Customer Satisfaction: 50 Ways to Boost Yours Immediately

Satisfied customers are the lifeblood of any business. Happy customers not only keep coming back, but they also tell their friends and family about their great experiences, which can lead to even more business. Unhappy customers, on the other hand, are more likely to take their money elsewhere and may even badmouth your company to anyone who will listen. 

 That’s why it’s so important to do everything you can to keep your customers satisfied. But what does that mean, exactly? And how can you ensure that your customers are always happy?

What Does Customer Satisfaction Mean?

Customer satisfaction is a measure of how well a company meets its customers’ needs and expectations. In other words, it’s a measure of how happy your customers are with your products or services. 

 There are several facets to customer satisfaction. For one, customers need to feel like they’re getting what they paid for. But they also need to feel like they’re being treated fairly and with respect. And finally, they need to feel like their needs are important to you and that you care about their satisfaction. 

 It’s important to note that customer satisfaction is different from customer loyalty. Loyalty is when a customer continues to do business with you even if they’re not completely satisfied. Satisfaction, on the other hand, is when a customer is happy enough with your products or services that they don’t feel the need to look elsewhere. 

 Put another way, not all loyal customers are always satisfied, but all satisfied customers are usually loyal. This means that if you focus on customer satisfaction with everything you do, customer loyalty naturally follows.

Methods for Measuring Customer Satisfaction

There are a number of ways to measure customer satisfaction, and most involve customer satisfaction surveys. These can be either online or in-person, and they usually ask customers to rate their satisfaction based on a selection of key metrics. 

 These measures are intended to provide customer satisfaction data to help businesses prioritize customer success and root out the causes of poor customer service. Customer surveys are useful because they give you a more detailed look at how your customers feel about your business. Below are four of the most common metrics.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

This metric measures customers’ likelihood to recommend your company to others on a scale of 0-10. Customers who score you a 9 or 10 are considered “promoters,” while those who score you a 0-6 are “detractors.” 

 NPS is a popular metric because it’s simple and easy to understand. But it’s also useful because it gives you a good idea of how likely your customers are to recommend you to others, which can be a major source of new business.

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

This metric asks customers to rate their satisfaction with your product or service on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest. CSAT is similar to NPS in that it’s easy to understand and use. But it differs in that it specifically measures product satisfaction rather than the likelihood to recommend. 

 Customer frustration is common among unhappy customers, and this becomes visible when you measure product customer satisfaction levels.

Customer Effort Score (CES)

This metric asks customers how much effort they feel they had to put into interacting with your company, on a scale of 1-5. CES is a useful metric because it helps you identify areas where your customers are struggling and may need more help. For example, if you have a high CES score for your customer service team, it may be an indication that your customers are finding it difficult to get the help they need. 

 The CES metric focuses primarily on the customer experience. It measures satisfaction based on the many ways you and your customers interface. As such, you'll ask questions designed to extract details about the quality of the customer experience. 

 All three of these metrics involve collecting customer feedback through some form of customer satisfaction survey. Existing customers will be your primary data source simply because prospects and new customers haven't yet had enough experience with you to form an opinion. They do have customer expectations, but you haven't had time yet to demonstrate whether you'll measure up.

Improving Customer Satisfaction

Once you’ve collected data on customer satisfaction, it’s time to start working on improving it. The first step is to identify the areas where your customers are most satisfied and least satisfied. This will help you focus your efforts on the areas that need the most improvement. 

 There are a number of ways to improve customer satisfaction, but these are the most effective.

Get feedback regularly and act on it

We've already discussed getting feedback. We've learned about the various metrics you can track. But none of it matters if you don't put the lessons you learn into practice. This feedback can come from a variety of sources, such as customer surveys, social media, or even just casual conversations with customers. What matters most is that you take action to improve your customer experience. 

 Make sure you have a system in place for collecting this feedback and acting on it. Develop processes and accountabilities so that information can get to the people that need to hear it. Feedback should be routed to the appropriate people in your organization so it can be acted on quickly.

 Communicate with your customers

Your customers should always be aware of what’s going on with their order or service. This is a critical part of the customer relationship. Just as you wouldn't ignore your friends and family members, you want to keep in communication with those that pay your bills. They should never have to wonder what the status is or when they can expect to receive their product. If there are delays, they should be communicated as soon as possible. 

