Under Promise & Over Perform: The Art of Managing Customer Expectations

I'll always feel warmly about Conrad's restaurant, in Glendale, California.

On the morning of the Northridge earthquake, Conrad's was the only restaurant in town that opened for business, and stayed open until the last customer went home. (For the record, I had a jumbo burger with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, fries, and two chocolate shakes with lots of whipped cream and extra cherries on top.)

The line of hungry patrons shoe-laced down the block, but instead of being grumpy, everyone was smiling, happy to be alive, and bursting with their own quake stories to share with the strangers all around them.

What was truly extraordinary was the fact that Conrad's did the ordinary, under exceptional circumstances. It opened for business-as-usual.

Undoubtedly, it had a skeleton crew, because freeways were damaged and closed, and some workers couldn't make it in for their shifts. But enough servers and hosts were there for us, and this very fact exceeded, I'm sure, most people's expectations.

Which of course, proves a point: You don't have to provide "legendary" or "heroic" or otherwise spectacular service to succeed. You merely have to exceed people's expectations as a way to consistently create customer satisfaction.

The problem is most companies do the opposite. They crow about how capable they are at providing top service, citing surveys that they have sponsored and often manipulated to appear better than they really are.

"Your call is important to us" is repeated incessantly on hold. Some service reps are even trained to ask one of the dumbest questions imaginable: "How can I provide you with exceptional service, today?"

In reality, most of us would be thrilled to replace this self-serving rhetoric with the basics. We really want service folks to:

Be there for us when we need them.

Be competent and well trained.

Be quick to address our problems and to solve them.

Be upbeat, and grateful for the opportunity to have our patronage, and

Be done!

To elevate our customers' hopes, and then dash them, is utterly self-defeating. It reminds me of what I used to hear as a kid-athlete. It's ok to boast, but you better be really, really good, in every single contest. Otherwise, the first time you screw-up, you'll be razzed, relentlessly.

Moral: Be modest. Nice and humble does it every time.

If you're modest, and simply competent, you'll be appreciated and you'll win customer loyalty.

That's the secret to Conrad's decades-long success.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a popular keynote speaker, consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books. He is the author of the Nightingale-Conant audio program, The Law Of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable. Gary teaches Entrepreneurship and Consulting at UCLA Extension, and he is President of Customersatisfaction.com and The Goodman Organization. He can be reached at gary@customersatisfaction.com.

---

Google News Updated : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:53:55 GMT Madge Kabbalah'd A-Rod into Submission - TMZ.com ABC News Madge Kabbalah'd A-Rod into Submission TMZ.com - 6 hours ago Madonna is using "mind control" through the power of Kabbalah to mesmerize A-Rod into making him her boytoy, according to friends of his wife. A-Rod's wife tells pals she believes Madonna lured Yank with kabbalah New York Daily News Kabbalah Kool-Aid: Madonna's 'soulmate' to divorce Monsters and Critics.com Reuters - ABC News - E! Online all 1,426 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:49:58 GMT Mosquito disease risk isn’t higher - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel NY1 Mosquito disease risk isn’t higher Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - 15 hours ago By JEANNINE AQUINO The swarms of mosquitoes spawned by warm weather and lingering floodwaters in Wisconsin are more blood-sucking nuisance than medical peril, health officials said Thursday. West Nile Spreads Due to Flooding, Threatens 4th of July Celebrations eFluxMedia Mosquito district warns: Watch out for West Nile Virus Sacramento Bee WJBF-TV - IdahoStatesman.com - phillyBurbs.com - Atlanta Journal Constitution all 431 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:43:41 GMT Chance discovery points to crib death cause - Reuters ChattahBox Chance discovery points to crib death cause Reuters - 21 hours ago By Michael Kahn LONDON (Reuters) - An imbalance of a key brain chemical could cause crib death, researchers said on Thursday in what they called a chance discovery. SIDS Linked to Brain Chemical Dysfunction Washington Post Brain imbalance 'cot death key' BBC News InjuryBoard.com - Los Angeles Times - WebMD - The Associated Press all 229 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:59:03 GMT Flames descend canyons in Santa Barbara Co. fire - San Jose Mercury News Reuters South Africa Flames descend canyons in Santa Barbara Co. fire San Jose Mercury News - 41 minutes ago AP GOLETA - A fast-moving wildfire fueled by Santa Barbara County's notorious "sundowner" winds consumed about a half-dozen outbuildings overnight, but firefighters were able to save hundreds of homes from intense flames in the pre-dawn hours, ... Firefighters hold line on two California wildfires Reuters Goleta fire doubles in size overnight Los Angeles Times Bloomberg - CNN International - San Diego Union Tribune - The Santa Barbara Independent all 399 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:12:01 GMT Christina Applegate's Boyfriend Found Dead - FOXNews NEWS.com.au Christina Applegate's Boyfriend Found Dead FOXNews - 3 hours ago AP LOS ANGELES - "Married With Children" star Christina Applegate’s boyfriend was found dead in his apartment on Tuesday, FOX News has learned. Lee Grivas, Christina Applegate's Boyfriend, Found Dead Associated Content Christina Applegate's sometime boyfriend, Lee Grivas, found dead New York Daily News E! Online - Los Angeles Times - TheCelebrityCafe.com - TMZ.com all 112 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:22:05 GMT Obama remarks on Iraq prompts flip-flop charge - CNN Times Online Obama remarks on Iraq prompts flip-flop charge CNN - 2 hours ago (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain's campaign again called Sen. Barack Obama a flip-flopper after the Democratic candidate held a do-over news conference to clarify his remarks on the Iraq war. Analysis: Obama's shifts to center give GOP ammo The Associated Press Obama Fuels Pullout Debate With Remarks New York Times WCTV - Monsters and Critics.com - Los Angeles Times - ABC News all 1,014 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:23:39 GMT Borowski designated for assignment - MLB.com TSN.ca Borowski designated for assignment MLB.com - 1 hour ago By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com Looking to repair their battered bullpen and get a better read on what the future holds, the Indians designated the veteran Borowski for assignment on Friday. Indians designate RHP Joe Borowski for assignment The Associated Press New closer alert! Borowski out in Cleveland SportingNews.com National Post - Most Valuable Network - The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com - WANE all 141 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:59:25 GMT RSS to HTML Increase Website Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

