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The Marketing of Satisfaction
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If
you look at customer satisfaction from the viewpoint of the customer, you
will instantly see that each and every one is unique and has different
kinds of desires to be fulfilled. It is the comprehensive fulfilling of
desires that they want and are willing to pay for. If they believe that
you will do whatever it takes, within reason, to accomplish this, they
will not only return for more, but will tell all their friends!
So, it behooves us to realize that we are not selling “boxes” but are
fulfilling a desire. Once we get into that attitude, we can then act
accordingly and the chances of unhappy customers becomes almost nil.
You need to know what they really want to be able to satisfy them. So, you
need to ask them what they want. A few questions, a survey form, a
“happy call,” or whatever applies to your business situation are
necessary to improve customer satisfaction and thus improve your profits.
People will pay more in order to get more so you need to know what they
really want in order to be able to deliver it. It is not enough to know,
from a survey, what most people want. You need to find a way to determine
what any customer wants in order
to satisfy him.
Understanding that at times you will not be able to accomplish this, it
then becomes a management duty to determine how far you can go to unravel
the desires of a customer and to what extent you can afford to fulfill
them. Also understand that at times, because of going the extra mile to
please them, you will probably not make as much profit as you expected.
Look at it as marketing/advertising costs, because that is what it is.
When you satisfy their unique needs, you will eliminate any chance of the
competition taking away any more of your hard-earned customers and you
will increase your odds of getting them in the first place. Resources
follow results!
Don’t you leave bigger tips to waiters who go the extra mile? Go out of
your way to provide extra satisfaction and watch what happens.
Next time: “The Marketing of Credibility.” The importance and how to
do it!
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