When operating your business it’s easy to lose sight of the customer's wants. Often your operations will be based around what's easier or cheaper for you. You will need to make decisions about the cost this may have for your business.

You need to ask customers questions.

• How do they like to be treated?
  • Telephone courtesy, eg what do they think of you using automated answering machines?
  • Promotional material, eg how would they react to you sending them promotional material on a regular basis?
    
• How do they expect the goods or services to be represented?
• Is your distribution network satisfactory?
• What do they think of your sales people?
• Do your competitors use methods you don't, eg a website, free call phone number, home demonstration etc?

Ask for the information you need from them to meet their expectations. This can then be fed back into your business and includes the following.

• New customer feedback after the first sale.
• Feedback from customers on a consistent basis, eg annually.
• Complaints questionnaire.

Customers expect convenience, reliability and attention. This involves the following.

• Convenience in your:
  • environment, eg reception, including by telephone
  • hours of business, eg how easily accessible you are
  • location (if applicable), eg how handy it is for customers
  • distribution, delivery, eg do you offer enough options
  • financial terms, eg 30 day accounts, credit cards etc.
    
• Reliability in:
  • the quality of your products/services
  • servicing of your products/provision of services.
    
• Attention is required in:
  • personalised service, eg using customers' names
  • consideration, eg undivided attention.

Try the practical activity 'Customer expectations'.