Getting to Satisfied – How to Ensure Every Customer Gets the Resolution They "Deserve" [Want] So That They Do Business With You Again!

Are you a business suffering from lagging repeat sales? Are your customers saying they are not impressed with the helpfulness of your staff? Are your customers taking your “compensation” (and apologies) and then scoring you low on exit surveys? If this is your situation then the problem is your customers are not being satisfied.

Your customers aren’t satisfied with your solutions!

So, what really is satisfaction?

Merriam-Webster defines satisfaction this way:

a : fulfillment of a need or wantb : the quality or state of being satisfied :  contentmentc : a source or means of enjoyment :  gratification

So, why are our customer-facing associates not getting our customers to a state of satisfied?

Could the answer be this?

Could it be we are trying to deliver “satisfactory service” instead of “satisfaction service”?

Satisfactory Service vs. Satisfaction Service

Do you see the difference?

Most customer-facing associates are trying to deliver “satisfactory” service and not “satisfied” service.

Satisfactory service means to offer “adequate” service. Adequate is doing just enough to get by. Adequate is cheap, dull, and doesn’t care about “me”.

“Satisfied service” is different. It is the conclusive feeling (see above definition) of having a need fulfilled, of being (or having) the “state” of being satisfied, of feeling (or being) gratified; or content.

So, when we are trying to give “satisfactory” service we often are not doing the kind of service that fulfills the customer’s wants and needs. But, when we ask questions dig a little deeper and find the problem our customer has, and then solve it to their contentment, enjoyment, or gratification – then we have offered satisfaction service

I have been in customer service for over 30 years with the last 21 being in hospitality. It wasn’t until I started paying attention to the Satisfaction Promise Guarantee the Hilton Garden Inn (HGI) has put into place that things started to click for my business and the rest of your hotel.

What is the Satisfaction Promise Guarantee?

At the Hilton Garden Inn the Satisfaction Promise Guarantee is simple:

“We promise that if you are not satisfied you do not pay.”

This is a bold statement, and for many owners and managers a scary statement.

Why?

Because conventional wisdom dictates that people would take advantage of this policy and thus lose money offering refunds all the time.

But the question is, is that really true?

HGI doesn’t think so, and I have to agree.

According to HGI most customers will do business with [and even come back] when a company has a satisfaction guarantee; and this creates loyalty.

In essence HGI is putting their money where their mouth is.

But, even with such a powerful and disarming weapon at ones disposal many associate don’t use it or know how to use it.

Time and time again I see associates quickly promising refunds or credits without even asking the customer the one question that matters the most…

“What will it take to make you satisfied?”

With that simple question you get right to the heart of the matter – satisfaction.

For some it’s an apology. For others it’s a full blown refund. For others it is somewhere in-between.

If you can get your customer to satisfied you have won your customer and you will have ensured their future business.

Make it a goal to satisfy your guest or customer.

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Paul Woodley is currently the Associate Director of Sales for the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Airport Millenium Center and has worked in customer service since the age of 12. He has led major hotel chains in best of class GSS scores and loves to play with his two children Naomi and Elijah. When he is not helping companies organize a meeting or event at his hotel he is reading a good book on Audible.com like Pilgrims Progress by Paul Bunyon or Contagious by Jonah Berger.