Managing customer expectations is one of the key aspects of successful interaction in any field. My name is Olena, I am a testing specialist of the “Quality Laboratory”, but with baggage – I have 15 years of experience in the field of sales of goods and services of large companies. So I know exactly what principles of managing customer expectations – whether it is delivery terms, quality of service or performance of assigned tasks – universal for any industryincluding software development. They also work in testing.

In this article, I will discuss five key methods of managing customer expectations based on ideas from the books Robert Cialdini (The Psychology of Influence) and Gary Chapman (The Five Love Languages) and his achievements. But first, an important note: managing expectations is a way to reduce the discrepancy between them and reality, not just to control them.

☑ Why I am sharing this

☑ 80% of success is laid before starting work

☑ 1. Transparency in communication or “language of support”

☑ 2. Information about progress

☑ 3. Realistic promises and the ability to refuse

☑ 4. Flexibility and alternative

☑ 5. Feedback and reviews

☑ What we have as a result

Why am I sharing this?

In my past activities, I have undergone many business trainings on successful sales and interaction with clients, including on working with objections. However, what I remember most was the training, where there were no planning tables, risk graphs, and no numbers at all. We were taught to treat customers with warmth and understanding. We got something deeper for understanding the inner world of each person with their ambitions, desires and needs. I will talk about the main bricks of this foundation. I think they will help you better understand the psychology of managing expectations.

Any service is a product. The client should benefit from it. They are determined by the problems that the product under development is capable of solving. It is necessary to remember:

ツ➥ at the initial stages, incomplete communication of the product’s goals may be a weak link;

ツ➥ customer preferences may change over time;

ツ➥ the client is a person with his pains, not a machine. This is why my vision of managing expectations is touching psychological comfort of both partiesnot relying only on dry planning and numbers.

80% of success depends on starting work

A critically important step in any project is preparation. What does it include?

Product knowledge. You need to have a deep understanding of the product you will be building and testing. Know its features, limitations and possibilities. A Mind Map or a file with questions from unclear points will help to structure the information, then you will have less chance to miss something at the beginning. It is also worth emphasizing the development of domain knowledge in the field of product development. For example, if the organization supports the field of animal husbandry, the testers need to have sufficient working knowledge in this field.

Internal installation. It is important that the team is properly configured and understands what deadlines and quality standards everyone must adhere to.

Planning. Careful planning of all stages of work will allow you to identify possible risks in advance and prepare strategies for their minimization.

1. Transparency in communication or “language of support”

You can get from Chapman’s book an idea “languages ​​of support” as a principle. In business, this manifests itself as regular confirmations that we we are moving in the right directionwe update information about the status of the project or explain the current course of action.

The basis of trust relations is transparent communication. Regular updates and roadmaps help customers better understand the process and reduce the stress of waiting. In testing, this can be a “Test Plan”, where we structure the scope of work, quality acceptance criteria, risk assessment, testing strategy and control dates.

What will it do?

• project participants will see a single picture: deadline dates, development progress, information about those responsible, etc.;

• each department will understand their area of ​​responsibility in the project. This will allow you to quickly identify where the failure occurred, should it occur.

2. Informing about progress

Cialdini emphasizes the importance “principle of obligation”. It helps if you regularly update the client on the current status of the project maintain his confidence and reduce the risk of disappointment.

Why pay attention?

• regular update about progress This is one of the techniques of real-time information that helps manage customer expectations;

• of choice means of communication. You can’t unilaterally choose Telegram or Slack, for example. The customer also has advantages or, alternatively, he may be limited in the use of these means;

• plan getting in touch. The client should not adapt to you, he has his own business schedule.

Meeting with the customer. What are we doing?

We are getting ready. You need to be clear about what stage you are in and what your deadlines are. What are the obstacles to the fulfillment of wishes for the product.

We are listening. Banal, but you need to let the client speak. Even if you understood what he meant. Do not interrupt and listen. For him, the product you create is a child, and all parents love to talk about their children.

We ask a question. Many remain silent for fear of being seen as incompetent or inattentive. Perhaps your question will prompt the team to think about how to optimize work or get out of a difficult situation. And this will definitely show your interest and serious approach.

Let’s talk simply. Avoid using technical terms that can be confusing, and provide explanations when necessary.

We show, tell, entertain. To demonstrate the implemented functionality, you can use not only presentations, but also include the customer in the “game” – let them click on buttons (stands, demo versions), feel the convenience of the site, programs. This way you will understand whether you are moving in the direction (or against) the client’s expectations.

3. Realistic promises and the ability to refuse

Cialdin has it “consistency principle”which correlates well with the “realistic promises” technique. According to him, people tend to follow what they say or what they believe. Especially when it is consistent with their previous actions. If our promises are not overstated and fulfilled, it strengthens customer loyalty and confirms our competence.

Do not overestimate your strength and give false hopes. The client must be aware of the risks associated with the development of this or that functionality.

In order to calculate everything correctly, first of all, it is necessary to determine the priorities of the development of functions – from the most important and the most valuable for the business. Maybe the client needs to get the product to the market as soon as possible agree on the product MVP with further refinements in progress.

How to make realistic promises? Manage the scope of work:

ツ➥ determine product boundaries;

ツ➥ control changes or additions to it;

ツ➥ assess and communicate the impact of any changes to stakeholders.

Nobody wants inflated promises. Show a real calculation of labor costs with terms and cost of implementation of functions, with possible risks and problems. Communicate, if necessary, changes and delays with clear justification and adjusted timelines.

An important point is refusal. The customer’s requirements may be unrealistic or meet the possibilities. Do not leave him in the dark – explain the reasons for the refusal and maybe there will be other ways.

4. Flexibility and alternative: the ability to propose solutions

According to Chapman, you can draw an analogy with “acts of service”. Flexibility and providing alternative solutions can be seen as a form of caring. The client perceives such actions as a manifestation of attention and readiness to solve his problem, which strengthens trust and satisfaction of working with you.

When problems arise, it is important to see an alternative. Sometimes you need to be ready for significant changes (like even the technology stack). To avoid abandoning a project when something cannot be implemented as the client sees it, offer a solution as you see it.

5. Feedback and reviews

“The principle of social proof”described by Cialdini, emphasizes the importance of demonstrating successful examples to other customers. If the client sees that companies have successfully cooperated with you, he will be more confident in your professionalism.

Feedback in any form is a tool for understanding whether we are moving towards our own and common goals together with clients. It is important not only to receive feedback, but also to give it. Report how you work with feedback, explain the decisions made based on it. Talk about the competences of employees, about their experience, including in solving customer problems, show what you invest in their development (training, seminars, change of projects). This will show the client that the project will be handled by employees who are not burned out, but have experience and knowledge behind them.

Continuation of cooperation the following can happen business support client, therefore:

➤ do not delay the use of CRM systems. You will be able to track all interactions with customers, save the history of orders and preferences, and automate the communication process if you use them;

➤ provide a manual for the product being developed;

➤ build customer loyalty and improve your reputation through social media and online feedback platforms.

What we have as a result

Managing customer expectations is an art that requires a combination of transparency, regular communication, realistic promises and flexibility. Whether you work in testing or another industry, these 5 principles help you build trusting relationships and increase customer satisfaction. You can try to apply them not only at work, but also in everyday life, and you will see how easy it is to understand and communicate with people, how nice it is to receive feedback and see where to go next. Maybe these are all trivial things, but for some reason we don’t always want to use them. All people see only through the lens of their experience. But we can learn to change our thoughts to increase our value and the value of the product.

^{I would appreciate your comments on the topic. We are with by the QA team we want to write interestingly and usefully about what we know.}