Posts Tagged ‘customer satisfaction’

Are your customers satisfied or happy?

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Customer satisfaction is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. The best thing is when customers are happy, because if they are, they will become ambassadors for your brand/product/service. Satisfied customers are OK with you. They have no complaints, but they have no kudos to share either.

How do you know where you stand? An article, on OpenForum.com, entitled “How Will You Know If Your Customers Are Happy?, says that it is a mistake to assume your customers are happy just because you haven’t heard otherwise and suggests regularly checking in with customers.

Satisfaction generally does not give rise to negative comments, nor does it give rise to positive comments. You aren’t going to rave about something you are satisfied with. Just like when you go to the movies and you see something entertaining but not really amazing. You chalk it up to a good night at the movies. However, if you thought a movie was  really fabulous, you tell your friends, you tell your family, you may even go on a review site and give it five stars.

Be sure to understand what your customers truly think about your product/service.  And moreover, try to understand what makes them be satisfied rather than happy. What extras are needed to move the needle?

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Customer service leads to customer retention

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Good customer service leads to customer retention. It is simple and straightforward. Most customers will continue to do business with a company that responds to their needs/issues/wants. Customer service ensures that customers are able to express what they need, and then provide the requisite response. Customer service aims to provide customer satisfaction.

In a world where there is a choice in companies to do business, customers choose those that provide the best service.  The best service could be a variety of things: ease of communications, quick problem resolution, personalization, and so forth. It gets more complicated when a company has a monopoly (as do most state utilities). Customers can’t leave but they can complain. If a customer is satisfied, he/she won’t complain and won’t seek alternatives.

There are steps a company can take to increase customer satisfaction (and thus,retention). According to Cheryl at the Service Untitled blog, these steps should be ongoing. She counsels the following:

  • Hire the right people who have the right attitude. Are they friendly? Do they thank you?
  • Do what you promise. Customers remember, and customers leave if you disappoint them by not delivering what you promise.
  • Pay attention to your customers, and what is going on around you in your business.
  • Help the customer even though it might not mean a sale at that particular time. Go beyond your own needs.
  • Handle complaints in a mature manner. Admit when something has gone wrong, and correct your mistake. Always apologize to the customer.
  • Stay in contact with the customer, and know their needs.

    • If you keep a database of addresses and email lists, send your customers birthday cards, promotions, and current interesting information. You want to stay in their minds, but never make it seem as if you are being a pest.

Instituting some (or all) of these customer centered strategies makes sense because they can lead to customer satisfaction, which is of course, the ultimate goal of customer service.  Generally, satisfied customers will not look elsewhere.

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