Aligning Customer Expectations: The Key to Project Success

The Legacy of Horst Paulmann and Customer Focus

The recent passing of Horst Paulmann at 89 has left a mark on the business world, reminding us of the importance of a customer-centric vision. Paulmann founded Jumbo in 1976, paving the way for the growth of Cencosud, now one of Latin America’s leading retail conglomerates. From that first hypermarket on Avenida Kennedy, his journey demonstrated how prioritizing customer satisfaction can turn a small family business into an international empire. His legacy stands as a testament to the power of service excellence and customer satisfaction, teaching us that a business thrives when it understands and meets the expectations of those it serves.

The Importance of Aligning Expectations in Projects

In project management, meeting contract clauses and delivering milestones is just the starting point. A project can be completed “on time and on budget,” yet still be perceived as a failure if it doesn’t meet customer expectations. Why? Because project success isn’t just a checklist—it’s about how the customer feels about the outcome. As engineer Aníbal Alarcón puts it, “failure is evident in customer dissatisfaction.” A dissatisfied client may feel frustrated by timeline deviations, unexpected costs, or a final product that doesn’t fully meet their needs. That negative perception can overshadow all the work done, turning what seemed like a win into a loss. In other words, a project completed “by the book” isn’t enough; it must be done “for the customer.”

Adopting a customer-centric approach to project management means involving the customer from the beginning, understanding their real needs (even the unstated ones), and maintaining transparent communication throughout. This includes continuously validating that what is being built aligns with the customer’s vision, anticipating misunderstandings, and educating the customer on realistic expectations. When expectations are aligned, discussions about changes, timelines, or results become collaborative rather than confrontational. On the other hand, ignoring customer signals and rigidly following the contract can lead to “winning the battle but losing the war”—completing the project but losing the client. For project managers and professionals, managing expectations is just as crucial as managing resources or risks.

The Jumbo Case: Success Built on Meeting Customer Expectations

If we look for a tangible example of how aligning expectations leads to success, Jumbo’s story is a perfect case study. From its early days, Jumbo set out to do something simple yet powerful: listen to the customer and provide more than expected in terms of quality, variety, and service. This philosophy, driven by Horst Paulmann, translated into a shopping experience where customers found international-quality products, helpful staff, and a pleasant environment. The result? Loyal, satisfied customers. In fact, Jumbo frequently ranks among the top supermarkets in Chile for customer satisfaction, with scores exceeding 85% in various surveys. Studies highlight that consumers appreciate product variety, fair pricing, friendly service, and reasonable checkout wait times as part of Jumbo’s value proposition. Each of these factors reflects customer expectations that the company has made central to its operations.

Jumbo’s story proves that delivering on customer promises pays off in the long run. Year after year, the brand wins quality awards and independent recognition for its service excellence. Mistakes happen in any business, but Jumbo’s customers tend to give it the benefit of the doubt because of a strong track record of satisfaction. The public trusts Jumbo because the promise of a good shopping experience is consistently met. In project management terms, Jumbo is the case where the final deliverable (the shopping experience) is perfectly aligned with prior expectations (what customers anticipated). It’s no coincidence that Horst Paulmann made a habit of walking through his stores as a regular customer—he understood that only by seeing things from the customer’s perspective could he detect gaps between what the company thought it was offering and what customers actually experienced.

When Expectations Are Not Aligned: A Lesson from the Competition

For contrast, let’s briefly examine what happens when a company in the same industry fails to align customer expectations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, retail giant Falabella—another major player in Latin America—faced a flood of complaints due to failure to meet delivery expectations. Between March and May 2020, Falabella received over 12,000 complaints from customers regarding delayed deliveries. While the pandemic created exceptional circumstances, the case exposed how over-promising and under-delivering can severely damage brand trust. Social media and news outlets were filled with stories of holiday gifts that never arrived, customers waiting months for furniture or appliances, and orders canceled without explanation. In short, while Falabella technically “sold a lot” during that period, the service was perceived as a failure because the expectation of receiving purchases within a reasonable timeframe was not met.

This example from Falabella—and similar cases from other companies—illustrates that every customer interaction is an opportunity to align (or misalign) expectations. A sales contract may allow for delivery delays in certain situations, but if that isn’t communicated proactively and customer concerns aren’t addressed, the reputational damage is done. In project management, the lesson is clear: a project without proper expectation management may be “delivered,” but it will leave a bitter taste, making the client hesitant to work with you again.

Putting the Customer at the Center is “THE Decision” for Long-Term Success

In project management—just like in business—aligning expectations is not just another technique, it’s a mindset. It involves fostering empathy, continuous communication, and transparency with clients (and all stakeholders). When project leaders put the customer at the center of decision-making, they aren’t giving up control; rather, they are ensuring relevance and acceptance. A successful project isn’t just one that meets scope, time, and cost—it’s one that also leaves the client satisfied and convinced that their investment was worthwhile.

To put it simply: we’ve all been on both sides of the story. As customers, we know the difference between service that barely meets expectations and service that delights. As project managers or business leaders, we understand how challenging it can be to communicate limitations or adjust expectations. However, having these difficult conversations early is far better than dealing with disappointment later. Being customer-centric isn’t just a trendy strategy—it’s “THE DECISION” that separates projects that build long-term trust from those that merely deliver something and move on. In memory of leaders like Horst Paulmann, whose obsession with the customer built entire conglomerates, let’s remember that no project prospers in the long run unless its clients feel like winners too. Sustainable success happens when both business and customer walk away feeling that their expectations were met (or exceeded!).

Aligning customer expectations is the best investment in the most powerful marketing there is: a happy customer who will return and recommend you. And that, for any project, is the most valuable metric of all.