It’s Never Too Late: Turning Around Customer Satisfaction

We can all pinpoint that moment when we were met with disappointment towards a brand we loved. Our satisfaction as a customer waned when confronted by an unempathetic employee, or when the total response time to a service complaint exceeded the purported standard policy. With the number of alternative brand choices in any market niche, consumers have the ability to shift their loyalty when a buying experience proves unsatisfactory. These negative encounters create a distrust of the brand, causing us as consumers to tune out any and all associated brand messaging and tactics.      

The success of a brand hinges on the customer experience with the brand, be it online advertising, e-commerce, on-air promos, brick-and-mortar environments, or off-site events.

Consumers are empowered to choose whether to stay loyal to a brand or move on to a competitor and never look back. It’s a matter of how a brand demonstrates loyalty to their  customers, their preferences, and their expectations that ameliorates the risk of consumer defection.   

Let’s explore how to demonstrate customer loyalty TO THE CUSTOMER by nurturing their curiosity and being accountable for their experience with their preferred brand. Customer engagement can only begin when brands choose to know their customers; seeking to understand the customer as a kindred spirit whose values, preferences and benefits align with the essence of the brand.   

A brand must choose to place priority on their consumers, which entails following the customer by seeking to understand how they compare brands, why they choose one brand over another, and what they come to expect of customer service (i.e. assistance/support) and customer experience (i.e. brand journey/interaction). Communicating with the customer is integral to brand management. Giving consumers the power of choice in how and when they communicate with a brand can increase the chances of learning more about their priorities and interests. Data can be gathered through crowdsourcing customer surveys, consumer insight reports, emails,  web chat service, and monitoring online conversations via social media and review platforms. Each form of communication is a customer service type that prioritizes the customer, meeting them where they are. And this analysis informs how a brand can anticipate customer behaviors. But more importantly, this information presents insights on how to address dissatisfied customers and implement communication processes to exceed their expectations. 

Listening to consumer sentiments and interests provides brands more preparation in cases that call for resolution.

While customers might experience all the top features, key benefits, and the values they expect from a brand, when a customer experiences how a brand goes above and beyond to rectify a problem, the brand loyalty deepens. Think Trader Joe’s and the customer experience story as told on Reddit.

An 89-year-old man was stuck indoors due to a Pennsylvania holiday snowstorm. His concerned daughter attempted to call grocery stores in the area, anticipating that her father would need food to ride out the weather, and none of the stores delivered. When she called Trader Joe’s she learned that they didn’t deliver either. But in light of the situation, they rose to the occasion and delivered the grocery order to her father’s front door within less than an hour. Bonus: In the spirit of the Christmas season, the Trader Joe’s employee assured the daughter the food would be delivered free of charge.

Talk about exceeding expectations and going above and beyond what’s needed! Trader Joe’s employees are given liberty to help customers and listen to their needs, which makes customers feel valued when they shop at the grocery store. Even better, customers feel loyalty towards the brand. Another example is when Trader Joe’s employees heard customer complaints about plastic packaging. The grocer’s response was to start using more eco-friendly packaging and discontinue doling out single-use plastic bags. 

Trader Joes is the high standard of customer experience, and successful customer experiences are relational. The relational aspect of building brand loyalty is hearing customers and demonstrating transparency. It’s the willingness to meet the individual customer where they are and provide information on how hard a brand will work to fulfill that particular customer’s satisfaction, consistently and every time. This can involve providing facts, conveying honesty, and being receptive to customer feedback. 

When brands embrace consumer influence, they can better prepare to understand what’s most important to their customers. The genesis of brand loyalty is getting to know the customer and earning their trust through exceptional customer experiences and unmatched customer service. 

One of the most authentic ways to engage with customers is via social media platforms. This presents frequency in encountering the brand and opportunities to celebrate user-generated content that promotes brand adoption. 

But we can never forget that social media also provides brands an opportunity to address a customer’s negative experience. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram give customers a public stage to celebrate brand allegiance, or express grievances with a brand. It’s this form of mass broadcast that incentivises companies to publicly acknowledge online conversations. In the case of resolving customer complaints via social media, responding with facts and honesty will help ingratiate the brand to the consumer. Customers expect a prompt response and genuine transparency when exchanging communication with a brand via social platforms. And all the brand followers are watching how the resolution unfolds.

Remember, customers are empowered to determine their brand loyalty. Social media is where they announce where their loyalty stands.   

All in all, the benefits are an informed customer who can express their satisfaction (or dissatisfaction), with an ability to weigh their continued loyalty. Customers are the priority, and a brand’s accountability to a customer’s experience trumps all. Choosing to understand consumer behavior requires a commitment to research and communication, which includes listening to customer needs, wants, and expectations. But it’s the manner in which brands raise the bar in customer service and customer experience that reinforces brand loyalty and repeatedly secures customer satisfaction for all the world to witness.

Tasha L. Jones 

NOTE: Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.