 Quality communication begins with effective listening. You need to make sure you understand what your customers are looking for so that you can carry your end of the conversation. You can improve communication with your customers in a number of ways, such as:

• Sending regular updates on the status of their order
• Providing a tracking number so they can follow the progress themselves
• Calling them proactively if there are any changes or delays
• Warn ahead of any known issues, stoppages, or product problems.
• Express your gratitude when customers make a large purchase
• Ask them if there's anything you can do to service them better

Ensuring that your customers are always kept in the loop will go a long way towards boosting customer satisfaction.

Use Automated Handwritten Notes to Keep the Conversation Going

You can further improve communication and customer satisfaction by sending handwritten notes. These can be used to thank customers for their business, express gratitude for a kind review, or simply keep the conversation going. Automated handwritten notes are a great way to add a personal touch to your customer interactions without having to handwrite each one yourself. 

 Handwritten notes are a potent force in the fight to increase customer satisfaction. They touch your customers emotionally in a way that isn't possible with other communication methods. Emails are inexpensive but cold and impersonal. Text messages are rarely used in business and shouldn't be relied upon for critical customer communications. Standard printed direct mail flyers are more immediate and tactile than their digital counterparts but still feel generic compared to the personal nature of handwritten mail. 

 Send handwritten notes to welcome new customers when they convert from prospects. This quickly establishes rapport and helps develop a base level of trust. You can also send thank you notes whenever customers make a notable order, or when they refer your name to a friend or colleague. Handwritten notes add a layer of polish and sophistication to every one of your communication needs. 

 But don't handwrite them yourself. Automation through Simply Noted ensures that you'll get all the benefits from warm, handwritten notes without ever having to put pen to paper. We've built one of the largest fleets of advanced handwriting robots. They use real ballpoint pens guided by our industry-leading, AI-powered "Infinity" fonts to recreate the subtle details and variations that delineate classic handwriting fonts from the real thing. Your customers will never know you didn't fill out your cards yourself.

Offer excellent customer service

Customer service is the face of your company for many customers. It’s the first and often only contact they have with you. As such, it’s important to ensure that your customer service team is providing an excellent experience. It's challenging to achieve customer satisfaction scores in the highly positive range when you if you aren't pouring energy into strengthening your customer service practices. It's significantly easier to achieve business success and overall customer satisfaction when you offer an exceptional customer experience. Here's how to make a loyal customer out of even the most dissatisfied customers. 

 There are a few things you can do to ensure that your customer service is excellent:

• Train your team regularly. This includes scheduled training sessions as well as on demand boosters whenever skills slacken. Your customer support efforts will improve when your staff knows best practices for handling customer concerns.
• Hire the right people. Look for people with the right attitude and then train them to have the skillset you need. The best customer service reps are patient, efficient, and knowledgeable.
• Set high standards and hold your team accountable. If you don't set the bar high, your team won't aim to meet it. But if you do set the bar high and provide the right tools and support, you'll be amazed at what your team can achieve. 
• Constantly strive to improve. The customer service landscape is always changing, so it's important to stay on top of new trends and best practices. You can do this by reading industry publications, attending trade shows, or taking online courses. 
• Set clear expectations. Your team should know exactly what is expected of them in terms of customer service. This includes everything from how to handle phone calls to what to do when a customer is unhappy. 
• Use feedback to improve. Make sure you have a system in place for collecting feedback from customers and use it to make changes and improvements.
• Provide the necessary resources. Your team can’t do their job properly if they don’t have the right resources. This includes everything from the right software to adequate staffing levels.
• Follow up with customers after each interaction. This is a chance to make sure they were satisfied with the interaction and to see if there's anything you can do to improve their experience.

By taking these steps, you can be sure that your customer service team is providing the best possible experience to your customers.

Make it easy for customers to reach you

If your customers can’t get in touch with you when they need to, they’re going to be unhappy. Make sure that you have multiple channels for customer support and that they’re easy to find. Customers should be able to reach you by phone, email, live chat, or social media. 

 In addition, make sure that you have adequate staffing levels for each of these channels. There’s nothing worse than trying to reach a company and being put on hold for an extended period of time. 

 By making it easy for customers to reach you, you’ll be able to resolve issues more quickly and boost customer satisfaction.

Offer incentives for customer loyalty

The best way to keep customers coming back is to offer them incentives for their loyalty. This could be in the form of discounts, coupons, or exclusive access to new products. By showing your customers that you value their business, you’ll be able to build long-lasting relationships. 

