Is 100% customer satisfaction achievable?
Simplicity Sofas is a beloved company and their customer service philosophy is very simple:
- They do whatever it takes to surprise and delight customers.
- They make the furniture purchasing experience informative and enjoyable.
- They deliver more than customers expect.
Simplicity Sofas is a furniture manufacturer in High Point, NC. and an eCommerce retailer specializing in furniture for small spaces. After more than six years in business and $4 million in sales, the company has never received a negative review on their website – not one.
Jeff Franks has ensured their philosophy transforms into actions that deliver a unified customer experience, which in turn earns the customer’s story along with word-of-mouth advertising. It’s the norm for customers to tell friends, family and co-workers about Simplicity Sofas and to recruit them to buy the furniture. Below are Jeff’s tips for achieving beloved company status.
The Benefits of High Customer Satisfaction Rates
- Increased Customer Loyalty: High satisfaction rates directly correlate with customer loyalty. A satisfied customer is less likely to switch to competitors, ensuring a steady revenue stream and a foundational client base.
- Enhanced Word-of-Mouth Advertising: Delighted customers become active advocates. They spread the word about your brand, effectively driving referrals and influencing their network, which is a powerful and organic form of advertising.
- Higher Retention Rates: The cost of acquiring a new customer far exceeds the cost of retaining an existing one. Satisfied customers are likely to stick around, reducing your churn rate and stabilizing your business.
- Competitive Advantage: In a marketplace where companies vie for customer attention, satisfaction becomes your differentiator. High satisfaction rates position your brand as a premium choice, setting you apart from competitors.
- Facilitates Up-selling and Cross-Selling: Satisfied customers are more receptive to additional offers or new products. They trust your brand, making them more likely to expand their purchase behavior, benefiting your bottom line.
10 Tips For Achieving 100% Customer Satisfaction
Speed is Critical
Customers expect a 24 hour response time. They are delighted when they hear from you within 6 hours and amazed by a 1 hour response. The faster you respond to your customers, the easier it becomes to close a sale or solve a problem. Failure to return a call or email is inexcusable.
Communicate in a Timely Manner
If you don’t have an immediate answer, quickly inform the customer that you are working on their inquiry and will get back to them soon. Then do what you say.
Solve Problems
When responding to a customer complaint always begin by assuring the customer that you will fix their problem. This immediately removes the adversarial relationship that can lead to messy and expensive confrontations.
Always Offer Choices
This is particularly important in problem situations. If you offer your customer three or more possible solutions, they will feel included in the eventual resolution. Also, you will be surprised at how often the solution selected is not as expensive or burdonsome as the one you thought they would demand.
Avoid Refering to Policy
Never answer a question by telling a customer something is “company policy.” All responses must make logical sense to both you and the customer. As well, if you can’t reasonably explain the company policy, either you need more information or the company policy needs to be changed.
Go Above and Beyond Expectations
The object of problem resolution is not to “satisfy” the customer but to “amaze” them by going above and beyond their expectations.
Turn Lemons Into Lemonade
Mistakes and problems always result in opportunities to create long-term loyal customers by exceeding expectations.
Attempt to Transform Them
Transforming an “angry” customer into an enthusiastic advocate is always worth the cost.
Offer Compensation
The resentment felt by an inconvenienced or frustrated customer can be transformed into gratitude and long-term loyalty by a small compensation offer – especially when the customer realizes that the circumstances were beyond your control.
Develop a Caring Team
Unhappy employees cannot create delighted customers.
100% Customer Satisfaction Tips Summary
| Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Speed is Critical | Respond rapidly to queries, ideally within an hour, to impress customers and ease issue resolution. |
| Communicate in a Timely Manner | If an immediate answer isn't possible, assure customers you're on the case and will follow up promptly. |
| Solve Problems | Start interactions with the assurance that the customer's issue will be resolved to avoid conflict. |
| Always Offer Choices | Give customers options for solutions, particularly in problematic situations, for a sense of involvement and control. |
| Avoid Refering to Policy | Don’t use “company policy” as a response. Ensure all replies are logical and understandable. |
| Go Above and Beyond Expectations | Aim not just to meet but to exceed customer expectations consistently. |
| Turn Lemons Into Lemonade | Use mistakes as opportunities to impress customers even more through exceptional service recovery. |
| Attempt to Transform Them | Convert dissatisfied customers into brand advocates through dedicated, empathetic service. |
| Offer Compensation | Alleviate frustrations with sincere apologies and compensations that show genuine care. |
| Develop a Caring Team | Foster a supportive and enthusiastic team environment, as employee contentment transfers to customer service. |
Happy Customers Photo via Shutterstock
This article, "Is 100% Customer Satisfaction Achievable? For This Company, Yes" was first published on Small Business Trends