The Myth of Knock-Your-Socks-Off Service

A while back I was asked this question: “My professional services organization is thinking of adopting the concept of ‘knock-your-socks-off service.’ Any thoughts on this?”


Well, there is always an exception...here are some socks that deserve to be knocked off!

My response was both fast and direct: “Yes! Don’t do it! Implementing a strategy of ‘knock-your-socks-off service,’ ‘under-promising and over-delivering,’ ‘creating customer delight,’ or whatever you prefer to call it for across-the-board usage is the kiss of death.”

It sounds good--who can stand against great service? But in most cases, when you deliver more than the customer expects, you have wasted resources and made a customer wonder why you are so foolish as to give away services in a highly competitive marketplace. Customers will gladly take additional services, but they won't pay for them. The secret is customer acceptance--clearly defining exact expectations (what they will pay for) and delivering exactly that…no more no less.

With that said, there are two situations when greatly exceeding expectations is warranted. The first is when you have screwed up and service recovery is required. Research shows that fast, no hassle, great service can turn around a bad situation and actually generate customer loyalty. In these situations it is best to jump into the red boots and grab the cape. The second situation is with selected key accounts that you see as critical to your future. Here a planned over-investment makes good strategic sense. Other than these two scenarios, just do what you’ve promised to do and customers will be satisfied and you’ll be more profitable.

Tags: professional services, selling services