QUOTATION 79

TOM PETERS ON WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS UNDER-PROMISE AND OVER-DELIVER

Use this to improve customer perceptions of you and your organisation.

Tom Peters (b. 1942), possibly the most successful management guru of the late twentieth century, is interested in a wide array of management topics but none more so than customer care. To keep customers satisfied, he suggested that businesses should always:

Under-promise and over-deliver

Tom Peters

WHAT TO DO

  • Don’t make grandiose claims for your products. That’s just setting the customer up for a disappointment and, possibly, a complaint. Either way, it’s probable that they will never trust your organisation again.
  • Identify the ways in which you can over deliver. For example:
    • Deliver the goods sooner than expected.
    • Pass on a percentage of any savings that arise between the order being placed and the goods delivered (yes, I know that’s unusual but think of the impact on your customers).
    • Produce goods of unexpected quality for the price: Tissot, Skoda and Victorinox are all manufacturers that manage to provide a first-class product at reasonable prices.
    • Provide a great after-care service. The customer’s experience of your product extends over its entire life, therefore great customer care after delivery is not a luxury add-on but an essential part of your service.
    • Deal with complaints and returns promptly (see Quotation 77). Never argue with the customer; do what’s required to settle their problem. Then when they tell the story of their broken widget, the outcome is a happy one that reflects well on your organisation; instead of the incident undermining the customer’s loyalty to your organisation, they become one of its greatest advocates.
    • As a matter of policy, always uphold the spirit of any agreement that you enter into with staff, customers and suppliers, not just the word of the agreement. This will delight your customers, scare the hell out of your competitors and win you friends and new customers.
  • Surprise established customers with special offers and increased discounts. Don’t advertise them in advance: just drop it on them out of the blue. That will get them talking about you.
  • Be loyal to your customers. If they are in temporary difficulties, try and help them out. They will remember it. It will cement your relationship with them and if, one day, you experience difficulties, they may be able to help you.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

  • As a strategy, in my own career, do I always try to under-promise and then over-deliver?
  • How often do I or my organisation over-deliver to our customers?
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