Customer satisfaction is crucial for companies, with goals including purchase satisfaction, process satisfaction, and influencing future actions. Quality is the most important goal, as poor products or services can’t be overcome. The buying process must be simple and efficient, and satisfied customers will return and recommend products.
Customer satisfaction is the degree to which a buyer is satisfied with a product, service or company. Customer satisfaction goals can be divided into three main groups. The first is purchase satisfaction, which includes how the product performed and whether it met customer expectations and similar perceptions. The second is satisfaction with the process, which includes ease of purchase, as well as customer service or warranty interactions after the purchase. The third major customer satisfaction goal is the degree to which satisfaction levels influence future actions, such as recommending a product to others or buying again.
Companies are very interested in ensuring that customers are satisfied with the performance of a product or the quality of service as this will impact future purchasing decisions. Indeed, quality may be the most important of customer satisfaction goals because the consequences of a poor product or poor service are virtually impossible to overcome. Companies often conduct extensive market research and product testing to ensure that the product or service meets as many of a customer’s needs and expectations as possible.
Whether the purchased product is a tangible item, an intangible item or a service, quality matters. If a customer feels that the product does not work or does not work as expected, or if he feels that the product is unsafe, difficult to use, or not worth the price, he will not be satisfied. Misleading advertising or advertising that raises a customer’s expectations beyond what the product can deliver will also lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Process satisfaction is also important to consider when determining customer satisfaction goals. A customer who is dissatisfied with the process might go to a competitor next time, even if she is satisfied with the actual product’s performance. The process includes all actions related to researching and purchasing a product, but also troubleshooting after the purchase.
It is important for buyers to feel that the buying process is simple and that their business is valued. This means that online and telephone ordering systems must be easy to use. Retail locations must be adequately staffed and all staff must be educated and willing to assist the customer as needed. The warranty, return and troubleshooting processes must also be efficient and friendly.
A discussion of customer satisfaction goals should always include the impact on future behavior. While it is desirable for the customer to have a good experience with both the product and the process, a truly satisfied customer will come back to make future purchases and recommend the product or service to others. This increases the customer base of the company and contributes to long-term customer relationships.
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