1. Managing Customer Expectations
Tim Warren
Vice President for Technology Services
San Juan College
Farmington, NM
October 31, 2010

2. Introduction
Discuss the strategies used to align technology with the core business of the institution.
Managing customer expectations requires IT to create and maintain credibility by:
listening to the needs of the customer and planning accordingly
explaining our services in their terms and not in the terms of the technology department
communication, communication, communication
and execution.

3. Agenda Customers Expectations Customer Service Paradox
Customer Satisfaction Equation
Customer Perceived Value (CPV)
Steps to Improve
Understand Customer
Understand Expectations
Attitude
Planning
Delivery
Communication
Summary

4. What defines a customer?

5. A customer is… Someone who seeks out or pays for goods or services
Someone who uses or receives goods or services
Someone who is a stakeholder or has a business relationship with an organization
A purchaser, organization, or consumer after the sale
Someone who receives valuable information and assistance

6. What are customer expectations?

7. An expectation is…
A belief centered on the future, which may or may not be realistic
A confident belief or strong hope that a particular event will happen
A standard of conduct or performance expected by or of somebody

8. Customer expectations are…
A promised cluster of benefits
Customer comparison of perceived vs. expected benefits
Evaluation of benefits vs. costs
Bundle of benefits – economics, functional, and psychological

9. Expectations…
Grow,
shrink,
and change shape and direction

10. The Customer Service Paradox
The difference between what customers WANT
And what they have learned they are going to RECEIVE

11. The Customer Service Paradox
Customer expectations are formed from customer experiences
What customers want is usually different than what they expect
Providing customer service has become more challenging

12. The Customer Satisfaction Equation
Your Performance
Customer Satisfaction = _____________
Customer Expectations

13. Customer Perceived Value
Demonstrate maximization of value
Verify bundle of benefits
Out perform perceived alternatives
Excellent service maximizes the customer’s perceived value. Small service touches like minimizing help desk call holding times and rapid response to close work tickets. Managers who answer their phones and treat customer problems seriously (no matter how simple or complex) .
Customers verify service benefits when they receive prompt and knowledgeable assistance from empathetic service providers on a consistent basis.
To outperform customer perceived alternatives to service – look to past buying experiences, competitors offerings, industry standards and marketing information. i.e. Volvo gives the expectation of safety as its main benefit yet costs, financing and smooth ride are alternatives to the consumers perceived value.

14. Customers remix

15. Lets look at Customers from a different viewpoint.

16. The most important person in any business
Not dependent on us rather we are dependent on them
Is not an interruption of our work
Is part of our business
Deserves the most courteous attention we can give them

17. Five determinants of service quality
Reliability – proving service as promised, dependability in handling customers’ service problems, performing services right the first time, providing services at the promised time, maintaining error-free records
Responsiveness – Keeping customer informed as to when services will be performed, prompt service to customers, willingness to help customers, readiness to respond to customers’ requests
Assurance – Employees who instill confidence in customers, making customers feel safe in their transactions, employees who have the knowledge to answer customer questions
Empathy – Giving customers individual attention, employees who deal with customers in a caring fashion, having the customer’s best interests as heart, employees who understand the needs of the customers, convenient business hours
Tangibles – modern equipment, visually appealing facilities, employees who have a neat, professional appearance, visually appealing materials associated with the service
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2006). Marketing Management (12 ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. (p.414)

18. Reliability – providing services as promised
Responsiveness – prompt and helpful
Assurance – knowledgeable & trustworthy
Empathy – individual attention & caring
Tangibles – modern equipment, professional looking employees
Reliability – proving service as promised, dependability in handling customers’ service problems, performing services right the first time, providing services at the promised time, maintaining error-free records
Responsiveness – Keeping customer informed as to when services will be performed, prompt service to customers, willingness to help customers, readiness to respond to customers’ requests
Assurance – Employees who instill confidence in customers, making customers feel safe in their transactions, employees who have the knowledge to answer customer questions
Empathy – Giving customers individual attention, employees who deal with customers in a caring fashion, having the customer’s best interests as heart, employees who understand the needs of the customers, convenient business hours
Tangibles – modern equipment, visually appealing facilities, employees who have a neat, professional appearance, visually appealing materials associated with the service
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2006). Marketing Management (12 ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. (p.414)

19. Always strive to… Avoid the gap between customer expectations
and perceptions
Say “I don’t know” but I will find out right now

20. Steps to improve

21. Understand Customer Expectations
Surveys, surveys, surveys
Focus groups
MBWA
Listen

22. Manage Customer Expectations
Don’t wait for complaints to come to you
Anticipate needs and set realistic expectations through customer education and communications
Watch for changes
Educate your customers on what they can expect

23. Attitude
IT people consider themselves technologists instead of service providers
Keep commitments
Tim’s Rule of Clumping

24. Planning Anticipate your customer’s next move
Understand your business and your industry
Through planning you can meet your customer expectations and become strategically valuable to your business

25. Communicate
The customer needs to know about your progress on their problems, what you will deliver, and what you need from them and when you expect to deliver
Don’t confuse customer contact with communication
Customers tend to define their needs in terms of what they don’t like instead of what they like

26. Not Affected Services:
Summary:
Network Services will be performing updates and system maintenance on all servers this Friday, December 4, 2009, from 5:30PM to 12:00 midnight, we will be updating all servers except those listed in the “Not Affected Services” section of this We will attempt to minimize downtime in the areas as much as possible. In most cases, servers will only be unavailable for five to ten minutes each.
Your Actions:
None
Not Affected Services:
Help:
If you have any questions regarding this, please call the Help Desk at
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we appreciate your patience.
An example of an OTS Alert notifying users of actions that are happening or going to happen. Red indicates an alert.

27. The email server was rebooted and services have been restored.
Summary:
The server was rebooted and services have been restored.
Your Actions:
Please let the Help Desk know if you are still experiencing difficulty.
Affected Services:
Some services for users.
Help:
If you have any questions regarding this, please call the Help Desk at
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we appreciate your patience.
Thank You,
Help Desk
Office of Technology Services
An example of an OTS Update message. These messages give users information on incidents. Blue is non-critical.

28. Deliver You have to deliver results when promised
And attend to the process
Because excelling in the technical element alone will not improve expectations

29. Learn How to Say No Who can really say No! When you have to say no….
Call the customer and explain why
Be open and honest
Be professional and considerate of customers
Enhances their view of your organization…even when they are disappointed by the outcome

30. Above all… Never make a promise to a customer
unless you know you can deliver on it

31. In summary Understand your customer Attitude is everything
so you can manage their expectations
Attitude is everything
Let’s not forget planning and delivery
Communicate, communicate, communicate
Know how and when to say no
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver

32. Questions?

33. Vice President for Technology Services
Thank You.
Tim Warren
Vice President for Technology Services
San Juan College