Understanding Customer Satisfaction – Building a long-term business to provide profit and success is something that entrepreneurs hope for. However, there are several important supporting factors such as capital, employees with the best skills and of course not separated from consumers or customers.
Customer satisfaction is very important to develop a more advanced business to increase profits for the company. This time we will discuss in detail Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty.
Understanding Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
Some definitions of customer satisfaction according to experts, including:
According to Djaslim Saladin (2003) , the concept of customer satisfaction is a person’s happy or disappointed feeling that comes from a comparison between the effect on the performance (result) of a product and their expectations.
According to Philip Kotler and Kevin Lane Keller (2007) , consumer satisfaction is a person’s happy or disappointed feeling that appears after comparing the performance (result) of the product being considered against the expected performance.
According to Tjiptono (2012), consumer satisfaction is a situation shown by consumers when they realize that their needs and desires are in line with what is expected and fulfilled well.
So in short, the meaning of customer satisfaction is something that consumers seek or need to fulfill their needs such as a product or service. Having the best, quality products or services is the goal of customers.
Because the better the quality of this product or service, it will play an important role in attracting consumers who have the opportunity to trust the company (Loyalty).
For this reason, customer satisfaction until now has become an integral part of the vision, mission, purpose, positioning statement, and various other matters in a company that are discussed in full in the book Customer Satisfaction, Concept, Measurement, and Strategy.
From here we know what is called customer loyalty. Some definitions of customer loyalty according to experts, including:
According to Kotler and Keller, loyalty is a deeply held commitment to buy or support a preferred product or service again in the future despite influence. situations and marketing efforts have the potential to cause customers to switch
In a simpler sense, loyalty is a consumer’s commitment to a company, to subscribe to products or services consistently on an ongoing basis, even though the company has a lot of competition, but the consumer will be a loyal customer of the company.
Along with the development of time and technology, the latest product updates ( up to date ) to complement the needs of customers.
Although in business there is a term ” The king is the main ” but it is not completely like that, the meaning of this word is how our efforts satisfy the needs of consumers but consumers also give us profit. As it is mutually beneficial on both sides, no one is harmed. Companies must maintain and improve the functionality of products that are needed today as the times progress.
One of them is making new product innovations and gradually developing them to improve product quality by developing the various benefits needed. Because of that, companies participate in innovation to become better by offering products by reducing costs without reducing quality, because the more advanced the development, the greater the competitiveness of the business.
Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction
The most important thing that every company must pay attention to in order to create customer satisfaction is the quality of the products used. Several types of factors that are evaluated as a consumer to remain in one of the companies, among them:
1. Service
Service is the main pillar of service that aims to maintain good relations and improve relations between producers and customers. There are things that are no less important in service, which is to listen to various complaints or customer input in order to provide a targeted way out and the product will improve and be liked by customers.
2. Product Quality
After accommodating the best input, the quality of the product is very important, because the quality of the product is a representation ( expectation ) of the consumer with what the manufacturer makes. Some things for the quality of the product to be trusted by paying attention to the suitability required, the vulnerability of the durability of the product that must be observed, the advantages of the product that has been made, and the reliability of a manufactured product will affect the interest of consumers. This is where the trust ( loyalty ) comes from to keep buying the manufacturer’s products.
3. Price
Price benchmarks become very important in every business, because every price offered by the company to the consumer is a benchmark for the product itself. Price will influence the demand for market products. That’s why choose the price according to the level of raw materials, the tools used and the difficulty of turning the yardstick into the value of the product price.
4. Proper Promotion and Marketing Strategy
Promotion is how we provide information to offer, increase sales higher than usual and create loyalty of a product to consumers. This activity works to influence consumers to use services or products that will make consumers feel satisfied with the product.
How to Measure Customer Satisfaction Indicators
According to Kotler there are several ways for manufacturers to measure customer satisfaction in a product, including:
1. Criticism and Suggestions
It is mandatory for producers to understand that they will accept criticism and suggestions, so that the company can thrive to always receive good suggestions from customers, to improve the shortcomings of a problem in products and services.
Some places have usually prepared a suggestion box that can be filled directly or can be contacted by phone as a customer service or call center.
Now that information is growing, it is easier to give criticism, suggestions and new ideas, such as giving suggestions via company email, connected social media accounts and it is definitely easier to interact with customers.
2. Hire Ghost Shopper Services
Ghost shopper is one of the company’s strategies to find out the quality of employee service to consumers by pretending to be one of the consumers. Ghost shopper has service info according to the knowledge provided. This service is usually found in large companies such as health service providers, banking, other service companies.
In addition, it functions to observe and evaluate employees so that they can better face consumers in their attitude. In addition to evaluating the performance of employees, ghost shoppers can improve and make business benchmarks.
3. Finding out the Customer’s Reasons
Maybe some businessmen have found loyal customers but after a while it turned out that they switched to other companies. It is good to use this as an opportunity to know more about how satisfied the customer’s level is that is not met.
In this case, try the company to call or communicate with the customer and be able to understand the customer’s needs so that the company can complete the existing deficiencies. Always make evaluations to improve the product so that it becomes better and reaches back to the customers.
4. Customer Satisfaction Survey
Survey is gathering information in detail according to the needs of the desired producer. In addition to finding out why customers stop choosing products, use the Customer Satisfaction Survey method because this will be more effective in knowing which market areas will be exceeded. In addition, it will be beneficial to increase customer enthusiasm for the quality of the company’s services and products.
