What do your customers expect from you and your business? It's a good question to think about and answer. It's an equally good question to invite your employees to answer! No one transacts business (repeatedly) with a company without expecting something. So what is it that your customers expect from you, your employees, and your business? 

It's important to know what customers expect because they're going to rate you. And generally speaking, they'll rate you in one of three ways. You're either "below expectations" -- and that's not good for the longevity of your company -- or you're "on par with expectations" -- good, but not great, because lots of businesses fall into this category -- or you're "beyond expectations" -- and that's very, very good! 

How do customers rate you? It probably depends on how well you R-A-T-E! 

R is for Reliability, Recovery & Responsiveness 

Those are the three R's of great customer service. Customers don't expect any business to perform perfectly, but they do expect your business to keep its promises. You've got to be reliable. You must do what you say. And if you can't always do what you promise then at least make it up to the customer in another way. When you fail to meet a customer's expectations (and it happens from time to time, even to the best of companies) you should recover by fixing it! Recovery may be as simple as a phone call and an apology. Always be sure to respond quickly. Customers hate to be kept waiting. Don't keep them on hold. Don't make them wait in the waiting room. Respond to your customers as soon as you can. 

A is for Assurance 

Customers want to feel that their problem is being handled by an expert. Assure them that you know your business! 

T is for Tangibles 

Customers judge you by your looks. That's right, they judge your personal looks, but they also judge the environment of your business. They judge the look of the office, the waiting room, the shopping center, the parking lot, your company brochure, etc. Yes, they also judge you by the look of your Web site! If you want to meet the expectations of customers, look your best! 

E is for Empathy