Satisfaction is defined as an emotion, a positive feeling that brings joy and pleasure to the person who feels it. Generally speaking, it allows for an appeasement of annoyances. In order to maintain the customer relationship in the long term, it is necessary to maintain the satisfaction rate of the latter. However, being ephemeral, satisfaction must be renewed. To do this, loyalty seems to be an adequate alternative to maintain it.
The principle of satisfaction in the workplace
At the company level, whether in the sale of products or services, it is the service relationship that explains customer satisfaction. The service relationship is a relationship that is formed between individuals and/or organizations in the course of a diverse service. The major advantage of satisfaction is the increase in turnover. Indeed, a satisfied customer is a customer who will become loyal, which will lead to an increase in turnover in the long term. It goes without saying, no one wants to buy in a shop that has disappointed them before.
Satisfaction can be achieved through several sources. A customer may, for example, be satisfied upfront (or at least conditioned to be satisfied), without even having received any service from the company. This phenomenon can be explained by previous prejudices (negative or positive) about society due to “word of mouth” or the self-taught acquisition of knowledge about the company. In this way, the future customer will have built a mental image of the service he or she will receive. This does not, however, constitute a conditioning of the customer in a previous feeling. Satisfaction is above all a question of life, of experience. It is a feeling that we will then compare to our previous experiences and expectations.
Cognition for customer satisfaction
Some time after the experience, the memory will filter the information so that only the first and last impressions are kept in long-term memory. The latter makes it possible to store everything we know about the world in order to reuse, whenever necessary, information. The brain makes sure to synthesize information to keep the essentials.
The first impression will color the judgment in a positive or negative way. This phenomenon is also called “anchoring” because of the difficulty of getting rid of it. Welcoming the customer is therefore a key element in the construction of customer satisfaction.
Strategy for successful customer satisfaction
The art of satisfying is directly correlated with the art of seduction. Smiling is the first step in a seduction process but is also the basis of it. To stand out, it is more appropriate to focus on empathy (putting yourself in the customer’s shoes) and benevolence (being physically and mentally available). In order not to go to a competitor the next time, the customer must feel valued, treated differently than elsewhere. Let’s take two stores selling the same products, their turnover will depend mainly on the marketing strategies put in place. The customer who buys in one of the stores expects in return to receive a token of recognition that values him.
The customer realizes the means put in place to satisfy him. This translates into small gestures (discounts, private invitations), increases in space and staff when needed or during special periods. For example, FNAC has made members of its management available during the Christmas period to compensate for the lack of cashier staff. The feedback was very positive, with the customer going favourably. Thanks to this gesture, customers felt important. In addition to this example, care must be taken not to overdo it, which would result in an unnecessary financial loss for the company and a loss of time for the customer. It is necessary to invest effectively to meet the needs of the customer.
To read Johan Carelli’s article: https://www.hbrfrance.fr/chroniques-experts/2018/09/21854-satisfaction-client-pensez-surtout-au-clap-de-debut-et-de-fin/
