Customer satisfaction is key to running a thriving business – customers need to know that they’re valuable to you. Are your employees displaying the kind of respect and outstanding service that builds a loyal patronage?

Measuring customer satisfaction is tricky because the majority of customers do not give feedback, even if they are upset. Many of your unhappy customers won’t complain – they simply won’t buy from you again.

When customers do complain, the prevalence of cameras these days means it’s often in the form of a video that gets posted to social media for everyone to see. Whether it’s a verbal complaint describing a customer’s experience, or an employee cutting corners and caught on camera, these videos can quickly and easily tear down a brand’s reputation.

Considering how extremely costly it is to have a high customer churn, you’ll want to ensure that each prospect and patron is treated with the highest quality of service possible. That’s what grows your reputation and your revenue.

Employees who work directly with customers need to be constantly aware of their behaviors, and how they are interpreted by the customers they are working with. What may seem like simply getting everyone what they need could be seen as rude or disrespectful. For example, when working with a customer in person, taking a call and making the first customer wait while helping the caller is unfair to the person who made the effort to come to the place of business for service.

Another example is letting chatty customers hold up a line. It may feel rude to end the conversation when the customer wants to continue talking, but a polite closing and smile may be necessary in order to provide good service to others.

If your employees aren’t naturally inclined to think from the customer’s perspective and over-deliver on service, hope is not lost. Simple and consistent training can help employees bring outstanding service to each customer, while finding satisfaction themselves in knowing they helped fulfill a need. Training is a two-way street for improving satisfaction – it benefits both customers and employees, creating consistent business growth.

Increasing your customer satisfaction rates takes more than just meeting the standard for service, though. Employees who go above and beyond what a customer expects create a reputation for their company – the kind that results in those coveted rave reviews all over the web and by word of mouth.

Getting your team to that place of exceptional service means letting go of the reins a little. You have to create an atmosphere where employees recognize the rules and regulations in place, but also know that they’re allowed to bend them in order to delight a customer and take care of their needs. If your company truly values customer satisfaction more than the bottom line, make sure your team understands that. Demonstrate situations where a customer’s need may mean going above and beyond the standard service provided. When that kind of service becomes ingrained in your culture, customer satisfaction will cease to be a concern.

If your organization doesn’t serve customers properly, you can be sure those customers will replace you with someone who will. Train your team to go above and beyond expectations, and they’ll provide an experience that brings customers back over and over again.

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