Your Customers' Top Five Expectations

Meeting your customers' expectations to drive sales is the foundation of your business, and your ability to identify these expectations is one of the most valuable business skills you can develop.

Fortunately, this is an easy task. Sure, you have the occasional customer who expects everything from you and you have one or two compulsive complainers who seem convinced that you can’t do anything right for them, but these represent a minority. Or, at least they’d better.

The majority of your customers have similar expectations, and since most of them are reasonable business people like yourself, most of their expectations are reasonable as well. Have you reviewed some of the most common expectations among your customers lately? Let’s see how well you can relate to five of the most common.

First, your customers expect recognition. They appreciate service that makes them feel important to you. Whether their business is worth 100 ringgit or 100 thousand, they enjoy your undivided attention. My own media technician is an excellent example of this. My orders represent just a small part of his business, yet he sits me down for conversation and a few laughs every time I come in, and that’s why I keep going back to him.

Second, your customers expect first-rate communication. They expect that information on your products and services will always be up to date. When you have information that they need to know, don’t wait for them to ask for it. Call your customers occasionally, either to update them or just to pass on a friendly greeting.

Third, your customers expect options. You become more valuable to them as a provider of products or services when you can be more flexible. Customers like to know that they have access to more than one solution. Providing options leads to dialogue, which leads your customers to better business decisions.

Fourth, your customers expect efficiency. They want to know that they are working with a supplier that provides fast, first-rate service at a fair price. They like seamless assistance, so that when they call you they work with you, rather than being passed from one department to another.

Finally, your customers expect quality. Naturally, this includes the quality of your product. But quality to them also means a well trained staff, a pleasant relationship and a positive experience every time they do business with you.

Recognition, communication, options, efficiency and quality. These are among the most common expectations your customers have. And your ability to meet them is what earns their loyalty.