How To Predict, Meet, And Exceed Customer Expectations

The key for a successful business is having satisfied customers, so let's learn how to predict, meet & exceed customer service expectations

By Claudio Pires
Updated on October 6, 2022
How To Predict, Meet, And Exceed Customer Expectations

One key to running a successful business is having satisfied customers. Once a customer is happy with your product and services, they’ll most likely recommend your company to their family and friends, helping increase your profits. Positive word of mouth is one of the most effective marketing strategies, as people will be more likely to repurchase and spread the news about how amazing their experience was with your business. Let’s learn how to predict, meet and exceed customer service expectations.

Since customer satisfaction is your number one priority, looking for ways to predict, meet, and exceed their expectations will help you improve what you can offer. Providing them with everything they need and more will leave them wanting the kind of service you provide. With that, here are some ways you can make it happen:

Improve Employee Productivity to Predict and Meet Customer Expectations

A productive team means happy customers as your team can address your customers’ issues in a snap. Improving employee productivity can also help expedite any tasks and allow your customers to get quick responses and service every step. One way you can improve your employees’ productivity is by giving them an agenda for the day while ensuring they deliver quality results.

Say you’re looking to implement new communication software to address customer queries better. Adopting a new system might be the perfect opportunity to utilize the best digital adoption platforms to allow your team to perform tasks quickly and more efficiently.

Ask Your Customers Directly  

The best way you can predict what your customers expect from your company is by asking them directly. Asking them can give you direct answers, and you no longer have to poke around just to guess what kind of service or feature they might like. So. a great way on how to exceed customer service expectations.

You can ask your customers through an online survey you can send through email. You can even create a poll on your social media accounts and see what their responses are. After getting some responses, you can develop or refine your processes to provide better products or services.

Understand What Customers Already Expect 

Today, there are plenty of reasons a customer will purchase from or return to a business. Apart from the quality of the product or service a customer receives, they also expect excellent service every step of the way. 

To help your customers and put their worries away, you should provide them with amazing customer service throughout every platform. Remember, customers are more willing to pay if they have an amazing experience with your company.

Consult With Your Customer Service Team

Apart from asking your customers directly what they want, you can consult with your customer service team. Since they’re the ones who face your customers the most, they probably have a pulse for your customers’ expectations from your business.

You can ask your team about the most frequent issues your customers raise and the things they love about your products or services. You can ask your team for suggestions about what features or strategies they’d like to implement that could benefit the business and customers. As a result, an excellent method on how to exceed customer service.

Improve Response Time To Predict, Meet, And Exceed Customer Expectations

When a customer sends a message to a company about an inquiry or complaint, they expect the company to respond almost instantly or within the same hour. When it takes more than a business day for a company to respond, especially if the customer raised an urgent concern, they might stop doing business with you.

To avoid that from happening, you should always improve your response time and address their issues immediately. If your customer is raising frustration, you should resolve their problems immediately rather than redirect them to your FAQs page. Moreover, it might be better to set an estimate of how long your team can respond to their queries. That way, you give your team the time to give them a proper response and they can temper their expectations.

Set Realistic Expectations 

Speaking of expectations, never make promises you can’t keep. This fact is especially true if you can’t guarantee 100% that you can make them happen. Always set realistic expectations for your customers, so they don’t assume too much from your company.

While next-day delivery might be doable, you have to consider some obstacles that might get in your way. It could be the weekend, a regular holiday, or even environmental catastrophes that could delay your delivery. If you wish to add a next-day delivery feature, for instance. So, always include a disclaimer that some uncontrollable circumstances might cause delays.

Build A Loyalty Program 

A great way you can retain your existing customers is by giving them perks. This way, they’ll have something to look forward to the next time you do business. You can begin by building a loyalty program where you give your customers discounts or freebies with every purchase. They could also accumulate points they can use as a reward for their next purchase. This would make shopping a lot more exciting for them as they’re a few steps away from getting their freebies.

Go Beyond Help To Predict, Meet & Exceed Customer Expectations

One of the best ways you can exceed your customers’ expectations is by going beyond what they expected you to do. For example, a customer needs to replace their purchase due to receiving a faulty product. As they get in touch with your business. You should immediately set up a pickup and replace the product immediately with a brand-new one. Free of charge, including the shipping fees. Providing your customers with extra help and convenience is something they can appreciate from you. 

Create A Helpful Chatbot 

You’ve probably encountered plenty of questions from your customers that they can check on your FAQs page quickly. However, some people prefer to chat with your company rather than browse through your FAQs to get immediate answers.

To allow your customer service team to focus on more important queries, you should build a chatbot that can answer their questions quickly. Ideally, you should develop a chatbot that can learn the right keywords or input from your customers. That way, they can provide the appropriate answers. If the chatbot can’t give the right answers, you can always give your customers the option to chat with an agent.

Engage In Social Media 

Today, more people are using social media to connect with various companies. Since your social media accounts are public, leaving a great first impression is an excellent start so your potential customers already know what to expect from your company. Ideally, you should actively engage with your customers on social media, both privately and publicly. The more you respond to their queries, the more they’ll feel you’re in touch with them and will address any issues quickly. 

Takeaway to Predict, Meet & Exceed Customer Expectations

Learning how to predict, meet, and exceed your customer service expectations will help make your business stand out from the competition. With happy customers, you can expect them to trust your company and recommend you to their family and friends. While the process might take a few adjustments, allowing your customers to enjoy working with your company will bring your business to greater heights.

Claudio Pires

Claudio Pires is the co-founder of Visualmodo, a renowned company in web development and design. With over 15 years of experience, Claudio has honed his skills in content creation, web development support, and senior web designer. A trilingual expert fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, he brings a global perspective to his work. Beyond his professional endeavors, Claudio is an active YouTuber, sharing his insights and expertise with a broader audience. Based in Brazil, Claudio continues to push the boundaries of web design and digital content, making him a pivotal figure in the industry.