings it will consider to solution the phone and emotional expectations, what individuals Anticipate to really feel.

If you are to meet your customer expectations you require to comprehend both! So do you?

Do you know what your customers’ physical and emotional expectations are? When they arrive into your store? Or when your salesman calls about? Or when you place them via 7 layers of voice menu systems? ??And if you don’t, how in the hell do you anticipate to meet, allow on your own exceed, those expectations?

So what are emotional expectations? Allow me give you an example. The other day I walked into a store and the woman was stacking bags behind the check out. As I stood in front of her she totally ignored me. I believed, how rude! I was harm, I felt snubbed. My emotional expectation was that she would have at least acknowledged me asked me to wait a second, but no she chose to ignore me.?.?an additional example, last week I brought something from a store and it stopped working. I made the decision to consider it back again. I was expecting a row. I emotionally ready myself for an argument I had played it out in my thoughts what they were heading to say and how I would react. The individual behind the counter could not have been nicer and more apologetic. They changed the merchandise with out question. That exceeded my emotional expectations.

My guidance for this month is to find out what your customer emotional expectations are. It is only when you comprehend them that you and your organisation can set about preparing how to achieve or exceed them. With out this understanding you are leaving it to opportunity!

© Beyond Philosophy 2003

This article may be reproduced with the express permission of Colin Shaw, Founding Partner of Beyond Philosophy. Contact Colin Shaw at colin.shaw@beyondphilosophy.com (use Ref#QR in subject for fast reply)

Colin Shaw is the Founding Partner of Beyond Philosophy and guru of the Consumer Expertise Management. He has also produced two most successful books on customer expertise which are now accessible in marketplace. His initial book, Creating Great Consumer Experiences offered out within just 8 weeks, is on a 3rd reprint and accessible in paperback.

Colin’s second book, Revolutionize Your Consumer Expertise launched in September 2004 and regarded as as Bible in Consumer managment company world.

Colin has loved over 20 many years of expertise working in blue chip businesses, including Mars Ltd., Rank Xerox and BT. Colin’s final place was Director of Consumer Expertise for 1 of the world’s biggest international businesses. In his profession, he has held senior positions in a number of various practical areas including Product sales, Marketing, Consumer Services and Training.

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