For many years Rowan Beattie, Pyrotec’s managing director, has been known for emphasising to his staff that ‘by satisfying our most demanding customer we’ll satisfy all our customers’.
Customer satisfaction is a panacea for any business and one of many contributing factors to success. Those in marketing circles will know that a customer talking about their experience with a company is worth far more than any company can write or say about itself.
Closely related to customer satisfaction is word of mouth marketing (WOMM). It quickly gains momentum, particularly through social media channels, creating a snowball effect. WOMM is very powerful but it works both ways. On the positive side, it creates brand ambassadors and customer loyalty. Consumers are far more likely (92% some studies report) to choose a company, service or product that’s recommended by a friend or family member. However, on the flip side, bad reports can be as damaging to a brand’s reputation as good referrals can be for business growth.
By dealing with demanding customers, your sales team will learn the finer art of customer satisfaction. This includes:
- The ability to listen patiently and show empathy, which conveys an understanding of customers’ pain points.
- Being firm but polite and maintaining emotional control. It’s not personal.
- Establishing a win/win situation by agreeing with difficult customers, even if they’re wrong, and therefore setting a stronger foundation for more open negotiations.
Your business can only benefit from satisfied customers. To build a high level of customer satisfaction you need to:
Meet customers’ expectations
Just meeting customers’ expectations is the lowest point of customers satisfaction you should aim for. At this level, your customer will be satisfied and have no complaints. However, they are unlikely to be loyal. Here, you’re at risk of your competitors doing a better job and your customers jumping ship.
Exceed customers’ expectations
Here companies go beyond what customers expect, which includes a personalised touch to service interactions. Service is still satisfying, but it’s followed up with an after-sales approach that will give you an edge over your competitors. Customers will be willing to pay more, and companies will begin to benefit from increased profitability.
Delight customers
More than exceeding customers’ expectations, you want your company to delight them – show them you care about them and bring a smile to their faces. Once a customer begins to enjoy dealing with your company, you’ll gain their loyalty and your business will grow.
Visit Pyrotec to see how we strive to delight by offering service levels that even the most demanding customers will appreciate.
