Here's Why Improving Customer Satisfaction Should Always Be A Priority

If you are selling a product or service, your company should strive for all customers to feel extremely satisfied after their experience with your brand. A recent study shows that 76% of consumers believe that customer service is a good way to see how much a company values them. As a consumer myself, I view effective customer service as a great selling point for brands.

When your customers feel satisfied, they become more loyal. But thanks to the internet, they become even more than that. Truly happy customers can turn into advocates for your company by reviewing you online or mentioning you on social media. Nowadays, I usually don't buy anything until I read real customer reviews, because I want to see an unbiased perspective. Even then, I only buy it if I see that customers are really satisfied, because there's more choice now than ever.

Improving customer satisfaction should always be a focus if you're serious about turning customers into brand advocates. When your customers are happy, employees feel proud to be associated with your brand, and your company will attract more positive attention overall. While more companies are making this a priority, they don't always know where to start.

Set expectations and exceed them. If you don’t, own it

Has a company ever gone above and beyond for you when you had a problem? Whether that be a discount, refund, or free product/service, I know I have been very appreciative and loyal to companies that care about my opinion, and loyal customers are worth up to 10 times as much as their first purchase.

Taking ownership is a huge part of customer service. People want to know that you are aware of their issues and are working to fix them. We're all human, we all make mistakes. Usually, problems only arise when we try to gloss over them or don't take accountability for them. I'm much more understanding with a company when I know that they are actively trying to fix something that I'm upset about.

Create values for your company that revolve around improving customer satisfaction. Emphasize how important the company values are to employees. If customers know that their satisfaction is a priority, they'll know what to expect from your brand.

Treat customers how you would like to be treated

Empathy means having the ability to understand someone else's feelings. Always remember to have empathy when dealing with customers. As simple as it sounds, the golden rule applies here - put yourself in your customers' shoes, and then treat them how you would like to be treated.

We all know how much it sucks to sit on hold for a long time just to be told that you can't be helped. It's the worst! If a customer's issue really isn't something you can resolve, the least you can do is be responsive and given them a thorough explanation as to why.

Always genuinely thank customers for their business. You want them to know how grateful you are that they chose you over a competitor. After all, who doesn't love to feel appreciated?😍

Ask for feedback and act on it

Don’t just ask customers for their feedback. Be proactive about making changes based on it. Take the feedback and make sure you use it to improve future customer service.

This is especially important if you receive the same negative feedback from multiple customers. That's usually indicative of a larger problem, and could lead to dissatisfaction in your customer base. Studies show that 91% of customers that are unhappy with a business will not return, so it's important to get ahead of this.

You may have noticed that you answered a feedback survey, and then 6 months later the company is STILL doing the thing you complained about. They did not act on their feedback, and that is super frustrating.

It is important to find out why a customer is unhappy with your service or product. Always check social media for mentions of your brand to see what your customers are saying about it. I have seen a LOT of company feedback on social media lately. Most people turn to social media when they have a complaint, so catch them fast. When there is a problem, respond as quickly as possible so the customer feels like a priority, because they are one.

Feedback is one of the most important things to utilize when improving customer satisfaction. But, feedback is only helpful when you use it and take action. Avoid making the same mistake twice.

Wrapping up

Lack of customer satisfaction can lead to a huge loss for businesses, because it leads to a negative brand reputation. In the U.S. alone, companies lose more than $62 billion yearly because of poor customer service. On the flip side, 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience.

That's why improving customer satisfaction should be a priority for all companies, not just those that have had trouble with it in the past.

Customer satisfaction is about more than just acquiring or keeping customers. It’s about making customers feel happy that they chose your brand, which can lead to them referring you new business. Not to mention, employees always want to work for companies whose customers love them too.