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July, 2010
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Managing Your Customer's Expectations
NUTS & BOLTS
Tim Cleland, Sales Manager Foodservice Division
Have you ever encountered a customer for whom no matter what you do they are never happy? At first you think that
it’s something you or your staff is doing wrong. Then again you may blame the product or service you’re receiving
from your vendor. Better yet, blame it on the customer, maybe they’re having a bad day, or they forgot to take their
meds. In either case the end result is the same – the customer is not happy. It may be however that the customer is
expecting you or your staff to deliver something that you do not offer. As a result of you not delivering what they are
expecting they become upset. A great way to avoid such problems and resulting stress is to make sure that you communicate
to your customer or potential customer exactly what they can expect BEFORE you commit to a relationship.
Sometimes we are so afraid of not getting the business we say or do almost anything for fear that we might be
losing out on a sale. Have you ever found yourself doing something special for the problematic customers that you
don’t do for others simply to avoid confrontation? Misrepresenting what you can deliver will do nothing more than
create ill will and distrust and will eventually drive the customer elsewhere anyways. Communicate what you offer
and don’t be afraid to say no. At the end of the day everyone will be better off.
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