One of the greatest challenges for a service provider is to align the expectations of the customer with their offer. If your offer and the customer’s expectations are not in alignment, it can create unavoidable problems. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing leads or suffering through bad online reviews. For you to set and manage the expectations of the customer, you need synchronization of your strategy and processes. Quality development of your moving business also entails that you provide good customer expectations management. And these tips might just help you get there.
9 Useful Tips for Customer Expectations Management
What is Customer Expectations Management on an Individual Basis?
As a business owner, you create your company with the perspective that all customers are unique. This is why customer expectations management is so difficult. The truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as a single set of expectations from your clients. Each one is different, dependent on the type of people involved.
So what you need to do is talk to customers individually and influence expectations (both yours and theirs) accordingly. A customer most often has a single individual concern you need to be aware of. For example, consider the concept of customer support. You have customers that prefer to get a phone call from you, whereas there are those that give an advantage to email communication.
You may also find that a customer is focused on one area of your services only. That way, if you deliver well in that particular area, they’ll be more than happy. When you understand individual customer expectations, you don’t have to be all things to all people. As a result, this simplifies the expectations management process.
Make Understanding Customer Expectations Management a Team Effort
Making sure everyone on your team is on the same page is yet another important factor in getting expectations in order. The thing is that it’s easy for a single employee to understand the customer. However, when it comes to the company as a whole, customers usually become nothing more than “number“.
What you can do is use CRM software to make notes. By doing so, you give your team the possibility to evaluate whenever they interact with an individual customer. They need to note the customer’s preferences and modify their communication accordingly. You’ll only meet customers expectations when everyone on your team knows what they are for each client. If one person drops the ball, it automatically affects the entire team.
Set Expectations Proactively
Remember – you set the expectations for your customers. They don’t just make them up based on their assumptions. This is logical, however, this does not mean that it is definite. Your customers will often come to you with a preconceived notion of what you do. Often, this notion is not accurate and it is the basis for disappointment down the road.
So in order to avoid such situations from occurring, you need to take a stand from the very beginning of communication with the customer. Use this opportunity to clarify what it is that customers can expect from your company…and what they can’t. This is a vital step that helps you avoid serious problems that arise when expectations aren’t being met. And this is because they aren’t even aligned with the value you actually offer.
Extend Your Sales Process
One of the aims of the sales process is for your team to define the key needs of each customer. They can then tailor their sales strategy accordingly. And once you manage to identify those key points, you will easily close the deal. When you discuss expectations, take the time to expand on this effort. More key points will come up, and you may even uncover valuable sale opportunities.
The more you get to know your customers, the better you can ensure that you’re taking care of their needs with all aspects of your solution – including things that result in more sales.
Conduct Detailed Product Research
As you review your customer expectations management, patterns are likely to emerge. Often, businesses discover needs and expectations people are looking for, but that they are either not meeting or not communicating.
And if you happen to come upon such an expectation that meets the needs of a number of customers, take notice. Use it as a key point of your new marketing campaign for movers. After all, your potential clients are the main source of your marketing efforts. The goal is to focus your message on what they care about most.
In other cases, you might come to realize that people actually want something you are currently not offering. And so, you can contemplate the introduction of a new product or service. Both of these situations are a great way to expand your marketing targets so you can satisfy your customer’s needs and generate more leads and revenue.
Sway Customers By Exceeding Expectations
You can’t exceed the expectations of your customers unless you understand what they are. Once you understand your customers, it gives you a new level of insight into how you can impress them. This is where you read between the lines and see beyond the basic expectations people have. You plan to surprise them with unexpected levels of service that truly “sways” them and leave them speechless.
And this is how you win customers for life. This is where testimonials, reviews, and word-of-mouth recommendations come from. Know your customer’s expectations and then plan how you’ll exceed them.
Be Proactive About Customer Expectations Management Issues
Sometimes you won’t meet expectations and a deadline will be missed or delivery won’t happen as it should. The best way to exceed expectations here is to be both proactive and upfront about the issue at hand. Contact the client and let them know what happened. Assure them that you’re on it and that the situation will be resolved as soon as possible.
Few businesses do this well, which gives you an opportunity to carve out a competitive advantage with your customer service. Sometimes an error is an opportunity. When you take ownership, communicate, and work fast on a resolution, the long-term result can develop trust.
Listen and Respond
Let’s say you’ve done all you can but the client still doesn’t think you’ve met their expectations. They call and go on a rampage. No need for you to stress – just listen and let them vent. When they get it out of their system, empathize with the issues they expressed. Then come up with a plan to correct the problem.
If you’re ever going to do well with meeting customer expectations management, you need to be a good listener. If you have a tendency to interrupt people, work on that problem. After you understand what or who is at fault, execute a strategy to solve the problem – and ensure it works. If you continue to fail to meet expectations, you will find that customers will not be forgiving.
Get Help
Don’t tackle the task alone. Use every resource available to exceed expectations and resolve issues at hand. Consult and explore professional solutions and advice on how to best improve your business. In some cases, this may even mean referring the customer to a DIY solution or an alternative to your offer. The worst way to lose trust is to keep coming back to people with solutions that involve them paying you more money.
