During a recent day long business event, I lunched at a local café with a group of fellow attendees. We chose this café from several less likely looking contenders; it was brightly signposted and touted itself as an organic, vegetarian, healthy-eating venue. The menu read well and we ordered enthusiastically, visualising plates brimming with fresh, vibrant and tasty food. Imagine my disappointment when I was delivered a pallid Turkish roll with minimal filling and even less taste – accompanied by a cup of watery coffee. My fellow diners were similarly underwhelmed.
The gap between expectation and reality was huge.
What picture are you painting for your prospects – and do you deliver as much or more? Does your product do everything you promise in both your marketing materials and at point of sale? If you’re a service provider, are you clearly communicating exactly what you will supply – and ensuring that you do? That may involve a service contract and/or performance guarantee – or at the very least an information document that specifies what you will do, when it will happen, and how much it will cost.
To make a decision about their purchase, customers want:
- An agreed output (or product)
- No surprises
- Value for money
If the customer isn’t happy with any of the details you present, the time to discuss is at the start, not after you’ve delivered. The outcome should benefit both of you – and hopefully exceed their expectations so they come back for more – and recommend you to their friends. Rubbery promises (or rubbery pricing) are risky business. Do you need to tighten up?
