Customer Expectations in the Book

¶ … Customer Expectations

In the book Exceeding Customer Expectations by Kirk Kazanjian, the author, an expert on business and marketing who has written widely on these topics, examines the formation and operation of the Enterprise Car Rental Company. This company is the number one in its field, and the author shows why this is so, ascribing the success of the company specifically to its approach to customer service. The analysis is intended to extend to other businesses and types of business, serving as a prescription for the entrepreneur on how to conduct business and achieve success in the marketplace. The book does not simply detail the success of Enterprise but considers why the company has been successful and so tells the reader what elements of customer service benefit a company, how to include them in a business plan, how to deal with problems as they arise, and how to learn lessons from the Enterprise experience and then apply them to any business.

Kazanjian offers insight into how a company can succeed, suggesting that it needs to remain focused on motivating employees to satisfy customers completely. The history of Enterprise serves as his model, and he then emphasizes ways that focusing on customer satisfaction must be considered throughout a business operation and not simply in those areas that deal directly with the public. Of course, those areas need particular attention, but customer satisfaction begins with the design of a product, with packaging, with distribution, and indeed with every aspect of a company. A service-oriented business like Enterprise needs to consider the customer in the way customers are treated, how they are charged, how they are taken care of in the store and while driving an Enterprise car, and so on. The primary thrust of the book is that the company that helps its employees improve service to customers will then attract more customers, meaning that the customer benefits, the employee benefits, and the company thrives.

This book does a good job of beginning with the particular, meaning the Enterprise experience, and then extending what is seen there to the general, meaning to setting prescriptions for how to conduct business and how to attract and keep customers. This lesson needs to be repeated often given the way some observers believe merican business has been failing in terms of customer service. Various commentators have noted that American business does not provide the level of service it once did, and this is troubling to those concerned about the decline in sales at a time when the economy needs boosting. As Maier notes, AKeeping the customer satisfied no longer is the mantra of American businesses, as studies show a steady decline in customer satisfaction that is projected to continue (Maier 20). Khalil and Harcaar note one important element of marketing for businesses today when they write,

In today's turbulent environment of global business, successful organizations must be able to provide high-quality products and services on the basis of personal knowledge of customers. Customer service needs to be constructed on the premise that consumers are increasingly demanding to be treated as individuals, not just as members of a large group. Consequently, personalization - the social content of interaction between service or retail employees and their customers - becomes an important mediator of customer satisfaction and patronage behavior (Khalil and Harcar 26).

Many of these observers agree with Kazanjian about the importance of customer service in the mix. Schmit and Allscheid also note the importance of service marketing to business and point out what many companies are doing about the issue:

In the face of current economic realities, U.S. business organizations are searching for ways to remain competitive. One front on which these efforts have been made is that of product and service quality improvement. This has been the case particularly for organizations in the growing service sector. Many of these organizations are searching for practical ways to improve customer satisfaction with both tangible and intangible products and services. The anticipated result of improved service quality is an improvement in the bottom line of the organization (Schmit and Allscheid 521).

Kazanjian emphasizes these same elements and also cites various specific ways a business can empower its employees so they are better able to serve the needs of customers. In addition, he notes certain other elements that contribute to customer satisfaction in less direct ways. For instance, as he writes, "Uncommon success comes with uncommon approaches to business" (Kazanjian 27). Customer satisfaction might be seen as an uncommon approach when it is not being addressed well by American business in general. Kazanjian states, though, that "Enterprise has tried to be different from everyone else in the car rental business" (Kazanjian 26). This can contribute to customer satisfaction first by giving the customer a choice as to how to do business, a choice that draws in customers not happy with the traditional approach followed by others.

With a retail establishment, stock is important. If a customer does not find what he or she wants, he or she will not return. All employees have to have a working knowledge of the store and of where to find all items that might be requested. This should be part of their training, and they should also be required to familiarize themselves with new items as they come in and to answer such questions at any time. Only in this way will customers feel that they can come to the store and be satisfied in the future. For a service establishment, a full line of service is needed so the customer always receives the service he or she requires. This also requires flexibility in order to meet the variety of needs that may be raised. A car rental company needs a line of vehicles to satisfy customers, of course, but also needs the flexibility to provide these cars on a schedule that meets the needs of the customer, with different ways to insure the vehicles, with different methods of payment possible, and so on.