(2 minute read)
Customer expectations are any set of behaviours or actions that individuals anticipate when interacting with a company.
Historically, customers have expected basics like quality service and fair pricing — but modern customers have much higher expectations, such as proactive service, personalised interactions, and connected experiences across digital channels.
To better understand how customer expectations are changing, Salesforce Research recently surveyed 14,300 consumers and business buyers globally.
Here we share the findings from Salesforce, in conjunction with our own findings via hundreds of delegates who have participated in 2 of our programs, The Sales Accelerator, and Elements of Essential Customer Service Excellence.
6 Expectations of Customer Experience (TMSG findings)
| Availability / Accessibility: | In a 24/7 world, customers expect the provider/vendor to always be available. |
| Courtesy: | This one never dates! In a world of less personalisation, customers still expect niceties. |
| Consistency: | If businesses/stores have more than one site/store, customers expect them to be replicas of each other. (Same = safe). |
| Responsiveness: | Customers expect to be heard, and to be replied to in a timely manner. (Yesterday would have been ideal!) |
| Efficiency: | The end-to-end customer process is expected to be both effective and efficient. |
| Personalisation: | Having customer information and not using it (e.g., their name and preferences) leads to customers feeling as if all sales are mere transactions. |
Salesforce Findings
| Customers expect a connected journey: | Customers want their journey to feel as if they are with the one company, not several separate companies (when being moved through different departments). |
| Customers expect personalisation: | Customers do not want to feel as though they are just another number. |
| Customers are wary of AI: | The desire for a personal customer journey has made many consumers concerned about their needs just being considered as another data-point for the company. |
| Customers expect protection of their data: | Consumer trust has been eroded with the leaking, loss, or theft of their personal data. |
From the above, it’s apparent that customers wish to hold onto the opportunity for personalisation with both hands. To oblige them in this expectation will surely lead to a more positive and memorable consumer experience.