Tell Your Customers What to Expect
You judge every experience through the prism of your own anticipation.?
So do I.
Our impressions of any scenario with any business, company, or organization are dictated by what I call The Expectation Equation...
"Customer Experience" is the difference between what we expect will happen, and what actually occurs.?
If you spend $27 for a gourmet pizza only to discover that the crust is undercooked, and the toppings are as fraudulent as a Pamela Anderson wedding vow, you're disappointed.?
?But, if you paid $1 per slice for the SAME PIZZA, purchased in a cleanliness-optional alleyway shop, you're satisfied.?
All that's changed is what you EXPECTED.
You've likely heard the phrase: "it's better to under-promise, then over-deliver." With customer experience taking on greater importance in how and why we buy, setting expectations up front has never been more important.?
A new Italian restaurant opened downtown. "New restaurant" is part of my love language, along with live comedy, tequila, and indie rock.?I head to Che Bello Ristorante with friends...
Based on hype from locals, I anticipated an outstanding evening. But the food and service didn't match up to those expectations, and the atmosphere has a "post-modern interrogation room" vibe.
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?However, upon every table at Che Bello sits a small sign:
They misspelled "dining" in the first sentence, which doesn't accrue a ton of points in the attention to detail category, but great pasta and grammatical precision aren't necessarily correlated.?
I love this sign. It sets expectations. It acknowledges that first impressions of Che Bello may not be optimal, but that there is more to come. This sign alone secured a second visit from me.?
Here's an assignment:
Write down the five elements of your business that most consistently disappoint customers, for whatever reason.?
Once you have your five, you have dual options. The best approach is to FIX the deficiencies. After all, if you know you're bleeding profusely, why don't you procure a tourniquet?
The second approach - worse than the first, but far better than nothing - is the Che Bello angle. "Customer experience" is driven by expectations. So if you can shift the expectations, you can change the experience.
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?? President of The BRAVE Advantage | LinkedIn Top Voice | Empowering Organizations and Women Leaders to Achieve Authenticity, Balance, and Impact through Transformative Growth. ??
1 年It's funny...we learn this skill when presenting information that we want them to retain...."Tell them what you are going to tell them, Tell them, Tell them what you told them." It's an applicable point with customers as well. Let's be honest, people love being part of a transformation story. How many people do you follow to walk alongside their weight loss journey or while they train for an upcoming challenge? We love being part of the hero story. I'm cheering for this business!
I help consultants, real estate agents and salespeople showcase their expertise, grow their reach, and lead their markets with innovative technology. DM me to check it out | WSJ Bestselling Author
3 年“If you can shift the expectations, you can change the experience.” - YES! Expectations play a very important role in customer satisfaction. When customers expect something and the brand doesn’t meet that expectation, the experience will automatically be bad. It’s important to set the expectations first and foremost.
Excellent. When you keep the customer updated and manage their expectations, you build "Allegiance Capital."
Executive speaking & storytelling coach | Helping CXOs master the art of influence on the stage, screen & page | TEDx speaker | Ghostwriter | Author | NED / Board member
3 年Setting realistic expectations is key to so much more than customer experience. It can improve human relationships of all types. A great, and thought-provoking piece here. thanks, Jay Baer.
Product & Digital Strategy Consultant
3 年Hi Jay - great article! i love that the sign is enough for you to give them a second chance - it would have worked on me too. ?? Just one note about the quote: It's not "it's better to under-promise, THEN over-deliver" — it's "underpromise AND overdeliver...." According to Google it's attributed to N. R. Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys.