There’s no bigger or more unforced error a company can make than driving away its customers through poor customer satisfaction practices. In a time when other businesses are doing all they can to retain customers and attract new ones every day, your business should be doing all it can to make sure your customers are satisfied and happy with your company every day of the year.
Customer satisfaction revolves around making sure your customers appreciate your efforts and feel appreciated by your company. It can be measured by asking for surveys and other data collection efforts whenever your company works with customers and should be taken seriously. There are a few different reasons customer satisfaction is so important now; here are just six of them.
- Customers are retained and will repeat purchases
- Great service sets you apart from your competition
- Word of mouth is improved, as our branding opportunities
Satisfaction Leads To Repeat Customers
Customers who are satisfied with your business are more likely to buy from company again. This has been demonstrated multiple times by companies who ask their customers how satisfied they were with their service and how likely they are to buy from said company again. The greater the service, the more likely it is that customers will buy from the company.
You can ask your customers these questions in a very simple and streamlined way. Simply ask them to rate their satisfaction between one and ten and then how likely they are to use your company again. The higher the number the more assured you should be with how your customer service is performing. If you receive low numbers, however, you should investigate as to why.
Service Drives Down Customer Churn
Most companies make the mistake of thinking that they’re prices are driving up customer churn and driving away their customers. While raising prices can sometimes increase customer churn, it certainly isn’t the number one reason customers leave companies.
As you’d guess that reason is customer satisfaction, or lack therefore. Customers want to feel appreciated and have their complaints and problems taken seriously. If they don’t, they find a company who will provide them that comfort and recognition. Giving your customers great customer service will help you reduce churn and keep your customers for a longer period of time.
It Differentiates You From Your Competition
Similar to customers leaving, your competition is always looking to attract new customers. Some of these may end up being customers you’ve already attracted and have committed to. But offering great customer service will set you apart from your competition and reduce the number of customers who follow under the spell of other businesses.
Price points and SEO practices are widely known now, meaning there’s few points to separate yourself from your competitors. The most effective and impactful point you can make that your competition may not be able to is boasting the best customer service in the industry. This is a bold claim, but it pays off in spades if it proves to be true.
Feedback Helps Your Company Improve
As discussed, a large part of customer service is feedback. Feedback is good for more than just telling you that your company is doing great or isn’t up to snuff. Consistent and specific feedback will pinpoint areas your companies can improve on, which will help attract new customers in turn.
Feedback is the cornerstone of many great companies and can be used to improve a multitude of areas, not just those which are customer facing. For example, customers can give you feedback on how well your site runs or your software operates. They can let you know about the quality of your products or services in a meaningful and actionable way. It’s all about how you pose your questions.
Customers Today Are Finnicky
It’s a painful truth which some companies learn harder than others. Retail customers today are used to be wined, dined, and pampered by the companies they trust. Because of online engagement and lowering price points, customers don’t stick with one company for too long unless there’s ample reason to. This reason, one of the biggest reasons in the eyes of a consumer, is customer service.
Taking full advantage of great customer service means you’re not giving your customers a reason to leave you. Offering above and beyond service for a prolonged period of time will also make your customers more understanding in the event that there is a problem with your company. Customers will be more forgiving if they’ve already experienced great customer service in the past.
Great Service Begets Great Branding
Customer service is a great form of social proof. This means that you can tap customers who love your service to offer quotes and visible ratings on your website and on your advertising. Your company can more easily brand and market to new clients if your existing customers give you great reviews and even better word of mouth.
Great customer service acts as a gateway into amazing branding opportunities and an opportunity to cement yourself as a company which cares about your customers. In short, great customer service leads to a great reputation, which bolsters branding and marketing attempts.