Lesson 8.9
Anticipate Reasonable Needs
Estimated time: 6 minutes
Good service and teamwork often involve noticing the next reasonable need.
This does not mean reading people’s minds.
It means understanding routine consequences.
Scenario
A customer is collecting a large order.
The employee prepares the products.
But forgets the receipt and collection documentation that are always required.
The customer waits while everything is prepared afterward.
The employee completed the obvious task but did not anticipate the routine next step.
Examples of Reasonable Anticipation
A receptionist sees that an appointment has changed and checks whether the customer has been informed.
A restaurant employee notices that a table needs utensils before the food arrives.
A school employee sees that a parent is waiting for a staff member who is unavailable and finds out who should assist.
A store employee sees that frequently purchased stock is nearly finished and reports it before the shelf is empty.
Do Not Confuse Anticipation With Assumption
Anticipating needs should still be based on:
- normal procedure
- known customer needs
- workplace experience
- reasonable evidence
Do not make major decisions simply because:
“I assumed that’s what they wanted.”
Remember
Strong employees notice the reasonable next step without inventing the next step.