Dave Baiocchi

Managing customer expectations

Posted on Aug 20, 2021 in Featured, Features

Many of my readers have contacted me recently regarding the customer experience (CX) series that I featured in MHW earlier this year. As customer expectations shift, it’s evident that as trusted allies we must shift with them, and help them to navigate the changes in the supply chain industry.  The message that our current CX may be set on “default” mode and not “actively managed” resonated with many dealers.

I ran across a couple of things this week that got me thinking about the initial steps in building and refining the CX process in our industry.

Control vs Management

First off, one of my Linked-In contacts showed some concern about my use of the phrase “controlling the customer experience”. He had a fair point, and I want to clarify my message if possible.  I don’t think I would get an argument from anyone when I say that in general, customers HATE to be “handled”. Once a customer gets an idea that they are being manipulated, boxed-in, or otherwise constrained, we can immediately surrender our attempts at creating the CX experience we were hoping to establish.

My mind goes immediately to the experiences we have all had at one time or another. I’m sure at least once in your life you visited a car dealership where your customer experience was probably accompanied by the litany of “let me talk to my manager”; a transparent and universally distasteful ploy to use higher authority as a negotiation tactic.  Most would agree that this is not an optimum CX. It’s time-consuming, transparent as glass, and infuriating.

Equally disturbing is the fact that many events, tours, attractions, or amusement venues routinely have their one and only exit through the gift shop. Yet again, an ungainly and irritating attempt at increasing sales through distraction, and environmental control.

Let me be clear. I never look to “control” my customers. My targets for control are instead, our own SOP’s, tools, messaging, and mechanisms that create a resonant CX. Do we have the right people, in the right roles, with the right tools, the right message, and the right data at their disposal to create an experience that the customer actually looks forward to?

Putting this formula in place requires you to MANAGE your MESSAGE instead of trying to CONTROL your CUSTOMER.

It all starts with expectations

A great place to start this process is by reversing roles and attempting to see your CX from the customer’s perspective. Expectations are at the heart of the CX. If we can isolate what the most common expectations are, we can begin to plan our responses and arrange our resources to meet those expectations.

Most of the disappointing experiences we encounter emanate from our expectations not being met. These dynamic touches all aspects of our life. Work relationships, personal relationships, raising children, attending church, taking a vacation, dining out, owning a home…the list is endless. Expectations set the bar in all these areas for what we will decide is a good experience and what isn’t. What were your expectations when you arrived at that car dealership? Did they meet (dare I say exceed) those expectations?  In most cases, the answer is no.

In order to avoid failing to meet expectations, a good first step is actually setting that bar FOR the customer. This is what I call the “this is how it works” discussion. Left to their own imaginations, customers may very well create expectations that aren’t reasonable. If we suggest how our business works, the policies we have in place, what customers can routinely expect, and what options and flexibilities exist, you can start your CX journey by explaining your current processes and the associated value.

Seldom is this ever done. Customers generally don’t ask…what can I expect?  They usually make up their mind based on how they feel. However, if WE intentionally discuss expectations with them, we stand a much better chance of building CX success.

I ran across an example of this a few weeks ago on the Internet. The photo below was posted last week.

It was a note, personally prepared by a new US post office letter carrier to his newly assigned group of “customers”. The fact that a letter carrier would view his world in terms of a supplier-customer relationship was itself unexpected. The ongoing content of the letter was even more surprising.

“Hello, my name is Jeff. I’m your new permanent letter carrier. I’ve been a USPS employee for 23 years. I pride myself on excellent customer service. I proudly served in the US Navy for 4 years.

In most cases, I will place a parcel on your porch, out of the rain (unlike Amazon and FedEx drivers). To prevent porch pirates from stealing your parcel, I will TRY not to leave them in the open. If you need anything such as parcel pickup, leave a note on/in your mailbox and let me know where the parcel is, or if I have to knock on your door to pick it up. If any mail has an unfamiliar name on it, BUT it says “current resident”, then I have to deliver it to you.

I look forward to providing prompt, accurate mail delivery in your neighborhood.

Thank you!

Jeff

I am still trying to wrap my brain around this. If anything, this proves that in spite of how we may feel about the US Postal Service, there are professionals out there who truly understand that expectations exist, even for government-mandated mail delivery. We can all take a lesson from Jeff’s example. Let’s break down how Jeff suggested what the expectations of his service should be:

• Jeff prides himself on customer service. This is his first priority.
• He is a Navy veteran. Jeff is reaching out with this statement. It’s a valid attempt to personally connect to his customers. You can expect Jeff to interact personally with you.
• He explains how you can expect him to “protect” your parcels. He also takes the opportunity to differentiate his offering from his competitors.
• He offers personal service and instructs you on how to communicate with him.
• He preemptively identifies one potential source of irritation and explains a policy that we may not be aware of.
• He has a passion for promptness and accuracy. He takes what he does seriously.

Does anyone have any doubt about what they can expect from this guy?

How can we REPLICATE this type of interaction with OUR customers? I have observed a “Customer Bill of Rights” on the wall of many dealerships. The question is…. how many customers are even aware of it? Do we actively use this as a “here’s how it works” document?

Until we understand and manage the customer’s expectations, all of our effort to craft a CX that WE think will work may be a moot point. Make sure that you identify what matters, before adjusting your approach.

Either way….I want Jeff to be my mailman.