When you’re done eating at a restaurant or finishing a transaction with an online shop, were you given a questionnaire or asked to rate the quality of service? That is called a customer satisfaction survey.
Customer satisfaction (CSAT) refers to the measure of how satisfied a customer is with a brand’s product, service, and other capabilities. It can be both qualitative and quantitative in nature.
Customers are given some kind of CSAT survey to complete in order to collect the data. Some of the most common types are rating systems, multiple choice, and open-ended questions.
Why is it important to increase customer satisfaction?
It indicates whether or not your customers are satisfied with your brand, just as the name implies. You can learn a lot about the state of your business by monitoring this metric. Regardless of whether you can move forward with an idea or business venture, how can you make it better? What needs to be improved?
Customer retention and brand reputation increase when your customer satisfaction rate is high. The latter two are extremely valuable allies and potentially dangerous foes in this era of social media.
What can decrease customer satisfaction? If you’re thinking of evaluating your brand, here are some pointers that can help. These are just seven of the most common causes of customer dissatisfaction.
Causes of Low Customer Satisfaction Score
- Subpar Facilities
Your products may be of high quality, and your staff may be well-trained, but what if it does not reflect on your environment? How will you entice potential customers and persuade existing ones to return?
Protocols for health and safety are another issue. Is your business a secure one? Are there any health risks that patrons need to be aware of?
Invest in the quality of your workplace. It’s akin to dressing for the part. It is what customers see the most, and it is where they move in. It’s imperative that it be easy on the eyes as well as safe.
- Disregarding or Displeasing Customers
We all know about the “Karens,” but not everyone who asks for the manager is one. Sometimes the staff is to blame, especially when they are purposefully offending or ignoring the client.
Add some training in customer service and anger management for your staff to help prevent issues of this nature. The employee may even need to take inclusion or acceptance training if the bias was brought on by ignorance or a political leaning.
- Failing to Meet Expectations
This is applicable to a variety of business operations, but it typically refers to deceptive advertising. No matter how appealing and spectacular false advertising may be, neither the brand nor the customers are benefited. Yes, customers might subscribe to a product or service early on.
But as soon as they use a product or service for themselves and realize the fraud, the negative feedback and word-of-mouth will proliferate. If you do nothing, the reputation of your company will gradually deteriorate.
At times, it’s not even a deliberate decision. There was simply a lack of quality testing along the way that caused a product to be defective in some way or another.
This might also occur as a result of other unpleasant aspects of the overall experience. A customer’s patience may be tried, for instance, by slow service. Long queues or lines can also seriously ruin your day.
- Lack of Inclusivity
Always keep in mind the diversity of people, even within your common demographic. People with disabilities (PWD), neurodivergent people, and senior citizens are some of the demographics that are often left out.
For example, there are no wheelchair ramps or PWD-friendly toilets, and poorly-designed graphical user interfaces (GUIs). These people are also customers and deserve to be treated as such.
- Lack of Communication Channels
It can be frustrating when there are only a handful of ways an establishment can be contacted. Frustration can squelch any enthusiasm for subscribing to a good or service.
When it comes to customer service, it’s even worse. Everyone has a preferred method of communication, whether it be due to personal preference or unavoidable situations. So make sure that your customers can reach you with their preferred mode of communication.
- Poor Training
Does your staff know all about the basics of your brand? Do they know what to do when a customer asks a question? Are they equipped with proper problem solving skills?
The quality of training reflects on your staff’s quality of work. Seeing as customer service quality contributes to customer satisfaction, you’re in trouble if your staff is not up to snuff.
Invest in a good training program and in your staff. It might seem like a needless cost at first, but it can pay off in several ways.
- Dubious ethics
Last but not least, it comes down to your brand’s values. In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of multiple social issues and what we, as a society, need to do to address them. Establishments are being called out and condemned for their dubious ethics and practices.
Any hint of racism, xenophobia, adultery, homophobia, and others are now easier to track and get ahold of thanks to the advancement of technology and the internet. Even if these are mere rumors or a misunderstanding, it’s enough to give a critical hit to your image.
It’s best to get with the times and do what’s right, not just as a business owner but as a fellow human.
Conclusion
Customers like being catered to. They appreciate any kind of special treatment. But one mistake can cost a lot, most of all the trust of a once loyal customer.
It is a fact that some of the responses on a CSAT survey don’t accurately reflect how the customer feels and were merely entered to expedite the process. In any case, it’s a crucial metric because customers are the center of any business.
Well, what increases customer satisfaction? Frankly, do the opposite of the pointing and follow the advice under it. Remember, the customer is always right, even if they aren’t.