 Make sure that your loyalty program is easy to use and that it provides value to your customers. Otherwise, it’s just going to be a waste of time and money.

Make sure your team is empowered to resolve issues

Customer service reps should be empowered to resolve issues quickly and efficiently. This means giving them the authority to make decisions and offer solutions without having to go through a lengthy approval process. By empowering your team, you’ll be able to resolve issues more quickly and boost customer satisfaction.

Offer a money-back guarantee

A money-back guarantee is a great way to show customers that you’re confident in your product or service. It also shows that you’re willing to stand behind what you sell. 

 Customers appreciate knowing that they can get their money back if they’re not satisfied with what they’ve purchased. This can go a long way in boosting customer satisfaction.

Be responsive

When customers reach out, they expect a timely response. If you don’t respond in a timely manner, they’re going to get frustrated. Make sure that you have systems and processes in place to ensure that all customer inquiries are responded to in a timely manner. 

 In addition, make sure that you’re monitoring your social media channels and addressing any negative comments or reviews. Ignoring these issues will only make them worse. 

 By being responsive to your customers, you’ll be able to resolve issues quickly and show them that you care about their experience.

Offer comprehensive employee customer service training

We mentioned this briefly earlier, but it bears a deeper explanation. Many times, employees are the root cause of customer service problems. If your employees don’t have the skills or knowledge to provide excellent customer service, it’s going to reflect poorly on your company. 

 That’s why it’s so important to offer comprehensive employee customer service training. This training should cover everything from how to handle phone calls to how to deal with difficult customers. 

 In addition, make sure that you provide ongoing training and development opportunities for your team. The customer service landscape is always changing, so it’s important to keep your team up-to-date on new trends and best practices. 

 By investing in employee customer service training, you’ll be able to improve the skills of your team and provide a better experience for your customers.

Make it easy to do business with you

One of the most important things you can do to boost customer satisfaction is to make it easy for customers to do business with you. This includes everything from having a user-friendly website to offering multiple payment options. Customers should be able to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. 

 In addition, make sure that your checkout process is as smooth as possible. Customers should be able to complete their purchases without any difficulties. If you make it easy for customers to do business with you, they’re more likely to be satisfied with their experience.

Anticipate your customer's needs

The best way to boost customer satisfaction is to anticipate needs and proactively address them. This could involve anything from sending out a survey to gauge customer satisfaction levels to proactively reaching out to customers who haven’t interacted with you in a while. 

 By anticipating the needs of your customers, you can take steps to address them before they become a problem. This will go a long way towards boosting customer satisfaction.

Pay attention to the little things

It’s the little things that make a big difference when it comes to customer satisfaction. Something as simple as sending a handwritten thank-you note after a purchase can make a customer feel appreciated. 

 In addition, take the time to personalize your interactions with customers. Remembering their name or asking about their family shows that you care about them as a person, not just a customer. By paying attention to the little things, you can make a big impact on customer satisfaction.

Invest in customer success

Customer success is the term used to describe the efforts of a company to help its customers achieve their desired outcomes with the product or service. This involves everything from onboarding and training to ongoing support and education. 

 Customer success teams are becoming more common as companies realize the importance of investing in their customers' success. By investing in customer success, you can boost customer satisfaction and retention. 

 Improving customer satisfaction is essential for any business that wants to thrive. By collecting data on customer satisfaction and working to improve the most important factors, you can ensure that your customers are happy and loyal. And that’s good for business.

Keep your promises

This is a big one. When you tell customers you're going to do something, do it every time. All it takes is one broken promise to ruin an otherwise strong business relationship. 

 If you can't deliver on a promise, be honest with your customers and let them know as soon as possible. Customer satisfaction is all about meeting (and exceeding) customer expectations, so don't make promises you can't keep.

Tools That Help With Developing Customer Satisfaction

There are a number of different tools that can help you develop customer satisfaction. Here are a few of the most popular:

Handwritten Notes

We mentioned these earlier, but they bear mentioning again. There’s something special about getting a handwritten note, and it can really make your customers feel appreciated. They don't have to be long, just authentic and heartfelt. 

 Customers have a better experience of your business when they feel cared for. A handwritten note's personal touch is the best way to cultivate a more satisfying brand relationship. Automating your handwritten notes with Simply Noted allows you to scale the operation affordably to any size.

