The art of exceeding expectations

We’re a pretty demanding bunch.

We’ve got fast but fuel efficient cars, iPads, digital cameras, we eat free-range organic eggs on locally-baked five-grain bread, we know where we can get a great skinny decaf latte and where to buy the best home-grown designer threads. The list goes on.

These days, with cutting edge technology and so many options we demand a hell of a lot and when a company or product lets us down (my coffee is cold! My hair isn’t the same colour as the lady on the packet! My iPod has corrupted!), we have no qualms about telling anyone and everyone who will listen.

In service industries it’s well-known that while you might tell two or three people if you get great service, the average person harps on to seven people when they receive what they deem as poor service. Eck! That’s the reason I always let people know when I’m not 100% happy with the service I’ve received. Quite frankly with those stats, it’s my duty to tell my hairdresser I’m not stoked with the colour she dyed my hair – I believe I’m actually doing her a favour by helping her remedy what could snowball into seven people thinking her salon is crap!

But how does one rise above and against all odds to leave customers feeling so satisfied and valued that they can’t help telling everyone about it?

It’s pretty simple – exceed expectations. Think about what your customer or client already knows about your company/service and what they are expecting – put yourself in their shoes. What would turn a satisfactory, nothing-to-write-home-about interaction with your company into a “that was outrageously great!!”? Not quite getting it?

Let me give you an example.

A couple of weeks ago I took a couple of friends who were visiting Melbourne to a restaurant I quite like. We’re talking funky atmosphere, tasty Asian fusion food and reasonable prices. I had made a booking, but when we arrived our table wasn’t quite ready. Our waiter apologised and sat us in the lounge area on some couches and suggested he get us some drinks while we wait for the table. We weren’t too worried, the couches were comfy, we weren’t in a hurry – no major. We ordered a bottle of red and just as we were raising our glasses for a toast, the waiter popped up again “looks like your table will be ready in ten and, you know that bottle of wine is on the house, don’t you,” smiled and left. Sweet!

In my opinion that was above the call of duty, and my friends and I were impressed. Excellent. Later in the evening after a few more bottles (that we happily paid for ourselves) one of my friends, deep in conversation, knocked over a full glass. But just as the glass and wine was about to hit the table a tablecloth magically appeared to soak up the wine as it fell from the glass. In disbelief my friend looked up to find out how this miracle had occurred.

Yes, it was that waiter.

He saw it happening, acted quickly and as a result “was an absolute legend!” as my friend professed. We left the restaurant, rather jolly, having thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

And having left a generous tip for our new, favorite waiter.

And having already planned our next trip back.

The secret – when your customer or client least expects it, surprise them with something that will make them smile and leave them feeling special.

Gen

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