Are You Ready When They Are?

From the desk of Ron Sukenick

When I first heard the Delta Airlines slogan “We’re ready when you are!”, I thought, “Wow! An airline after my own heart!.” You see, one of the main principles I teach as a business coach is this: You’re always better off to under-promise and then over-deliver. In other words, not only is it crucial for you to do exactly what you say you’re going to do, and to do it within the promised time frame, good business involves delighting your customers and contacts by going above and beyond their expectations. That’s one of the reasons I use my toaster as a metaphor for a business followup system. When you have a system in place for dealing with new contacts as well as with your existing customers, that system enables you to be ready - ready to follow up and to do all the things you promised – and more!

Alas, in the case of Delta Airlines, the company slogan turned out to be empty words. While I was grateful for the extra time I got to spend with my daughter as I was driving her to the Cincinnati airport (after Delta had summarily cancelled her flight from Indianapolis), I reflected on how very disappointed I was feeling. The company’s advertisements, and particularly the implied promise of their slogan, had led me to believe Delta would be ready when we were. They weren’t ready, not at all.

I realize, as I’m writing this blog, I’m living proof of a fact of business life. Happy customers may tell a few people about their positive experience with a business. But studies show that unhappy, disgruntled customers will tell tens of people how angry they are that some businessperson got their hopes up and then didn’t come through for them. Sure enough, here I am, telling hundreds of blog readers how disappointed I am that an airline wasn’t ready when I was.

Of course a building block in exceeding customer expectations is for you to know, not merely guess, what those expectations are. In my earlier blog, Interactions That Start Relationships, I talked about purposeful listening, using the three magic words, “Tell Me More!” to help you understand your networking contact or your customer. That way, you can tailor any action promises you make to that individual's needs. Remember to promise only what you will, in fact, be ready to do. Later, when you come through with even more than you promised to deliver, you’ll be showing your networking colleagues and your customers that you are, indeed, Ready When They Are!