underpromise and overdeliver

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Improve business interactions and relationships with customers by setting modest expectations and then exceeding those expectations by delivering more than what was initially promised or expected.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Cải thiện tương tác và mối quan hệ kinh doanh với khách hàng bằng cách đặt kỳ vọng khiêm tốn và vượt quá kỳ vọng đó

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Think about the old customer service maxim, underpromise and overdeliver.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “underpromise and overdeliver” mean?

Improve business interactions and relationships with customers by setting modest expectations and then exceeding those expectations by delivering more than what was initially promised or expected.

Is “underpromise and overdeliver” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.