Customer Expectations vs. Customer Needs
The first rule of stellar service delivery is: Service is all about expectations..
You buy a product; you expect it to work the first
time. You go to a discount supplier, you expect the quality to be less than
the high end dealer, but you still expect what you buy to work, first time
every time. When it comes to products, expectations are pretty clear. People
expect a good quality product based on the price they are willing to pay for
it. When it comes to service, expectations can get a little fuzzy. When a
customer begins a relationship with you he or she already has a specific set
of expectations. These expectations are based on their perceptions of you,
your company and your industry. They are formed through personal past
experience, and the experience of others with whom the customer interacts.
Consider the last time you went into a self-service gas station. What did
you expect? Other than the pump to be working, not much else right? After
all - you are doing all the work. You have the opportunity to Satisfy,
Dissatisfy or Impress–and two of these are bad. Delivering below
expectations is obviously bad, but in the context of creating loyalty, so is
simply satisfying customers, because they are getting nothing more or less
than they expect.
If it exceeds your expectations, you’re impressed, and If the service you
receive meets your expectations you are satisfied.
If it is below your expectations…well, you know. Creating customer value and
loyalty comes from consistently exceeding expectations.
Prof. Benjamin Schneider and Prof. David E. Bowen published an article
called "Understanding Customer Delight and Outrage". Delight and outrage?
That may sound a bit melodramatic but this concept is critically important
to providing basic customer service. Consider this hypothetical bell curve
measuring the quality of service delivery in general: Basically, most
service falls into the median of the curve - the take it or leave it level
of service. If you provide this level of service the customer will be
satisfied.
You at least met their expectations. Schneider and Bowen actually break the
bell curve distribution into four levels along a continuum:
Customer loyalty is the degree to which customers will patronize your
business and your business alone because you've developed or created an
emotional bond with them. You've gone beyond their expectations and
addressed something more innate - their emotional needs as a consumer.
Customers have come to expect fast, friendly service. They expect to get an
answer to their questions. They expect you'll answer their call promptly and
return their messages. Do those things well and you'll be in the game.
But will you win their loyalty? Not necessarily. If you fail, have you lost
them forever? Again, not necessarily.
Research shows customers are willing to accept some failure in terms of
these expectations. Fail continuously and that's a different story. This is
the "ambivalence" part of the model. Next time they need your product or
service they may, if it's convenient, patronize your business. But they
won't seek out your business purposefully. To do that, they must be
delighted with your service. They must be so impressed with your service
that they become a dedicated follower.
Schneider and Bowen refer to these customers as "apostles". They will sing
the praises of your business to friends, family and coworkers.
At the other end of the spectrum it's possible to so utterly offend the
basic needs of your customers that they'll wilfully take every opportunity
to sabotage your business. They become a terrorist according to Benjamin and
Bowen. They'll tell every person who'll listen about the time your business. Each time, they're likely to embellish the story.
So what creates such an extreme emotional reaction to service in some
customers? According to Schneider and Bowen these reactions occur when you
surpass the needs of a customer (delight) or you offend those needs. Not
just fail to meet them - you (in the mind of the customer) intentionally
deprived them of those needs.
What are these powerful dynamics?
1. Deprived of Equity / Justice
Customers want to be treated fairly. They want to know that the service and
product they receive is as good as that received by any other customer.
Consider a study done by a consumer advocate group. They asked samples of
airline passengers from numerous airports what they'd paid for their ticket.
They found less than 10% of passengers paid the same price for their ticket
even though they flew from the same city. The results incited outrage among
travelers who saw no justification for paying more, when they had received
the same seating and service.
Equity and justice is even more at issue when companies resolve customer
problems. At times service or product experience is so bad customers will
seek compensation for their time, effort and inconvenience. A participant in
one of our customer service workshops shared the following:
"I purchased a large screen TV from one of those audio-video-electronics
mega stores. The first one just did not work so we had to bring it back. The
second one, which we had to wait two weeks for, had a large crack along the
bottom of the screen. Again, we didn't know until we unpacked it. I'd
already lost a day of work going to pick it up and unpacking it. When I
brought it back they tried to charge me $37.00 because I returned it without
the box. It was destroyed unpacking it. I was stunned. Even after explaining
the circumstances to the retail associate he made me talk to the store
manager who acted like he was doing me a favor waiving the charge."
Equity and justice means making customers feel they're getting a comparable
service and product at a fair price. It also means problems are resolved to
their satisfaction and that companies consider the cost of the customer's
time and inconvenience when making amends.
2. Lack of Respect
Nothing is more basic and elementary to effective service than the need for
customers to feel respected. In fact, studies show merely respecting
customers does not distinguish your business or service. That's because
customers expect it. It's when they perceive a lack of respect that things
get volatile. For example:
Rachael brought her car into a repair shop to get new tires put on. After
looking the vehicle over the mechanic recommended new brakes. Rachael was
puzzled since she hadn't noticed any problem with the brakes. In fact, she
had gotten it inspected just two months earlier. "Well they don't look them
over the way we do." He rattled off some automotive terms to convince her.
Rachael was still hesitant. "Why don't we call your husband," he said. With
that Rachael told him to put the tires back on her vehicle - she'd be taking
her business elsewhere.
Respect means treating customers the same - regardless of gender, race or
age. It means listening to the customer's problem and responding in an
empathic tone. It means your non-verbal behavior demonstrates concern and
attentiveness.
When it comes to service, clearly understand what it is your customers want,
expect and need and shape you people and processes to deliver a level of
service which reflects these.
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