How You Make Customers – Happy or Bummed!

Customers happiness is not based on the quality of your product!

Nope… in fact, it’s not even based on whether it works or lasts.

When a customer buys, they buy because you promised them something. A benefit or a payoff in exchange for the money they parted with. If you deliver on those expectations, you have a happy customer. Fail to deliver and the customer is left feeling “bummed”.

So is it delivery that determines customer satisfaction? Answer = NO!

Customer satisfaction is based on 2 things – the promise and the delivery.

The promise determines the expectations set in the customers mind. The delivery determines whether the promise is kept or not.

In business, if you under-promise and over-deliver, you won’t make sales. And if you don’t make sales, you won’t  have a business very long.

But on the flip side of this coin, if you over-promise and under-deliver, you will experience “death by a thousand cuts” as you get sliced by the 3R’s (returns, repairs and refunds).

Product quality is a misnomer. It doesn’t exist anymore because it’s expected. Any business still using “quality” as a selling point needs to do their homework and explain how they really benefit and add value to people’s lives. If you sell a quality product and so does the next guy, then you have a commodity and I’ll buy the cheapest one – thank you!

Focus on the difference you make in people’s lives and you set and expectation that separates you from the “quality” pedlars. But it also sets a measurable expectation for your customers to weigh up the value you add to their lives.

That is how you promise people. And that is how you truly set expectations. Your only job then is to deliver on your promise.

Do that and you have happy! Fail on either and you have bummed!