How to Meet and Exceed Client Expectations

The demands our clients place upon us are guided by expectations not limited to our particular industry’s norms. Through a type of associative process (benchmarking), today’s customers compare suppliers and expect that one can achieve the performance of a leader even if that supplier is not in the same industry. Here’s an example: FedEx has set the bar for a long time with guaranteed overnight delivery. Our now have come to expect overnight delivery not only from all package carriers but from other suppliers as well. Think about your expectations when you deal with a supplier. You also assume there will be an “800” telephone number, and a website to serve your needs.

Sometimes this thinking can translate transparently, but not always. When it comes to manufacturing, many clients now almost expect “next day delivery.” I call this the “cookie baking mentality” in manufacturing. Clients who don’t understand the process assume that making garments is like baking cookies. You plop in the cookie sheet with the dough, wait a few minutes, then ship the finished products!

But maybe the clients don’t need to know anything else about your challenges. Their focus should be on the business in which they are engaged. This is another way to phrase the question we all should ask on a regular basis: “What business are you in?” The manufacture of uniforms is our responsibility. To keep an inventory to service end users and distributors is the business of our clients.

So how can we define the customer’s expectations and get them to communicate such information in order that we may exceed them? Start thinking about the services you can provide that are within your grasp. Don’t ponder how to behave like FedEx, but ask how we can improve our service. The opportunities are numerous if you are paying attention. It’s an inside-out philosophy versus outside-in. First, ask what the client wants and needs in their business. And listen to what the customers are asking you to provide. Often our client’s needs originate from requests made by their customers. For example, our customers may be supplying a certain product mix and their customers will request a product not currently in the line or catalog. Frequently, Greco Apparel will generate additional business by producing a product not typically handled by our client. From a sample or specification we will be asked to provide product development, patterns and samples. The following are some examples:

We annually produce tuxedoes for a client in the band uniform business. The client carries this product in their catalog but does not have the production capability to do the manufacturing. Greco Apparel supplies all graded patterns and the cut, make and trim.

One client needed six new models to present to a potentially large customer for a sales presentation scheduled one week from date of the request. The order represented an annual sale of more than $7 million. You bet we did it! I wish that we could have had more time, but opportunity does not always arrive in convenient packages. What prepared us was our attitude toward giving service to “delight” our client, which is part of our mission statement.

Another client required 70 units be produced and delivered for a catalog photo shoot. We learned of this request three months before required delivery. The problem was that the fabric wasn’t going to be available until 10 days before the scheduled photo session. This didn’t allow much time for manufacturing, but based on communication and advanced planning, we were able to arrange for the production, samples and airfreight them as requested.

Responding to client requests contributes value because the client knows what they need. Often we add value based on services or opportunities that may not be apparent. For example, one client recently switched their production to our company because of the expressed need to meet quantity demands. Because we ship larger volume more frequently than our competition does, we were able to consolidate freight and pass the incremental savings onto them and offer quicker turn time! In addition to the freight consideration, we also offered Gerber Accumark® marker service and complete trim supply. Providing these services freed the client’s personnel to dedicate their time to other in-house demands.

We also give support to our clients by offering additional production capacity to meet unexpected demands of the marketplace. Because of our large and flexible manufacturing capability we were able to increase production for one client by 500% in a two-month period. Of course, we were delighted with the increase in orders, but at same time the challenge included expanding both volume and style selection from one model to five different body styles. With one phone call, our client was able to satisfy their additional requirements with confidence in our capability to perform based on past experience.

Satisfying client expectations can be a result of responding to requests and offering products and services of which you client may not be aware. Your business in part is to know your client’s business and pay attention to valued-added opportunities. You may not be able to do all that you know but you should know all that you can do. There are abundant opportunities to add value and increase your worth to your clients while increasing your wealth.