Customer satisfaction is directly impacted upon by almost every business activity you undertake. Get it right, by placing your customer’s aims and desires at the very core of what you do, and everything else will fall into place.
However, putting the customer first, and prioritising their satisfaction above all else isn’t always a straightforward task.
Therefore, the question on everybody’s lips must be…
“How do I make doing business with my company a better experience for my customers?”
Defining Customer Satisfaction
Customers are the lifeblood of your business.
Fail to keep them happy and it won’t matter how good your marketing is, how many leads you receive, or how well your salespeople convert new customers.
Without focusing on keeping your customers happy, and consistently improving customer satisfaction, you’ll struggle needlessly.
Customer satisfaction, in it’s purest form, is…
“The comparison between customer expectations and the type of experience they actually receive from your brand.”
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It’s all about perception. And the reality is, for every business, you will be compared against the best on offer.
Your product or service may influence the standard to which you are held, but your customers now expect Amazon Prime levels of speed and First Direct levels of service.
In order to reach these heights, and provide optimal customer satisfaction, you need to master these 4 traits:
Accessibility
Simply put, how available are you to your customers?
Have you made it easy for customers to interact with you? To ask questions, voice concerns, or get a problem solved?
Or, do customers have to jump through a number of hoops, do an extensive Google search, and pray to the gods of customer service that they can get hold of you?
While it may be unpleasant dealing with an unhappy customer, it’s significantly worse dealing with an unhappy customer who took 2 hours out of their day to track you down.
Likewise, accessibility can be expanded to include the language you use.
If your process is loaded full of industry jargon and technical terms, ensure you either explain these or clarify with customers to guarantee they know what you’re talking about.
Failing to make your communication clear and concise risks rendering any effort spent trying to be helpful, ultimately wasted.
Speed
We live in a fast-moving world.
“New enquiry leads are 10 times less likely to respond after 5 minutes.”
Harvard Business Review
Customers expect products to arrive on their doorstep hours after they order them, and questions to be answered within minutes.
While many companies can’t afford to provide a 24/7 service, away messages that contain answers to FAQs or chatbots make it possible to interact with your customers on their time.
Similarly, customer satisfaction skyrockets through convenience.
Very few customers will go out of their way to do business with you.
If you make it difficult for them to browse, shop, schedule, or buy, they’ll simply look for another company to provide the solutions they need.
It’s important to review your buyer’s journey on a regular basis and see if any areas could be tweaked to increase convenience.
Appreciation
Customers want to feel appreciated for doing business with you.
A quick thank you can go a long way.
This can range from an email through to an exclusive offer, but will always let your customer know that they are important to you.
An appreciative customer is also much more likely to give a glowing review.
“92% of customers read online testimonials before buying.
72% of consumers say positive testimonials and reviews increase their trust in a business.”
Big Commerce
Appreciate your customers and they’ll return the favour over and over.
Again, if the perception you portray is one of caring partner rather than disinterested provider, customers will flock toward you.
Simplicity
While customers like having options, too much choice can sometimes can cause analysis paralysis.
Your biggest competitor, in 99% of situations, will be the status quo.
As you design your products and your processes, remember that a confused mind never buys and construct your offering accordingly.
Transparency also facilitates simplicity. Rather than hiding behind terms and conditions or small print clauses, provide clarity at scale and build trust.
Your customer satisfaction will only move the needle one direction if they know they can trust you to act in their best interests.
As a bonus, we’ve also written about the 15 Essential Customer Service Metrics To Monitor to ensure your customer satisfaction levels are as high as they can be.
Intrigued to learn more? Check out our Insights Hub to keep your business at the cutting edge.
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- August 17th, 2021