Customer Satisfaction

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Following up on our last blog about numbers, we will discuss the importance of Customer Satisfaction. A vital part of any business is how your consumers feel about operations.

What Are Your Customers Saying About You? 

The most successful companies always include customer feedback into their meetings.  It is no longer an option, but a necessity to review and more importantly understand your customer’s feedback – this will help initiate change and create better customer experiences.  Customer feedback isn’t always specifically about pleasing the customers, but many organizations use it as fuel for new product (or service) development and internal motivation factor as well.  Strong customer satisfaction ratings will usually go to the companies that have well defined and respected internal values. Retention of customers often begins with a high retention rate within the organization.

Are They Happy? Or Are There Issues?

When conflicts arise, it’s equally important to limit any damage while mending the relationship with your customer. Employees should demonstrate empathy when handling angry or upset customers, allowing customers to express themselves and respond. By customers demonstrating a clear understanding of their problem, it will help you will resolve as soon as possible. Tracking customer complaints can help prevent future problems as well as identify any issues that may occur within your organization.  Following up is vital to ensure customers received appropriate care and service and a resolution was provided.

Are There Other Products & Services to Provide Your Customers?

The internet has created over-educated consumers resulting in fewer impulse buyers than ever before.  The world is now full of consumers who stop and investigate variables they never considered before.  Winning customers over your competition is a delicate balance of your customer knowing they’ve done their due diligence and feeling good about being an educated shopper. However, keep in mind that no matter how intelligent your customers are, or how much expertise you provide them, your business will likely not be remembered for what you said or did, but for how you made customers feel.  Confidence, excitement, trust, reliability; these are all feelings that lead to customer satisfaction.  Even in a successful situation if a completed project fails to elicit a positive emotional response, you’ll almost certainly be an afterthought in that customer’s mind.

Are You Getting Referrals?

Earning new customers is important but many businesses often forget about keeping the customers they already have.  Many businesses don’t consider customer service as a cost that requires heavy investment but if you don’t prioritize support and consistently work to deliver excellent service to your customers, then it’s only going to cost money…and eventually customers.  Customers abandon products and services because they get lost, don’t understand something, feel they don’t get value from the product, or simply lose interest.  If your customers stop hearing from you, and you stop helping them get value then you risk losing them in the future.  For most businesses, customers are the largest resource upon which the success of the business depends.

Again, make sure you talk to your customers – or rather, listen!