It's All About Exceeding Expectations

I live about 45 minutes from Disneyland. And while I love the concept of it, I will say it had been years since I have actually gone to the park. We went quite a lot when my daughter was younger and I could always count on it being clean and fun and the employees pleasant and helpful.

Disney has many exuberant fans that include families who spend thousands of dollars every year to have annual passes to their theme parks, along with people who spend a lot of money on their merchandise. That doesn’t come by accident. They are branding geniuses. Their ability to cross-market movies and television shows with their merchandise and their theme parks is a master class in brand marketing.

If the parks were dirty and unsafe and the staff unfriendly and they had the same old tired rides, Disneyland and Disneyworld would not have the reputation they have achieved during the last 50 years. They are constantly evolving and listening to their audience.

When Bob Iger was recently reinstated as the CEO, he sent a message to all of the employees and fans that he knew how important it was for him to come back to restore what seemed to be slipping under the current leadership. The various fees and restrictions had gotten out of control. it was no longer the friendliest place on earth (at least financially).

At the bottom of this article is part of his recent message. Iger knows that exceeding the fan’s highest expectations is critical to maintaining and growing the fan base. People think they know what it will be like to go to a Disney park. But after you speak to someone who has been for the first time, they will typically say it was even better than expected. It exceeded their expectations. Mission accomplished. But if in the same breath, they complain about the cost of everything, then maybe not.

Where Southwest went wrong

When we fly on an airline, we expect it to take off on time and to get to the destination safely. We want the plane to be clean and systems mechanically sound and the flight attendants and pilots capable and friendly. That meets our expectations. Southwest Airlines just gave everyone a peek into what happens when an entity with a great reputation can blow it with thousands of loyal travelers in just one week. Once they lost control, there was nothing they could have done at that moment in time to fix it because they did not have the systems in place to do so.

The hardest thing to watch during the Southwest meltdown was the poor airport and reservation staff that had to take the brunt of what their company at a high level failed to do. They failed to maintain their internal systems to ensure something like this would never happen. No matter who is responsible, it is the folks at the top who will take the fall for it and they should. That company had to limp through that holiday travel nightmare while apologizing profusely and will spend years and millions trying to make it up to their customers. They should have known what needed to be done to ensure they not only could always deliver as expected but exceed those expectations every chance they get. It all goes back to preparing for the worst, so you can always deliver the best.

Sometimes we have to swallow our pride

In our industry, we are often rated by our sources of business and by our transferees and local buyers and sellers. There are public online sites where anyone can choose to roast or praise a real estate company or agent.

It’s really pretty hard not to meet expectations. The hard part is knowing what is expected of us up front and delivering and then taking it one step further to exceed that. Clients expect a prompt response and clear communication, and they expect honest and ethical behavior. They are spending a lot of money and expect that they will be protected and helped by our expertise. Where we are really tested is when something goes sideways.

I am keenly aware that there are people who are not satisfied no matter what we do. And there are crazy clients who like to try and ‘blame’ someone when something goes awry, even if it is their fault. Sometimes there are just no fixing situations with unreasonable people. But even if they are wrong, we have to try and make it right because the collateral fallout can be much greater on a bigger scale. One bad score from a relocation company can drop a broker down in the rotation of referrals. It doesn’t matter who is right or who is wrong, we have to step up and try and make it right to preserve the relationship. It can be hard to throw money or resources at a problem that doesn’t deserve it, but sometimes we have to do that.

We don’t necessarily fix problems for the problem maker, we fix them for everyone else who observes how hard we worked to attempt to protect the relationship. Even if we don’t think we did anything wrong we have to swallow our pride and ensure all parties know that we are willing to do what it takes to satisfy everyone to the best of our ability.

Why it shouldn’t be hard to exceed expectations

It doesn’t take a lot to exceed expectations in a relocation transaction. People have preconceived notions of what the experience will be like and it’s typically not great. They know it will be stressful and disruptive. And we know that too. So assigning a compassionate and knowledgeable agent and counselor is a great start. Having a robust service offering and easy-to-use programs helps alleviate the anticipated challenges. Partnering with vetted and competent ancillary service providers helps shore up the overall experience. It also includes keeping all parties informed and providing up-to-date technology to support that communication. And ideally completing the transaction in a timely and compliant way while meeting their financial goals is the cherry on top.

Sometimes it is just one little extra action that can set us apart. Such as if the assigned agent were to show up the day after they move with some take-out food or a gift basket. Then their assigned counselor checks in the next week to see how they are settling in. It doesn’t necessarily mean throwing money or gifts at them. Sometimes an act of kindness like their agent offering to run an errand for them can make all of the difference. It doesn’t take an enormous grand gesture to set us apart as long as it is sincere and thoughtful. Think about what they expect, then take it one step further.

What are you going to do in 2023 to set you and your company apart by exceeding expectations?

“Exceeding expectations is where satisfaction ends and loyalty begins.” ~ Ron Kaufman, author, columnist, management consultant, keynote speaker, and founder of the customer service training company, UP! Your Service.

Bob Iger’s letter to fans and employees.