Even though many companies conduct their business online or on the phone these days, this doesn’t mean that customer service skills are a thing in the past. According to UK business leaders, 83% feel that customers are the biggest motivator for change and are the biggest pressure point for businesses today. Real time customer service is still an important aspect of any business, even if you aren’t interacting with a consumer face-to-face (92% of all interactions happen on the phone).
Improving customer satisfaction starts with getting to know the nature of the beast. Customer satisfaction is a term mostly used in marketing; it measures how a business’ products and services meet or surpass customer expectation. Good customer service is seen as a key performance indicator for a business and is often measured by compiling raw data from surveys.
How do you measure it Measuring customer satisfaction takes many forms, and depending what the company is trying to focus on and obtain feedback on, the method of measurement will be different. Customer service improvements are often made after consumers are asked to take a survey. In the survey, the customer is asked to evaluate each statement and rate their satisfaction with each particular component of the company. For example, the scale may read “Very dissatisfied (1), Somewhat dissatisfied (2), Neither satisfied or dissatisfied (3), Somewhat satisfied (4), and Very satisfied (5).”
What next?
Once a survey or other form of measurement is implemented and the results have come back showing a need for change, it may be time to establish ways to improving customer satisfaction. Surveys have shown that 55% of consumers would pay more for a better customer experience, so why not work on ways to improve it?
Tricks to improve customer satisfaction
- Be a good listener when your customers are describing an issue
- Identify and anticipate needs in order to have responsive service
- Make them feel appreciated with discounts and other company promotions
- Know how and when to apologize if you or the company has made an error
- Be open to feedback when customers have a complaint — it will be the best form of advice
-
Improving customer satisfaction is a multi-step process; always be sure to understand it, how to measure it, and how to implement processes in order to improve your company.