Posted by Meredith Estep on Wed, Jan 13, 2010 @ 10:53 AM
How is customer satisfaction measured? There are many ways! Some hold to the idea that revenue is the only way to measure customer satisfaction because return customers will not come back if they are not happy. While that can be true, the customer may simply have a need for that particular product and you offer the best price; they may not necessarily be completely satisfied. It may seem obvious, but the best way to measure the satisfaction of a customer may be to simply ask them! There are different ways to obtain client feedback and there will always be different responses. No matter what the response, the feedback from a client is valuable and necessary for a company's success.
Client feedback is an important way for companies to connect with their customers. When a customer provides feedback it allows the company to see itself through the eyes of the patron. While it is true that some people will inevitably give negative responses, take those to heart and use them to better your organization! In the end, no matter what the responses are, client feedback is useless if a company does not use it to better their business practices.
There are many ways to obtain client feedback. A very effective way is to send out surveys. Surveys allow customers to express themselves freely about what is being asked. Sometimes when feedback is requested via telephone or in person, the customer may be more inclined to say what they think you want to hear and not what they really want to say. A survey based on customer service can rate everything from how the situation was handled by representative to how they are being treated by the company as a whole. This will help the business pinpoint any strengths or weaknesses they must improve on to build a better relationship with their clientele.
You may also obtain client feedback with a simple phone call or a face-to-face meeting. This approach may work better for some than others. As stated earlier, some customers may not be as open as you might like. Others may feel like they are being put on the spot and not want to hurt any feelings by providing negative feedback. However, there are customers who express themselves better in situations where there is a more personal touch. Some of the most useful feedback you can receive about a company is when the conversation is taking place during a lunch meeting.
Client feedback is important, but more importantly is how you use the feedback. This input from your customers is key to a company's success, as it is essential to listen to the advice of your clients and improve on it. Do not take it as an insult if clients say you need to improve on something, take it as a way to become more successful. You can use negative feedback and turn it into something very positive! If a client is unhappy with a process or procedure, fix it! Show your customer you are listening. After they see that change they will feel great that you made an improvement on something they brought to your attention!
Satisfied customers will equal retention and more revenue. To get there you need to know what it takes to satisfy them and what they feel they are receiving from your company. The information gathered from surveys can be used to strengthen the relationship between a company and their customers when improvements are made!
- Kristine de Vera