Welcome to ReferralHero, where we are on a mission to uncover the secret to successful referral marketing. Join us as we put on our detective hats and crack the code to gain more customers and brand advocates. The case of customer satisfaction will be solved once and for all!
What is the ultimate goal of your company? If everything else failed, what would you hold fast to? The profit you made? The quality of your products? The impact you had on a particular cause?
How far down the list of goals is customer satisfaction? Research shows that companies who focus on customer satisfaction are more likely to grow than those who see it as an add on. This means that if you build your company around the idea of meeting and exceeding customer expectations, all the other goals will fall into place.
But how can you actively boost your customer satisfaction? Let’s take a look!
Measuring Customer Satisfaction
As with any initiative within your company, it’s important that you track how customer satisfaction changes over time. This will help you make data-based choices by showing off which shifts make the biggest impact.
There are several ways to go about measuring your customer satisfaction, including
- Customer Churn Rate - How many folks stop using your product over time?
- Net Promoter Score (NPS) - How likely are your customers to recommend your company to a friend?
- Customer Feedback and Complaints - Keep track of customer feedback and complaints and analyze trends
- Online Reviews and Ratings - Monitor and analyze customer reviews and ratings on platforms like Google, Yelp, and social media
- Customer Loyalty Programs - How often your customers are using loyalty programs or rewards?
- Customer Support Metrics - Measure response times, satisfaction rates, and resolution rates for customer support inquiries
- Customer Satisfaction Score - What percentage of your customers respond positively to the question “How satisfied are you with your care?”
Many of these measurements are qualitative. This means they’re based more on feedback and vibes than actual stats. Having one or two quantitative methods like NPS in your back pocket helps you get more specific about your results.
As great as it is to hear “good job”, it’s more impactful to know you’re a 9/10. This allows you to find room for constant improvement.
Top 5 Ways to Increase Customer Satisfaction
If you want to stand out from your competitors by giving each and every one of your customers a warm, fuzzy feeling, you’re going to have to make every single decision with that goal in mind. However, just making your whole company warm and fuzzy isn’t exactly actionable.
Let’s take a look at some specific areas you can focus on to start leveling up your customer satisfaction.
Personalize The Customer Experience
I’m sure you’ve heard that using people’s names in conversation makes them like you more. While your company isn’t exactly trying to make friends and influence people, the thought remains the same.
Customers want to feel known and appreciated. This can be as simple as using their name, or as complex as understanding their buying patterns and making personalized suggestions at just the right time.
With companies like Netflix and Spotify priming folks for 100% unique experiences, taking the time to personalize their time with you is a great way to make them feel at home.
Provide Excellent Customer Service
What makes a customer more likely to pay a premium? Quality? Speed? Trendiness? For 58% of people, the answer is a resounding “customer service.”
If your users know that they can get friendly, knowledgeable help whenever they need it, they’re going to be thrilled. This kind of guarantee starts at the source. Happy employees make happy customers.
Make sure your staff understand your vision for exceptional customer service, and that they feel like a part of the company. This will ensure that they care for your customers just as much as you do.
Collect and Act on Customer Feedback
Everyone knows it feels good to be listened to. Not only does engaging with customer feedback help you improve your business, but it grows a bond with your customers.
When folks feel like they were a part of steering your company, they are going to be ultra-loyal far into the future. Make it easy by giving them clear ways to leave feedback. This could be through surveys, social media polls, or a suggestion box in a physical store.
Set Realistic Expectations - Then Exceed Them
Nothing bums a customer out more than expecting a product or service to be amazing and then having it fall short. Doing the opposite can create satisfaction so high, you gain a fiercely loyal following.
I’m not suggesting you under-sell your company, just that you be transparent and honest about what you can do for folks. This leaves lots of room for you to blow their socks off later.
For example, if you advertise a product as being delivered in 10-14 business days, but it actually arrives in 7, your customers will be pleasantly surprised. But if you advertise delivery in 5-7 business days and it takes 10, your customers will be disappointed and likely leave negative reviews or stop doing business with you.
Implement a Loyalty Program
A loyalty program lets you say thank you to your customers for doing business with you, and for doing specific things like referring a friend or filling out a survey.
You can reward them with discounts, prizes, or exclusive content. Your customers will get the warm and fuzzies from getting a good deal, and have even more of a reason to come back again.
Plus, with the bars to fill and fun rewards to work toward, a loyalty program is a simple way to introduce gamification to your sales process. Games are fun, and making shopping with you fun will keep customers happy and returning again and again.
Four Companies with Exemplary Customer Satisfaction
The quest for customer satisfaction is nothing new. This means there are countless blueprints you can follow to build a happy customer base that lasts.
By looking at some of the most successful companies around, we can learn exactly how to keep your customers satisfied.
Publix - Building a Satisfying Community
Throughout the years, Publix Supermarkets have been a shining example of how customer service makes folks willing to pay more. As an employee-led business, Publix has been able to get each and every worker to care about the experience their customers are having.
They also allow their individual locations to customize and personalize their displays, and even their stock, to cater to the needs of their customers. This means that every Publix you walk into will be a snapshot of what the community cares about.
Starbucks - Consistent Care
Starbucks uses a variety of methods to ensure everyone leaving their shops feels cared for, and like a part of something bigger.
One of their core values is personalization, meaning that customers can completely customize their drink, and walk out with their own name on the cup. Combining this personal care with a generous rewards program that keeps people coming back makes Starbucks a part of their customers’ daily routines.
What’s more, they often run promotions that donate to worthy causes, showing that they care for their community beyond the store-front. This allows customers to do good while sipping their favorite coffee.
Southwest Airlines - Meeting Customers Where They’re At
Even as airline satisfaction scores tanked recently, Southwest Airlines was able to stay on top. This is due in no small part to their social media listening center.
With a big team of dedicated analysts finding and responding to customer complaints online, Southwest has been able to assist with lost luggage, missed flights, and cancellations. Traveling is stressful, and having an airline respond to your concerns right away can help assure you that you’re in good hands.
As an added bonus, these responses turn a negative post on social media into a vehicle for social proof. Not only does the listening center help individual travelers, but everyone who sees the response will also know that Southwest cares.
Tesla - Fostering Incredible Customer Loyalty
Tesla boasts an absolutely insane NPS of +97. This means nearly every single person who drives one of their cars would recommend it to a friend. There are several reasons for this, but the biggest is the overall experience of owning a Tesla.
With roughly 80% of service and repairs done for free, and software updates done overnight, customers aren’t simply buying a car. They are buying the experience of driving a high-tech vehicle, and Tesla works to provide that experience as much, if not more, than the physical car itself.
The service, the mission, and the brand are all a part of the customer experience, and all of them are upheld with the same respect.
The Bottom Line
If your company is going to stand out, it has to do more than operate well. Your customers have to feel good when they interact with you.
This means crafting an exceptional customer experience from the moment they hear about you, to the far off future when you’re an integral part of their lives. With personalized experiences and an ear to the ground, you can make sure your company is more than memorable. It’s incredible.
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