Exceeding Client Expectations III

This past winter, I had an issue with my heat pump freezing up. This was a first for me. They worked on it off and on for two to three weeks. They never told me that some amount of ice was normal. My expectation, as I did not know any better, was that no ice was normal. I had to ask to find out.

All of this could have been avoided if the company had taken the time to clearly set expectations for me instead of allowing me to set my own. I spent this whole ordeal frustrated and pissed off. They also lost a long-time customer as a result of this as well as a plethora of other avoidable shortcomings. I’m funny about certain things.

When I have to call you because you promised to do so and you didn’t … I get perturbed. When you tell me every time that something is 100% fixed and it isn’t … I start to wonder about your ability to effect the repair. When I am apparently paying for parts and services that did not fix the issue … no bueno. When I get charged for services that I was assured were no charge, UG! When you bill me again for something I have already paid for … we’re done.

Of course, this is all about expectations. I expect you to be professional in all areas and to solve my problems. I am paying you for both and, falling short on everything, these expectations are not being met. Every interaction with a customer will result in one of three outcomes …

You did not meet expectations
You met expectations
You exceeded expectations

Only #3 should be acceptable. Only #3 gains you a customer vs. a sale.

Managing expectations falls under the larger banner of client education. It is more than risky to assume that your clients have been properly educated on your products or services. The assertion that buyers are more educated than ever before with the advent of the internet is a deeply flawed assumption.

They may be more educated than they were in the ages before the web, but are they educated enough or even correctly? Too little knowledge may be even more dangerous than no knowledge at all. Therefore, take the time to explain …

Here is the process
Here is what you should expect
Here is what we are doing now
Here is where we are going next
Here is when you can expect this to happen

And then … you just do it! What could be simpler but, God only help you if you don’t. When things come up, when things go south like they always do … you had better be advising your customer vs. them calling you.

Earlier on in my career, I learned this lesson the hard way. When I was forced to make an uncomfortable call to a client for whatever reason, I was petrified and paralyzed. I knew that I was going to likely be yelled at. As a result, I procrastinated and … my fears always came true.

Being stubborn, I only later learned that, when I was proactive with a client regarding issues, they never yelled at me. Of course, this was also predicated on me having a plan in place to correct it and following through to see that it was done in a timely manner. Who would have thunk it?

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Are you thinking about a CRM? If you would like to explore whether or not Nimble CRM might be right for you, please book a free 30-minute Zoom consultation with me by going to my calendar. To learn more about our Nimble training and implementation services, please visit our Nimble CRM training services page.

In addition to Nimble CRM, I also offer sales training and training on LinkedIn as well as getting started with AI (Artificial Intelligence). I can even assist with hiring new salespeople with initial interviews and pre-hire DISC personality assessments.

I would also be happy to connect you to managed I.T. and telephony services or to a marketing professional who I know and trust or to an automated yet personalized and human-to-human LinkedIn prospecting system. Please reach out to me at craig@adaptive-business.com for an introduction!

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Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services

Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!