The more advanced this digital era is, the easier it is for companies to create or open a forum for suggestions or customer satisfaction questionnaires that are on target.
Reasons Why You Should Conduct a Customer Satisfaction Survey
There are several reasons why companies need to conduct customer surveys, including:
1. Know Product Quality
The survey will be useful to know how the quality of consumer products is of great interest, not only about quality but also price makes it an important yardstick for consumers. Because usually consumers prefer quality products with affordable prices.
2. Product Evaluation
If you have researched customer satisfaction surveys, evaluating is an important thing for producers so that the product becomes more quality, in addition to developing innovation to make new products that we can offer, we can even change them to be more attractive and have many fans for consumers.
3. Know the capabilities of competitors
The more advanced technology is not separated from the many competitors from many strategic in the business world. It should be noted that as a producer we must know which competitors are there and which factors influence the increase of customers to achieve the company’s target.
Customer Satisfaction Survey Steps
There are several customer satisfaction survey steps including:
1. Determine the target survey
In this strategy determine who will be the target of potential consumers as can be seen from the age range, the region to be developed and market segmentation. But we can divide this segmentation based on education level, occupation, income level and other points.
2. Prepare the Survey Fee
When entering operational activities to always record the details of cost expenditure, but before opening a wider business give a cost benchmark first to conduct a survey to reduce the risk of excessive cost expenditure.
3. Select the survey method
For the selection of survey methods there are many such as:
a. Fill out the questionnaire
By providing a question sheet to be filled in by the consumer, as the consumer provides valid and accountable data. Don’t forget to thank.
b. Group research
Gathering several consumers to find out the potential of the market to be developed, with the existence of this group’s research to draw conclusions about the information needed for the products to be sold.
c. Live Survey
Maybe this will be more convincing information in searching for surveys, but it is good to choose potential consumers who have free time. So that the filling is smooth and focused from the beginning to the end of the question.
Use or give product samples to consumers, this is intended as an enticement and promote the product so that it is better known. Don’t forget to thank them for their time.
4. Survey Implementation Schedule
This is very related to all aspects, because of that as a producer must ensure how long and choose the right time to start the survey, it is good to use it at certain moments.
5. Evaluation and Analysis
Checking the results of the survey is very important to find what the customers need and want. Use this opportunity as an evaluation to improve the company’s product as needed. Choose whichever one should be prioritized and be a quality product.
How to Optimize Customer Satisfaction
Business competition is increasingly emerging by competing to find innovative ideas to gain profit. Some people think harder to make the product more attractive, not only in terms of appearance and quality. But the key is for customer loyalty to continue to provide good and satisfied service.
In the book Business Process Mapping-Workbook To Increase Customer Satisfaction, Reader can also find a guide that can be used to compile a business process map that you have. Immediately get the book below!
Some tips on how to maintain customers so that they remain loyal and keep up with business developments, including:
1. Respond quickly to problems and be friendly to consumers
Providing prompt service is the most important thing in the world of any job, especially to serve the needs of customers. Because quick response is a performance value of someone who has good discipline, this will be felt by itself if it is always practiced in everyday life.
Friendly attitude and behavior is a culture that is held in high esteem as a cultural heritage. No matter where you are and in the world of work, hospitality is a very important role to be able to relate between consumers and producers to feel mutually appreciated.
2. Develop Mutually Beneficial Relationships
When a sense of mutual respect has been instilled, providing information or new products to consumers is good to mutually benefit each other. By giving promotional programs to customers to appreciate having subscribed to the product.
Most likely, consumers can spread product information to relations, friends or whoever. So that our product information is spread and one day we may get new customers. Don’t forget to record anyone who can benefit by giving a discount and even do business with each other.
3. Give Loyalty Rewards
Give a little surprise to appreciate business cooperation with customers. No need to be expensive, for example giving discount vouchers so that consumers feel happy and keep buying products from the company they work with. Sometimes happiness can be felt from the smallest things.
4. Dealing with customer complaints
It’s true that every job doesn’t always go well, sometimes there are things, whether it’s technique or communication , that can hinder and evaluate the company poorly.
It’s good to deal with the problems faced, listen to the complaints experienced by consumers, if that’s the case, don’t make the same mistake. Handle complaints with a cool head, because if you follow the consumer’s anger, the problem will not be solved. If it’s wrong, be prepared to apologize because otherwise it will make the reputation go down.
5. Train Officers to Be Friendly
Every employee should be instructed to follow the existing SOP ( Standard Operating Procedure ). By inserting the SOP on how to be friendly to customers, greeting the weather, answering customer problems properly and other things so that the company does not lose customers.
Every employee to carry out SOP consistently and commitment. Because maintaining the best service makes added value very ‘important’ so that consumers continue to choose the products we offer. Always try to provide comfort for customers.
Conclusion:
Customer satisfaction and loyalty is very important for the business world. Because this will be related to the businesses that are being run at the moment or other businesses.
By providing fulfilled needs, the customer will feel satisfied with what he wants. SOP should be carried out and trained as in manners, attitude, way of communication to customers is very important.
Factors that can affect customer service, quality, price, and promotion of the right marketing strategy so that the company can grow and reach more than what was planned