Happy customers generate a thriving business. After reading that statement, I’m sure you’re saying to yourself right now – “Thank you Captain Obvious!” Yes, happy and satisfied customers are vital for every business!
Customers are always looking for the best return on their money. Therefore, customers look for benefits, results and satisfaction when they spend their hard-earned money with a business. If one business can’t meet these expectations then customers will look for another business.
With the intense competition in today’s marketplace for nearly any product or service, customers can generally find what they want from a variety of sellers. A successful and thriving business will not want this scenario to occur. When customers purchase from a business – any type of business – customers seek benefits and solutions to problems and want satisfaction for the money they spend. If they cannot find benefits, solutions, and satisfaction from one business, they will seek these same things from another business.
Generate Fulfilled Customers
Let’s say a business provides the benefits, results, and satisfaction a customer is looking for to solve a particular customer problem. Does that mean you have a happy and satisfied customer? Not necessarily!
In order to meet a customer’s expectations, every business needs to have a plan in place to deal with an unhappy customer. The goal is to turn an unhappy customer into a happy and supportive customer. Easier said than done. However, every business can accomplish this goal by using the method of “creative license.”
Creative license empowers employees to take whatever measures (within reason) are needed to please a customer. Successful businesses trust their employees to do the right thing when dealing with a customer.
It doesn’t matter if the business is retail, service, manufacturing or a professional practice. The bottom line for any business always points to the importance of satisfied customers to the viability of a business. Long standing repeat customers, along with new customers, are both needed to ensure that a business remains in business.
At the same time, unhappy and disgruntled customers will look elsewhere for their next purchases instead of repeating their uncomfortable buying experience.
Whose Job is Customer Satisfaction?
Who’s responsible for customer satisfaction at a business? The short and simple answer is…EVERYONE! Job titles and job descriptions should mean nothing when it comes to customer satisfaction. It is the responsibility of every employee, from the custodial services department to management, to provide customer satisfaction. Employees may need to be reminded from time to time, that their jobs rely on customers. So, if’s there’s no customers…there’s no business…and ultimately no jobs!
Using that Creative License
Successful long-standing businesses usually allow employees to use their best judgement (within reason) to turn an unhappy customer into a happy customer. That could mean an employee has the power to do what it takes, even if it means going outside the employee’s job description, to change a disgruntled customer into a gratified customer.
So, what are some strategies an employee could use to help convert an unhappy customer to a happy one? Here are a few suggestions:
- Offer a discount,
- Provide a gift card,
- Honor a previous sale price, or
- Deliver free shipping.
There are an infinite number of ways to help satisfy a customer. That’s why it’s labeled a “creative license.” It doesn’t matter what the business may be. Happy customers generate a thriving business, so every business needs to communicate the “customer first” philosophy to all of its employees.
Be Flexible
Throughout the years, it’s been proven how successful businesses avoid stagnation, but instead show flexibility. Achieving customer satisfaction usually is at the top of the list for every business. Allowing its staff to be “problem solvers” is one way to help a business turn unhappy customers into long-standing happy customers. Overcoming its competition with satisfied customers usually results in positive results for BOTH the customers and the business. After all, happy customers generate a thriving business!
