Improving Customer/Client Satisfaction -- Page 1

Customer and client surveys are a well-established practice in many organizations today. You would think therefore that most of these organizations would have a lot of very satisfied customers and clients. And, in far too many cases, you would be wrong. Even though an organization knows how customers feel about them and what they would like to see changed, only a few organizations act and get it right.

Banks are a prime example. Surveys have for years reaffirmed the relatively low level of customer satisfaction with the majority of banks and thrifts nationwide. This is not to say that most customers are terribly unhappy but just that they are not happy enough to make a competitive difference. Some banks do have very satisfied customers and large market shares where they operate as a result. This is the message — really satisfied customers give you market share.

Too many organizations, unfortunately, operate largely in response to internal needs and interests. The customer or client gets secondary priority, despite all of the hype to the contrary. Organizations use window-dressing in place of substance because substance is difficult and costly and usually disruptive to established practices. They give customers attention in the form of telemarketing calls at dinnertime or cross-sell pitches during a service or support call. Their support lines are impossible menu mazes, dead-ends, or interminable waits.

Improving customer or client satisfaction enough to provide a substantial competitive advantage generally requires a culture change and very strong support from the top. It usually takes a lot of time and money as well. Even the best intentions wilt in the face of such obstacles. As a result, many organizations chip away at improving customer satisfaction by doing whatever is relatively easy and not too expensive. The outcome is either nothing much or an ever more cynical customer not fooled by show without substance.

Organizations who want to use customer satisfaction strategically to give them a clear competitive advantage must begin with a commitment from the top. This means that the CEO and top executives must believe enough in the strategy to put their full support and necessary resources behind it. Without this fundamental element in place, such a strategy is nearly always doomed and a waste of time, money and effort.

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