¶ … expectations important?

Managing and exceeding expectations of customers is key to any business growing over time. The ability to manage multiple levels and types of expectations is what separates exceptional services marketing companies including Disney, Hilton Hotels, and Marriott in addition to many others. For purposes of this essay the ability of Disney to anticipate and respond to a wide variation and level of expectations from its customers. Disney's ability to manage variations in cultural expectations as evidenced by their parks in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Paris and in two in the United States underscores their knowledge of how to manage expectations globally. Of all service expectations, the managing of variations in cultural service performance show the greatest potential for misunderstanding and a corresponding lack of customer satisfaction (Zeithami and Bitner, 2005).

Disney's approach to managing such a wide variation of expectations is to first to continually add to and enhance the desired services they offer. This is exemplified by the rapid progression of new park attractions, the use of integrated marketing communications strategies that set expectations for their new motion picture releases in conjunction with major refreshes to associated attractions as is the case with latest Pirates of the Caribbean release, and the thorough integration of multilingual language and symbols systems through the parks. Disney manages a wide variety of expectations that not only vary by demographics but also by culture by managing the desired services through rapid new service delivery coupled with a high-touch service strategy. Disney excels at expectations management by working very hard to make sure there are few adequate service moments in their parks, instead concentrating on how to set and achieve expectations across a very wide demographic and cultural customer base. In effect the managing of desired expectations (Zeithami and Bitner, 2005) is strategically defined for the long-term, supported with marketing campaigns and strategies, and launched to specific customer segments, in effect setting their expectations and then fulfilling or exceeding them.

Reference:

Zeithami, V, & Bitner, M (2005). Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus across the Firm. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin