AMAZING YOUR CUSTOMERS: FIRST THINGS FIRST

If you’re a business owner, you’ve undoubtedly been advised to “wow your customers” with thoughtful or even gimmicky ideas designed to make doing business with your company memorable.  I’m not arguing against finding ways to wow customers so that they buy (more) and become the source of testimonials and referrals.  But there’s an important first step that cannot be overlooked if you truly want to amaze your customers.

Customers have a variety of expectations that must be met for them to be satisfied.  The challenge for businesses is that these expectations are both unspoken and spoken. Let’s cover the unspoken expectations first.

Customers do not give voice to all of their expectations.  Unspoken requirements exist because these requirements are such a basic aspect of doing business in an industry that they fall into the “Why should I have to point out the obvious?” category.

Unspoken requirements typically reflect customers’ desire for convenience, respect and usability. Examples: “My hotel bathroom must be spotless when I check into it.”  “My cellphone has to work when I need it.”  “I’d like my soup without your hair in it.”  “I hate waiting in line.”  Customers don’t voice these expectations because they assume that the business “gets” it that these are necessary conditions for earning, and keeping, our business.  You can’t “wow” your customers by meeting their basic, unspoken expectations – but you will surely disappoint them if you don’t.

However, delivering on spoken needs is where real value is created.  These are the aspects of your product or service that customers have told you they expect to receive in exchange for their patronage.  More importantly, their satisfaction with your business will increase or decrease proportionately with your ability to deliver on these spoken requirements.

Spoken requirements generally align with three basic quality attributes:  the amount of time it takes to do something; the absence of defects or rework; and perceived value for the cost. For example, the quicker customer needs are met, the better.  The fewer mistakes, the better.  The higher the value delivered for the price, the better.  The more you can meet specific customer requests, the better.

Of course, you have to have a system in place to identify exactly what your customers expect from you in order to measure and manage the quality attributes that are directly linked to increasing customer satisfaction in your business.

Delivering on the specific, spoken requirements of your customers is a necessary condition for wowing customers.  Said another way, doing something unexpected for your customers that is thoughtful or unusual cannot, by itself, overcome lapses in meeting the spoken requirements that represent a far larger body of the customer experience with your business.

So, do first things first:  be exceptional at meeting the spoken and obvious unspoken requirements of your customers.  That will carry your business very far.  Once you’re confident you can deliver on your brand promise every time without fail, then invest time in amazing your customers with unique touches that they would never think to ask for because they’re already receiving such good value from you.