out a cell phone to track down the utility and phone companies to alert them of the disruptions, right? Your common sense told you that a pole must be down or a set of lines got cut somehow, but you went ahead and called anyway. We all do this even though we understand the compWe all have a common set of expectations from certain industries we do business with that we won’t compromise if those expectations aren’t met. We expect to hear a dial tone when we pick up the telephone when no one else is using it. We expect our cars to start in the morning when we get ready to leave for work. It’s implied that a restaurant will prepare our food properly and follow satisfactory sanitary guidelines. If we pay our electric bill on time, we expect the lights to work when we flip the switch. Same goes for the water bill—we expect water when the faucet or shower is “started.” These are expectations set, in part, by the industries providing the service, but they are also engrained in our culture as things to gripe about quickly should there be any form of disruption.

When is the last time you weren’t alarmed by a power outage even if it occurred after a major storm? You likely called the utility company immediately to tell them all the while understanding you probably weren’t the first person calling. If your telephone didn’t have dial tone, you likely sought out a cell phone to track down the utility and phone companies to alert them of the disruptions, right? Your common sense told you that a pole must be down or a set of lines got cut somehow, but you went ahead and called anyway. We all do this even though we understand the compa

hen we get ready to leave for work. It’s implied that a restaurant will prepare our food properly and follow satisfactory sanitary guidelines. If we pay our electric bill on time, we expect the lights to work when we flip the switch. Same goes for the water bill—we expect water when the faucet or shower is “started.” These are expectations set, in part, by the industries providing the service, but they are also engrained in our culture as things to gripe about quickly should there be any form of disruption.

When is the last time you weren’t alarmed by a power outage even if it occurred after a major storm? You likely called the utility company immediately to tell them all the while understanding you probably weren’t the first person calling. If your telephone didn’t have dial tone, you likely sought out a cell phone to track down the utility and phone companies to alert them of the disruptions, right? Your common sense told you that a pole must be down or a set of lines got cut somehow, but you went ahead and called anyway. We all do this even though we understand the comp

r when the faucet or shower is “started.” These are expectations set, in part, by the industries providing the service, but they are also engrained in our culture as things to gripe about quickly should there be any form of disruption.

When is the last time you weren’t alarmed by a power outage even if it occurred after a major storm? You likely called the utility company immediately to tell them all the while understanding you probably weren’t the first person calling. If your telephone didn’t have dial tone, you likely sought out a cell phone to track down the utility and phone companies to alert them of the disruptions, right? Your common sense told you that a pole must be down or a set of lines got cut somehow, but you went ahead and called anyway. We all do this even though we understand the comp

e you weren’t alarmed by a power outage even if it occurred after a major storm? You likely called the utility company immediately to tell them all the while understanding you probably weren’t the first person calling. If your telephone didn’t have dial tone, you likely sought out a cell phone to track down the utility and phone companies to alert them of the disruptions, right? Your common sense told you that a pole must be down or a set of lines got cut somehow, but you went ahead and called anyway. We all do this even though we understand the compout a cell phone to track down the utility and phone companies to alert them of the disruptions, right? Your common sense told you that a pole must be down or a set of lines got cut somehow, but you went ahead and called anyway. We all do this even though we understand the companies we’re alerting have a good chance of knowing about the outage anyway.

If you were to think of your company in the same light, what would be some things your customers have come to expect that are deal breakers if you don’t live up to the industry’s established and implied expectations? For my company, a consulting firm, I believe all bets are off if we don’t put the customer’s interests first throughout the relationship. We can come up with a bad idea that definitely won’t please the client, but it may not cost us current and future business if the idea had their best interest at heart.

With that kind of thinking (hopefully) taking place, let’s walk through some things you can consider in making sure your business is meeting and exceeding customer expectations.

Evaluate Your Landscape
Look around at your competitors and determine what areas cannot be compromised within the current competitive landscape. What areas are viewed by customers as implied expectations because of your industry? Which areas can you capitalize to differentiate your