Managing customer expectations no easy job<\/p>\n
Taufik Hidayat
\nContributor
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
When business is thriving and customers are lining up for your
\nproducts, you feel deeply contented and think that you are going
\nin the right direction. But when there is a downturn in the
\nmarket and your customers switch over to the competition, you are
\nsuddenly awakened and startled by this harsh new reality.<\/p>\n
Only then do you start to contemplate and think over what may
\nhave gone wrong. Businesspeople often erroneously assume that the
\nprice of their products is enough to keep customers loyal. They
\nalso often take the service element for granted. Then they make
\nthe worst of all blunders. They do not retain their customers by
\nimplementing the appropriate retrieval plan, instead rushing to
\nlaunch new advertising and promotional campaigns, which will
\nmostly result in a batch of new and probably fickle customers.<\/p>\n
Then the businesspeople are snared by a different vicious
\ncircle. The new customers' loyalty is not maintained because they
\nhave not revamped their basic philosophy, which did not work
\nyesterday. So customers come and go. Indeed the majority of them
\nleave, while those who stay cannot be expected to contribute to a
\ncompany's profitability.<\/p>\n
For these type of hit-and-miss companies, retaining customers
\nis a grueling task. Theoretically, at least, they are aware that
\ncustomer satisfaction is of paramount importance. In reality,
\nhowever, it is a step beyond simple satisfaction. Various surveys
\non customer satisfaction have revealed that even the most
\nsatisfied customer can switch over to the competitor's brand.
\nSeveral surveys came up with the terrifying data that almost 80
\npercent of those who change brands said they were relatively
\nsatisfied with their previous brand.<\/p>\n
Today, many major companies -- owners of leading brands --
\nrealize that they have to go beyond \"simple or basic customer
\nsatisfaction\", because the tangible elements of the products or
\nservices they provide can be copied by competitors. Hence, \"me-
\ntoo\" satisfaction exists alongside \"me-too\" products that flood
\nthe currently globalized market.<\/p>\n
Just like the English proverb, \"Good is not good, when better
\nis expected\", the toughest competition is in providing the
\nhighest level of satisfaction, which means providing more than
\nthe concrete benefits of a product.<\/p>\n
Take star-rated hotels, for example. At all points of contact,
\nfrom the friendly bellboy to the entire staff, including the
\nmanager, every one is ready to attend to your needs courteously
\nwith the highest level of professionalism. Your satisfaction
\nduring your stay is also enhanced with all sorts of perks, like
\nwelcome drink and fruits, free vouchers for the use of the
\nhotel's karaoke room, spa, fitness center, swimming pool as well
\nas taking care of your transportation needs and ticket bookings
\nand so forth. Some also send you a birthday card. All of these
\nthings and more have been specially prepared to ensure lasting
\nsatisfaction.<\/p>\n
The ensuing result is, naturally, that the satisfied customer
\nis transformed into one of the most effective means of
\ncommunication: positive word-of-mouth. This centuries old and
\nmost basic tool of advertising has for years been recognized as
\nthe most powerful \"arsenal\" by even today's modern companies.<\/p>\n
Customer satisfaction is not simply meeting a customer's basic
\nrequirements. That is level one. The second level is providing a
\ncustomer with services that entice him to become a loyal user or
\na repeat purchaser. The third level -- used by marketers of many
\nmajor brands -- contains features that exceed a customer's
\nexpectation. Here the element of \"delightful surprises\" is
\nintended to work in cementing customer loyalty and transforming
\nit into a durable relationship.<\/p>\n
Customer expectations, more than satisfying basic needs or
\ncreating a one-time satisfaction experience, should be something
\nmore than \"value for their money\". While initially this seems to
\naffect a company's production and marketing costs, in the long
\nrun, with a growing customer base that leads to a higher number
\nof sales and profits, the effort is more than worthwhile.<\/p>\n
Another aspect of customer satisfaction to remember is that it
\nis very dynamic. Customers with higher educations and, most
\nimportantly, vast experience expect more. What satisfied them
\nyesterday may not be that satisfying today.<\/p>\n
To gauge a company's performance, as well as consumers'
\nattitudes in relation to customer satisfaction, regular surveys
\nare needed. These surveys also should reveal the company's
\nstrengths and weaknesses, making the marketer's job easier in
\ncreating and implementing the highest level of service
\nexcellence.<\/p>\n
Managing customer expectation is nothing more than keeping the
\npromises a company has made. Naturally, disappointments on the
\npart of customers are often the result of sky-high promises that
\nexist or are mentioned in a company's advertisements and other
\npromotional materials. Often, some companies forget or tend to
\nbelittle the disastrous impact of negative word-of-mouth by the
\n\"unpaid media\" -- dissatisfied customers.<\/p>\n
One of the solutions for companies that have been lagging
\nbehind in the area of customer satisfaction is for their
\nmarketers and the entire customer service team to implement, and
\nnot only create, claims or promises for their communications
\nmaterials. Prior to agreeing to a seemingly exaggerated promise,
\nthey should challenge themselves and ask the question: \"Are we
\nreally up to this statement? Can we deliver?\" If the honest
\nanswer is \"no\" or \"not yet\", then why not gear up the entire
\ncompany, its infrastructure, hardware and software and so forth,
\nfor the upcoming mission to gain profits by providing customers
\nwith satisfaction \"level three\".<\/p>\n
Maybe a statement by American hockey player Paul Coffey, the
\nhighest scoring defenseman in NHL history, is relevant. \"Staying
\non top takes continued and relentless effort. Being good needs
\nhard work, but becoming the best and staying the best requires
\nunceasingly arduous work.\"<\/p>\n
Coffey's credo took him to the top. And a number of companies
\nhave also risen to the top by putting customer satisfaction above
\nanything else. Though it is not easy, it remains the only way to
\nkeep your company from being beaten black and blue.<\/p>",
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