Meeting customers’ expectations and changing needs

There are not many guarantees in life, and certainly not in business, but one thing is for certain – change. Change is good, healthy and in many instances, necessary. Here at Stratos, our team of cleaning professionals is in the business of anticipating change and evolving with ease so customers receive the best service day in and day out. How do we do it? Let’s discuss.

Get to know each other.
It is imperative that we establish strong relationships with customers from the beginning. Our facilities group managers – those who lead our hardworking service partners – do this by intentionally developing relationships. Having face-to-face interactions certainly helps lay the foundation for a trusting partnership and ensures the customer-vendor relationship never feels transactional. 

Have an open dialogue.
Maintain communication to ensure your team is performing at its best and that the customer is pleased, no matter how long the partnership exists. Some of our customers have been with us for nearly two decades. It would be easy to become complacent, but that’s simply not in our organization’s DNA. 

Be proactive.
When there’s a free flow of information between the two parties, you will oftentimes find you’re able to anticipate changes in service before they are brought to your attention. Being able to act prior to being asked to act is a gift. For our team, anticipating needs helps us become the valued partner we so desire to be. This anticipation doesn’t just happen, though. It only occurs when our managers show up on site often, communicate with service partners and ask the customer questions face-to-face. That last part is key because you cannot anticipate what you cannot see.

Perhaps some partnerships need more intentionality, while others call for more proactivity. Getting to know customers, communicating often and making necessary changes before being asked will surely strengthen relationships. How can you help your team embrace change?