Customer Surveys

Customer surveys are a great way to collect data on customer satisfaction levels. They can be used to identify problem areas and track progress over time.

Social Media

A lot of quality customer opinion information is freely available online if you take the time to look. Social media presents a unique opportunity to make one-to-one contact with your market. By following the comments on your social posts you can get instant consumer sentiment feedback. You can also ask questions and receive instant answers. Social platforms are a critical tool for finding customer satisfaction improvements.

Online Customer Reviews

Online customer reviews can be a valuable source of information on customer satisfaction levels. Pay attention to what customers are saying about your business on sites like Yelp, Google, and Facebook. These reviews can help you identify areas where you need to improve.

In-Depth Customer Interviews

Customer interviews are a great way to get detailed feedback on your business. They can be used to identify both strengths and weaknesses. Customer interviews can be conducted in person, by phone, or via email.

Customer Support Software

Customer support software like Zendesk can help you track customer satisfaction levels and identify areas that need improvement. Customer support software provides a central place for all your customer support information.

Customer Success Software

Customer success software like Gainsight can help you track customer outcomes and ensure that they're achieving their desired results. It gives customer success teams a centralized location for the information they need to succeed.

Live Chat

Live chat is a great way to provide real-time support to customers and address their concerns immediately. It's also an excellent way to collect indirect data. Your customers leave little informational breadcrumbs scattered throughout their conversations with your live chat agents. You can collect this and use it to supplement data received from your customer satisfaction surveys.

Email and Text Messaging

While handwritten notes are better than digital communication channels when you want to make a connection with your customer, you can use email and text messaging for data collection. These channels shine for quick outreach efforts like short questionnaires or single statement requests. Establishing digital links to your customers also makes it easier for them to contact you, which is always a plus.

Final Thoughts on How to Achieve Higher Customer Satisfaction Levels

Developing customer satisfaction should be a priority for any business. Customer satisfaction is the key to a successful business. By using the tools and tips we've discussed in this article, you can improve your customer satisfaction levels and keep your customers coming back for more. Here are some final thoughts on how to improve your scores.

Onboard new customers to educate them and set expectations

The customer onboarding process is critical for success. You need to take the time to educate your customers on what your business does and how you can help them. This will set the stage for a successful relationship.

Be open and honest in all things

Customers appreciate honesty, so always be open and honest with them. If there is a problem, let them know about it and work to fix it. They'd rather you meet problems head-on rather than sidestep them.

Keep your promises

If you make a promise to a customer, make sure you keep it. Customer satisfaction depends on it.

Always be learning

Never stop learning. The customer landscape is always changing, so you need to change with it. Stay up-to-date on industry trends and best practices. This will help you keep your finger on the pulse of the customer.

Offer always-on customer support

Make sure customers can reach you 24 hours a day, and provide them with multiple access channels. This will show them that you're always there for them.

Collect and act on customer feedback

Make sure you're collecting customer feedback at every opportunity. Customer feedback is essential for business success. Use it to improve your products, services, and processes.

Encourage Customer Advocacy

Advocates are customers who love your brand and talk about it to their friends, family, and followers. Customer advocacy is a powerful marketing tool, so encourage it whenever you can.

Build communities

Building a community is a great way to connect with customers and create loyalty. Customer communities, both physical and digital, give customers a place to interact with each other and your brand. They're also a great source of customer feedback.

Encourage Customer Interaction

Make it easy for customers to interact with you. The more interaction you have, the better you'll understand your customers' needs and wants.

Use data to improve customer satisfaction

Data is your friend. Use it to improve your customer satisfaction levels. Customer data can help you understand what's working and what's not. Use it to make informed decisions about your business.

Ask for feedback and referrals consistently

Make sure you're consistently asking customers for feedback and referrals. Customer feedback will help you improve your business, and referrals can help you grow your customer base.

Create a customer loyalty program

Customer loyalty programs are a great way to reward your best customers. They can also help you attract new customers. Customer loyalty programs can take many different forms, so find one that works for your business.

Always give the benefit of the doubt to the customer

In most cases, the customer is always right. If there's a dispute, always give the benefit of the doubt to the customer. They'll appreciate it, and it can help you avoid conflict. 

 Customer satisfaction should be a priority for any business. By using the tools and tips we've discussed in this article, you can improve your customer satisfaction levels and keep your customers coming back for more.