Every single person on Earth wakes up expecting something.
It might not be obvious to them but think about it: whether someone’s lying in a hospital bed, living in a good marriage, stuck in a bad one, or a child in areas facing insecurity, everyone who can think has some kind of expectation when they wake up.
When people get less than they expected, they’re disappointed.
When they get exactly what they expected, they feel satisfied.
When they get more than they expected, they’re genuinely happy.
Here’s the thing about business: there’s no real customer loyalty without a deep connection.
A customer might really like what you do, but the moment you fall short of what they’re expecting, they’ll start looking elsewhere.
The smartest move you can make as a business owner is to keep your customers consistently happy.
Think about buying food from a local bukka. If the woman serving barely greets you while dishing your rice and stew, you probably won’t mind much.
But picture yourself at a nice restaurant in Lekki or Abuja paying 30,000 naira for jollof rice and chicken. If the waiter doesn’t say thank you or acknowledge you properly when they bring your bill, it feels disrespectful. Your expectations are completely different.
Whenever someone gets frustrated, it’s because there was a gap between what they expected from that business, product, or service and what actually happened.
Here’s something interesting to consider: say you hire a personal fitness coach who goes easy on you and lets you skip workouts.
You’d probably be annoyed, right?
Because what you actually expect is for them to push you hard, even when you’re tired.
Why is that?
Because you paid them for a specific result, like losing weight or building muscle.
Expectations are tied to emotions, and your customer’s emotions matter. They’re real.
When you genuinely care about where your customer is headed and want to help them succeed, you figure out the best way to guide their thinking while respecting how they feel.
You shouldn’t dismiss or belittle their emotions. Instead, help them move toward the bigger, better future they’re after.