Key Takeaways:
Understand how miscommunication about products/services can contribute to a negative experience with your brand.
Learn three ways to set clear expectations for customers so they are satisfied with the products and services they purchase from you.
It’s easy to leave your customers in the dark without meaning to. However, being transparent with expectations is essential for customer satisfaction. And whenever you fail to clearly set expectations about a product or service, you sabotage customers’ happiness with your brand. Let’s explore three scenarios of customer dissatisfaction and share ways to keep customers informed about the item or experience that they purchased from you.
“85% of shoppers say that product information and pictures are important when choosing which brand or retailer to buy from.”
– Google/Ipsos
3 Stories of Customer Dissatisfaction
The “Dry Clean Only” Blouse
Consider a fashion blouse with a trendy print that a customer puts in their online cart for a niece’s birthday present. The customer purchases the item with visions of the blouse becoming her niece’s favorite shirt to wear.
When the customer gets the product she notices the tag specifies “dry clean only.” It’s an important fact that the product description left out. Her niece is prone to staining shirts and rough on her clothes, so the customer knows the shirt won’t be the right present after all. She starts the return process with your business and decides to shop locally so she can check the item’s care instructions in person.
The Custom Engagement Ring Service
Imagine an independent jeweler with stunning product images on their website and socials. He’s really impressed with the store’s custom engagement ring portfolio. He makes an appointment to start designing a custom ring for his girlfriend as he plans a proposal.
The initial meeting goes smoothly, but a couple of weeks later, he realizes the design process is more complicated, involved, and time-consuming than he anticipated. And the store’s staff has said that there’s no way to rush the process to ensure that the ring is finished in time. He worries that he might have to delay the proposal date as the special plans he made are put in jeopardy.
The Bathroom Remodel Project
Take a bathroom remodel project for a suburban homeowner. This customer signed a contract with a local home improvement business to update their master bath. The project agreement includes installing custom tile flooring and custom lighting, as well as a jetted bathtub. The contractor fails to inform the customer about an installation fee associated with the custom tile. They also forgot to mention that there’s a supply chain issue with the heated bathroom light fixture they selected, which will delay the project. The jetted bathtub ends up taking longer to install than the project stated. So, the project’s end date gets pushed again.
Meanwhile, the customers are feeling frustrated about the extra cost and the unforeseen delays. They’re also annoyed by the inconvenience of having their six-person family share their one working bathroom as the master bath is in progress.
“83.5% of shoppers are either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to go to another site for their shopping if the retail or eCommerce website doesn’t provide enough info about a product.”
– Syndigo, “The State of Product Content 2024” Report
3 Ways to Set Clear Expectations for Customers
In each of the scenarios above, something important wasn’t communicated to the business’s customers. The result? Customer disenchantment. But we’re here to help you avoid those unfortunate scenarios! Here are three simple ways to be transparent about the products and services you offer to enhance customer satisfaction and trust.
1. Make sure product descriptions and imagery are accurate—and product descriptions are informative.
Customers trust brands to give them accurate descriptions and images of the items they sell. When this doesn’t happen, this trust is broken. They’ll be more likely to return the item they bought and seek another retailer for their next purchase. Thorough product descriptions are also important. According to recent research from Syndigo, 83.5% of shoppers are either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to go to another site for their shopping if the retail or eCommerce website doesn’t provide enough info about a product.
2. Incorporate UGC for products and services.
Besides providing accurate product content such as listing descriptions, user generated content (UGC) is another way to set expectations for your product or service. Per recent data from Bright Local, 42% of consumers say they trust consumer reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family. Don’t underestimate the power UGC has in confirming or contradicting the information you share with customers via the product/service description.
3. Thoroughly explain processes and be transparent about fees.
Communicate your business’s processes and costs upfront so there are no surprises for the customer. For instance, with the custom engagement ring scenario, the store should’ve outlined each step of the custom engagement ring design process on their website and in the customer’s quote. They also should’ve discussed this with the customer before he signed the contract, and the jeweler began designing the ring. For the bathroom remodel scenario, the contractor should’ve had specific wording in the contract about potential delays impacting the project’s finish date. And they should’ve explicitly listed the cost of the tile floor installation fee.
Clarifying processes and fees upfront shows respect for your customer’s time and money. It also increases the likelihood that they’ll be happy both during and after the service or experience they bought.
“42% of consumers say they trust consumer reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family.”
– Bright Local, Consumer Review Survey 2025
Pursuing Transparency, Cultivating Customer Trust
Not sure your brand’s copy or product/service descriptions accurately and thoroughly communicate what clients should know? Invest in a customized audit from TTG!
