Managing Client Expectations

Another great example from Priceless: Turning Ordinary Products into Extraordinary Experiences is Xerox. Xerox was receiving numerous complaints from its customers that repairs weren't happening fast enough, so they revamped their service-delivery process.

Under the new approach, each time the customer called in she was allowed to identify her need on a scale from routine to critical. Service personnel would then arrive faster for a critical call than a less urgent one. By involving the customer in the service delivery process Xerox not only increased customer satisfaction but surprisingly found fewer service personnel were needed. Rather than take advantage of the situation and define every call as critical, the customer was more interested in having a choice than instantaneous response.

As a lawyer, I find that my clients are willing to give me extra time to complete a task when I tell them I am swamped -- but they are most understanding when I tell them when the assignment begins, and not when it is due. If I am able to get the project done before I promised, they are doubly happy. David at ethicalEsq knows all about Underpromising and Overdelivering.