What did over a billion people say that they expect in a customer service transaction?

That's the question the Gallup poll asked over a billion people over a 20-year period. They extracted four levels of customer expectations from their exhaustive research. They are deceptively simple, but critical in avoiding complaints. Here are adapted results of that study for your application.

Four Levels of Customer Expectations

1. Right

Be right. Customers expect transactions to be accurate and free of mistakes as a baseline of service. They expect the order to be right in the details--color, size, parts etc. The numbers have to match up, billing needs to be correct. This is the most basic expectation of most service transactions.


2. Ready

We expect service representatives to be ready when we need them. Customers expect a sales or service person to be available 24/7. Do you have ample parking, help desks, 24-hour hot lines, cell phones, pocket computers, or a web site with a responsive customer service point of contact?

These first two levels are fairly easy to offer with technological solutions. Providing them however does not make happy customers. It simply keeps people from complaining.

3. Recommend

Customers expect service providers to recommend by giving the best advice and teach them what they need to know in order to make sound decisions. They expect you to take the time to explain how your products or services work, provide important information options and recommend the best option based on your expertise. Learning leads to loyalty and loyalty helps create customer advocates. A customer advocate is likely to spread the word about their favorable experience with you and your organization.


4. Resolve

Customers expect service providers to help resolve problems and to troubleshoot. Customers expect you to empathize with their situation and anticipate problems--both the ones they know about and hidden issues of which they may not be aware. They want you to think in their shoes and share the risk to eliminate the problem once and for all.

Now knowing what a billion people want in a service transaction, the next most important question to ask is, "By offering these four levels, are we providing good customer service?"

The answer is "Yes and no." It's good customer service but that's all it is. It's not great, memorable, or even competitive because it's simply meeting a minimal expectation! Today customers have raised the bar on what it means to provide what I call Off-the-Chart Customer Service™. To be competitive and to keep customers for life, you must not only meet, but also exceed the four levels expectations. 

Chart Learning Solutions has created solutions that will take your organization into today's cutting-edge best-practices through implementing the "Six F's." Learn Chart's Six F's so that your organization can not only keep customers loyal, but keep them for life.

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