It is a condition for the success of any business to achieve customer satisfaction. But what do we understand by customer satisfaction? It is a concept that can be ambiguous, but being so central to your objective, you must understand it well.
The first thing to keep in mind is that the most dangerous thing is to let an indifferent customer out of your business. Why?
A dissatisfied, annoyed, uncomfortable customer expresses his complaint. This is a great opportunity for you to show that you can repair that annoyance and, if you do it effectively, the image of your service will rebound considerably.
On the other hand, a customer delighted with the service received is the best thing that can happen to you. He will undoubtedly request your service again and will recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity.
But what about the indifferent customer?
He leaves your business, "neither fú nor fa", he is not dissatisfied but there was nothing that pleasantly surprised him. You have no reason to claim, you received what you expected at least. It will put you in the category of "average service" in his mind, and here the greatest danger arises. If there is an average service, it is because there is a superior and an inferior service. Where will the superior be? Why not look it up next time? Lost customer! He was looking for something better.
Professor Noriaki Kano explains this phenomenon with the customer satisfaction model that bears his name.
It defines three groups of product / service characteristics that impact customer satisfaction differently. In other words, not all aspects of your service have the same impact on the customer. If you can focus on the most appropriate ones, you will be closer to satisfying them. I'm going to emphasize two sets of characteristics that Kano mentions.
The first group is that of the basic requirements. These are characteristics of the service that cannot be missed. The client expects them at least, and if they cannot find them, they generate dissatisfaction. Instead, they do not increase your satisfaction when they are present. Clean bathroom in a room, hot food in a restaurant, someone answering the phone when calling, etc. They do not attract your attention and therefore do not remain imprinted on your mind.
Another group, on the other hand, are the requirements of delight. They are characteristics that the client does not expect, therefore, when he finds them, he is surprised and they generate great satisfaction. On the other hand, if they are not there, since you do not expect them, they do not generate disagreement. It is important to realize that only because of these characteristics the client will remember you. This is what will stick in her mind when she thinks of your service.
I remember one time I went to a restaurant with my husband and my little daughter. We ate something very tasty, but I don't remember what. What did stick with me was that while we were having dinner, the ladies who served us offered to entertain our daughter so that we could enjoy dinner. That was my delight as a customer, and I always remember that place for that characteristic of the service.
Then I invite you to evaluate your service with this key, through the following exercise:
- Make a list of all the features that your service has. Put them into one of the two groups (basic requirements or delight). Make sure to guarantee the basic requirements. Challenge yourself to continually incorporate delight characteristics into your service.
Make your customers remember you. Don't run the risk of letting them go indifferent.