CRM = Customers (dont) Really Matter

CRM was supposed to bring companies closer to their clients.... Read More

Debt Elimination Scam

May people these days have a problem with mounting debt.... Read More

Complaints Are Actually A Good Thing!

Nobody likes to get complaints. They make you question your... Read More

Customers Who Rave About You and Your Service

According to customer service studies by marketing gurus of the... Read More

Clients?Do You Really Need Them?

Running a successful business takes a lot of energy and... Read More

Customer No Service - How to Lose a Loyal Customer!

So today was the day where I almost stopped going... Read More

Raising The Bar For Online Magazine Subscription Services And Customer Service

After years of flying below the radar in the magazine... Read More

Ten Ways to Help You Improve Your Customer Service

1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis.... Read More

Develop Loyal Customers for a Lifetime ? part 1 (1 ? 10)

Traditional marketing strategies encourage business owners to continually grow their... Read More

How Do You Create Customer Loyalty?

Another sad fact of life is that these days, very... Read More

Sending Mixed Signals Can Send Your Clients Away

I call it the "wave and roll."You walk up to... Read More

Keeping Clients Happy Keeps them Coming Back

Whether you are a seasoned small business professional, or you... Read More

Whats Love Got To Do With It?

Customer Loyalty, we all want it. Don't we?Some people say... Read More

Modern Call Center Solutions - Keeping in Touch is the Key

Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More

One Critical Question to Ask Yourself Every Day

What happened to the old saying, the customer is always... Read More

RETAIL GREETERS: Sales Builders or Customer Turnoff?

Do you need greeters or should you avoid them? That... Read More

From Scowl to Smile: 5 Practical Steps to Instill Exceptional Customer Service

Whether in a restaurant, a retail establishment, or the local... Read More

Are You Putting Technology Before Your Customers?

Which is more important the technology or the customer?The one... Read More

3 Special Benefits Every Customer Wants

Every customer looks for 3 special benefits when they do... Read More

What Do They Want Anyway?

You want customers. I want customers. We all want customers.... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Prevent Customer Service Conflicts

There are five techniques that have been proven to be... Read More

8 Critical Steps to Establish a Customer Service Culture

"Every company's greatest assets are its customers, because without customers... Read More

Increase Sum in Your Check Account with Follow-Ups

We'll be examining what makes follow up to prospects/customers so... Read More

Call Center Software - Your Tool of Choice in Customer Relations

The call center represents your first line of communication with... Read More

Creating the Right ?Viral Reputation?

Unless you are brand new to business, or have been... Read More