Under-promise and over-deliver
Adrian Swinscoe writes an interesting post…
His bank found fraud on his card and sent him a new one. They told him it would take a working week to get it to him, but then delivered it in 2 days. Banks are not known for their customer service. They usually promise little and deliver less.
So he posed a question:
Should we under-promise and over-deliver?
Is this a new strategy being tried out by his bank?
We are always told that we should under-promise and over-deliver, it is good for our reputations. Should organisations do the same thing?
It isn’t a difficult strategy, provides buckets full of operational wriggle room and you always come up smelling of roses.
What is not to like?
Do your customers like it?
How does it feel to do business with an organisation that constantly over-delivers?
- If you knew the project you sponsored was going to deliver 2 months early and £200k under budget would you have made the same decisions?
- If you knew that the train you are about to catch usually arrives 20 minutes ahead of time would you have left 20 minutes later?
- If the flowers you ordered for mother’s day arrived 2 days early at half the price would she be delighted?
Do your employees like it?
Do your employees enjoy…
- Low balling their promises and coasting along?
- Never stretching themselves or learning anything new?
- Do soft goals make for better managers?
The real secret to success
Is to over-promise and then deliver, consistently, every single time. Unfortunately that strategy is a bit more like hard work.
And you risk fluffing it. Which would never do, particularly if you work for a bank.
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Read another opinion
Image by Katie Tegtmeyer
Hello James
You raise an interesting point, a point I intend to address in a blog post .
For the time being allow me to share a story. I lost my credit card and bank (not credit) card. I rang up both organisations. The credit card company told me that the card would be with me in a couple of days. The bank told me it would take 7 – 10 days. The next day the credit card turned up. I found myself delighted and I reasoned that the credit card company was eager to get the card to me as it sees the task of having a card in my hands essential to making money (revenue). I reasoned that the bank took the approach that it took because it saw the task (of getting a card to me) as a cost. When the bank (ATM) card turned up within 5 days I did not feel delighted or obligated to the bank in any way. I found myself asking myself: Why would they say 7 – 10 days and then send it in 5 days. Why not say 5 days? These guys are incompetent or lying to their customers.
All the best
maz
It makes you wonder what their motivation is doesn’t it?
James
Hi James,
Thanks for pointing to my post and story.
Personally, I’m not a fan of under-promising and over delivering as, like you point out, it it is open to too much abuse, mixed messages and no little amount of deceit.
But, also I have concerns if you ‘over-promise and then deliver, consistently’ as could that not imply that you may not necessarily live up to your promises 100% of the time but could be hitting them consistently 80% of the time?
Also, if you are over-promising and always delivering why over-promise? Why not just promise?
Personally, I believe a firm should make a promise that is competitive and in line with with a customer’s expectations. Then they should set out to meet that promise and, in doing so, minimise any risk of disappointment on the part of the customer. Any over-delivering is a bonus.
Maz provides a good example of how important it is for a promise to be ‘competitive’ when he compared the credit card company’s performance against the bank’s and found the bank’s performance and promise wanting.
Adrian
For me Adrian a little failure every now and again is a good thing, but only if you learn from it and it spurs you onward. Never ever failing just smacks of not trying hard enough.
But I guess the promising thing is simply semantics
Thanks for the original idea
James
I think the answer lies in your closing… deliver consistently, every time.
Annette :-)