Last week we looked at what our customers really want during the transaction, making the purchase of a product or service. But what about after the sale? What else are our customers really wanting that, if fulfilled, will ensure they keep coming back to us for more products and services?

First, they want you to keep your promises. If you gave your word regarding an on time delivery of a product they expect you to keep it. Remember, they may have adjusted their schedules or projects according to the time frame you gave them. Keep your promises. If for some unforeseen reason you cannot deliver on time, call the customer as soon as possible and let them know what happened, keeping them current with updates. It's better to underpromise and overdeliver—in other words, initially set a later ship date and then ship out early.

Second, stand behind your product or service in case of failure. It's worth asking why you would sell a product of significant value without a warranty? Not many people actually cash in on warranties offered, so it is easily worth your effort and expense to stand behind what you sell. 

Third, consider doling out compensation for time and energy wasted by the customer when they experience product failure. See things from their perspective ("I bought this wonderful product that has let me down and now I have extra costs due to delays caused by the breakdown!") and act accordingly.

Next week we will wrap up this 3-part series by looking at ideal customer service interactions when problems do occur.