The Mindspa Group

June 2010

Hello, dear Mindspa Friends.

I met with a client earlier this week and we discussed their efforts to monitor customer satisfaction.  They were perplexed because their customer satisfaction survey results were high, yet their customer retention rate was very low and continuing to decline with each passing day.  I reviewed the satisfaction survey questions and then asked the manager I was meeting with if their customers were happy.  The manager immediately began rattling off survey results.  When the barrage of statistics had ended, I looked at the client again and asked “Are your customers happy?”  The manager looked at me with a deer in the headlights look.  I went on to explain that a survey is only as good as the questions that are asked.  A customer can rate every single question as “excellent”, but still be a very dissatisfied customer because what is most important to them is not addressed in the survey. 

Do you know what is most important to your customers?   Unfortunately, many organizations carry out their work with a “we know best” attitude.  It is this attitude that turns customers into former customers. 

When was the last time that you asked your customers what is most important to them?  It’s worth asking…but be sure you are ready and willing to take the necessary action based on their suggestions because you will have raised an expectation by your customers simply by turning to them for input.  Once you have taken action, it’s important to measure your success in achieving customer satisfaction by revising the satisfaction survey to include questions about the issues that matter most to your customers. 

Action Item:  If you listen to your customers, take action based on their input, and measure for success – chances are you will be joining your customers in happy town.

All the best,
Susanne

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