A friend’s elderly mother bought a new car. She opened the owner’s manual to find out how to set her favorite radio stations before driving home. Imagine her surprise to discover that the dealer had already programmed the radio stations into the new car from her old one! A friend stopped by on her way home from a manicure and said she just needed to tell someone about the experience she had with her manicurist, who not only walked her to her car and opened the door, but put the key in the car. the ignition and started the car. so my friend wouldn’t mess up her nail polish.
Did my friends talk about the new car and the fabulous manicure or value-added service they received? Certainly both, but value-added services led the conversation in every way!
We feel satisfied when we get something we need or want because our desires are fulfilled. We know that a customer can be anyone who receives something they perceive as valuable, a product or service, from an individual or organization. Customers are both internal and external to the organization, each with their own needs, wants, and desires.
Customer service standards are on the rise. When customers deal with you, they compare you to anyone else they’ve received (great) service from, not just someone in the same industry.
Take grocery shopping, for example. Why am I drawn to Trader Joes when other stores are closer to home and in some cases less expensive? I shop there because it’s fun. I like the experience of helpful staff and tasty food samples that make me try something new. I feel like I’m being “taken care of” while I’m there.
Why do we stand in line at Starbucks, paying a premium for a product we can make at home for pennies? Few of us return to Starbucks for the coffee as much as we return for the full experience of the perceived added value. We are willing to pay for an experience of unique value in the form of excellence in the product or service.
We go into a store because we trust that we will get what we want or need there. We come back because that store has exceeded our expectations. We are satisfied customers.
If, according to management guru Peter Drucker, the only valid purpose for any company is to create and satisfy a customer, how do companies collect feedback to ensure success?
Toyota service departments leave a thank you card in the car after service, followed up with a phone call to make sure any issues have been resolved. Hotels often leave short questionnaires in the rooms, asking guests to rate their level of satisfaction with the efficiency of the staff, the cleanliness of the room, and the quality of the food. GoDaddy emails a link to a quick online questionnaire. My accounting firm sends a client satisfaction questionnaire complete with a stamped, self-addressed envelope, asking me to rate your initiative in providing advice, your availability for calls and meetings, the timeliness of your work, and your understanding of my concerns.
When seeking feedback, it is vital that companies are prepared to act on the information received and really listen to customers, not just collect data that is not used. Someone must walk the talk.
Many companies, such as Bank of America, include a phrase in the signature line of employee emails: “My goal is for you to be highly satisfied. If at any time you are not, please feel free to contact me or my manager at (contact info). Have a wonderful day!”
If so many organizations are so concerned with delivering customer service excellence, why does customer service seem to be such a rare commodity?
Leaders must decide what grade they want from their customers. And then you have to decide what needs to be done to get that grade. What do customers expect from your organization? What does it mean to meet those expectations for my products, services and people?
Interestingly, but not surprisingly, many companies overestimate customer service delivery and customer satisfaction, which are inextricably and understandably intertwined. In his book, What’s the Secret to Providing a World-Class Customer Experience?, John R. DiJulius III notes that while 80% of companies surveyed reported providing superior customer service, only 8% of surveyed customers described their experience with these companies as superior.
Customers are guided by their needs and judge companies based on their perceptions. It’s not enough to think that your organization is doing a good job, you need to know that by constantly monitoring feedback from your customers.
Leonard L. Berry, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing at Texas A & M University, defined ten domains of satisfaction, which are: quality, value, timeliness, efficiency, ease of access, environment, interdepartmental teamwork, front line service behaviours, customer commitment and innovation. He should monitor his satisfaction domains and get feedback on what those domains mean for each functional area of the organization. How does the distribution process contribute to customer satisfaction? Are the products innovative? How timely is our service?
Proof that customer service contributes to the bottom line is the economic difference between high-service companies and low-service companies. Research by the Institute for Strategic Planning shows that high service companies average a net profit of 12% vs. 1% for low service companies. And, high service companies increase their market share at a rate of 6% while low service companies tend to lose market share by -2%. Enough talk.
On the customer satisfaction continuum, organizations can choose to be customer hostile, aware, friendly, focused, or truly customer centric, where services and products are designed through the eyes of the customer and metrics are built around it. of customer service. When customers stop coming back, someone in the organization must find out why. The beginning is leadership and solicitation of customer feedback; the end is a great customer experience.
And, a single comment can make all the difference in your business.
