I believe that one of the single most important factors that can hugely influence the success or failure of any business is the ability of that business to consistently deliver on what its customers expect. We are now living in an age where everybody loves and expects speed of service and predictability, and this has certainly contributed to the phenomenal rise of companies such as Amazon, whose customers are accustomed to browsing on line at any time of the day or night, clicking on their selection and receiving same day or next day delivery. MacDonald’s is another very successful franchise within the fast food sector where customer expectations are expertly catered for with standardized services that deliver immediate satisfaction. At Belvoir, our franchisees are encouraged to follow the trusted business model that has proven so successful, but to also ‘go the extra mile’ for customers whenever this is required.
Whatever the chosen sector of your franchise make sure you regularly take time to put yourself in your customer’s position, and consider exactly what it is that he or she is expecting in terms of goods, time frame, after-service etc. Once this is determined you can make it your goal to deliver those standards each and every time. However, rather than a business simply delivering the bare minimum of what is promised and anticipated, the most successful entrepreneurs will try and over-deliver so that they actually exceed customer expectations. Consistently delivering and over-delivering are the key factors that are likely to result in the most positive word of mouth and online recommendations.
Of course, business owners and team members are all only human, and there will inevitably be times when the odd mistake will occur and a customer will raise a grievance. On investigation this grievance may well be due to an error on your part, however it is not the actual mistake that can prove costly to a business, but rather the way that the complaint is dealt with.
Ensuring that an effective customer complaint procedure is in place, which all team members are familiar with, can help to avoid a lot of client frustration. Resolving matters quickly and efficiently, with a sincere apology and the immediate implementation of any actions needed to resolve the situation can even prove to be very positive for a business, with customers feeling that their concerns have been taken seriously. Rather than harbouring resentment, or taking their custom to your competitors, you may well find that clients develop a new found respect for the way things have been handled and will recommend your business in the future. And that’s a promise!
