Underpromise and Overdeliver

"Expect nothing; live frugally on surprise." --Alice Walker

About ten years ago, a new car dealer told my father he'd be able to take delivery on a certain day. When we showed up that evening, they wouldn't hand over the keys because of some stipulation or other which was completely their fault. Despite Dad losing his cool a little, the salesman who told us to come get the car just shrugged his shoulders. The supervisor politely explained that they could get in a lot of trouble if they let us drive away without the proper blah blah blah on the such-and-such form. It was a few days after Christmas, so with weekends and holidays, we technically had to wait till the next year to get the car. But do you think they waited that long to deposit his check? More importantly, do you think we're repeat customers with them?

We have all had our expectations raised only to be dashed, unfulfilled. Promises, real or implied, come a dime a dozen. I recently saw an ad online from a company that claimed they were giving people iPods and laptops just for filling out a survey. Admittedly, I didn't try to fill out the survey; it may have been legitimate. More likely, though, it belongs with all the other empty promises for free vacations, money in the mail, and Knicks victories that we are bombarded with these days.

I can understand why some companies exaggerate (or lie) in the name of customer relations. Publishers Clearing House doesn't go out of their way to tell you there is nearly no chance you could ever win their sweepstakes--they tell you you may have already won. I'm okay with this because 1) the prizes are real, 2) PCH has run a reputable core business for over 50 years, and 3) just thinking about that brand brings a smile to most faces.

What bothers me is when individuals and organizations promise customers more than they are able to deliver. I admit being guilty of this when I first got into staffing. "You say you need a Quick Books-certified Russian-speaking pastry chef with a clean driving record for $8 an hour to start tomorrow? Sure we can help you! We're First Source Staffing!" I had them sold. They believed in us, and it felt great. But I was the one who had to put in extra hours on an impossible search and ultimately tell the client that all my earlier talk was just that: talk. Since I wanted to keep clients happy over the long term, I learned how to underpromise and overdeliver.

If you are confident you can deliver your product by Wednesday morning, tell your customers (or supervisors) you'll have it to them by the end of business Thursday. If there are any unexpected snags, you have time to work them out without missing the deadline. Also, you can deliver early and exceed everyone's expectations. Anytime you have the power to set the deadline, there's no excuse to miss it. Another strategy is to quote a price slightly higher than normal. Once they agree, overdeliver by doing the job for the regular price and making the difference known subtly.

Instead of lying about all you can and can't provide, be brutally honest about it. People will invariably appreciate it and in return, they will do all that they can for you.