Companies like Uber, Pizza Hut, Grubhub, and Amazon are experts at keeping us informed and we love that. But, it fuels our impatience and feeds our desire for immediate gratification.
“Instant gratification is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment. Basically, it’s when you want it; and you want it now. Instant gratification is the opposite of what we’ve been taught and try too hard to practice — delayed gratification.”
Customers want what they want - when they want it. What can you do about it?
1. Manage expectations well by replacing 'Hold on a sec., A.S.A.P., end of day, and right away' with expressions such as:
"This may take 3-5minutes to investigate. Would you like to hold or should I call you back?" or "Let me look into this and call you in 2-hours with some options."
2. Reply to emails upon receipt to let the customer know you've received their request and are working on it. (Be sure to let them know when to expect a solution.)
3. Offer a strong closing. Instead of 'buh-bye', use their name, thank them, and tell what to expect next; a phone call, email, or visit, and of course, when to expect that action.
Customers are impatient, to offer outstanding service, manage their expectations.