Coming home to a box on your doorstep makes anyone feel like a 5-year-old on Christmas morning. Walking into the house, running to the drawer with the scissors, frantically opening the box, and realizing that the thing sitting in the box does not live up to the expectation you had in your mind. Now you are feeling like a 5-year-old that wanted a remote controlled car and received a sweater. An expectation was set as soon as you read the description and added that item to your online cart; now you are an upset customer who will probably never trust that store again.
Setting realistic expectations is the key to retaining customers and keeping them happy with you and your company. If you work as an account manager, sales representative, marketing strategist, or customer service representative, keeping the customers happy is ultimately your number one goal. Below are five tips for setting realistic expectations for your clients:
- Create a detailed plan and timeline to share with your client.
This plan can range from the delivery of the client’s product, to a step by step process of how they will implement a piece of machinery. Along with this plan, a timeline needs to be shared with the client. This will set up transparency and trust to further strengthen your rapport.
- Send updates and follow up every call.
There is no such thing as too many updates when delivering a product or service. Clients and customers want to know exactly what is going on at all times, and by sending consistent updates you will never leave them wondering why they gave their money to you instead of a competitor.
- Under-promise.
When I say under-promise I don’t mean devalue your company’s ability, I mean always be able to deliver slightly more than promised. When giving a client just a tiny bit more than originally expected, you will gain a flattered customer for life.
- Be upfront with pricing.
The process of buying a product or service can be a complicated process for big businesses, so never try and sneak the price by them. Gaining trust and keeping it is becoming more difficult as the market becomes more intricate, so being transparent with your pricing is important to earning a client’s trust.
- Follow through.
This action seems straight forward but if you make a promise, set a plan, and make a timeline make sure that you stick to it. Clients want to see that you can deliver your product or service quickly, easily, and on the timeline promised.