Satisfy The Customer

What happens when you satisfy the customer, what happens when you get the customer what they want, when you help them find what they seek, when you make them happy, when you solve their problem, what happens …… when you give the customer exactly what they came to you for?

I’ve been proposed to 17 times, offered a first-born 5 times, sent on vacation 3 times, not to mention taken to dinner, lunch, brunch, breakfast, happy hour, and even taken out for snacks at a food truck! As well as sent flowers, baskets, fruit, chocolate, event tickets, etc. And of course, thanked profusely repeatedly.

Why does this happen? Because when you solve the customer’s problem in a helpful and professional manner so thoroughly, they are grateful, and they feel relief and joy of having the problem off their back. They knew their problem was not only the center of their world, but the most important thing in your world too, and the care provided clearly showed up.

So, what happens when you satisfy the customer from their perspective is this:

• They smile broadly when you call
• They are ecstatic about their new solution
• They tell everyone within shouting distance how happy they are
• They rave about your product or service
• They talk about the pleasure of working with you
• They refer everyone they know to your business
• They look for ways to do more business with you
• They appreciate you being considerate of their time and timeline
• They love talking to you on just about any subject
• They talk about your knowledge and helpfulness with friends and family
• They are in awe of your knowledge
• They give you rave reviews because they are filled with gratitude
• They make a “war” story of how you rescued them and share it repeatedly
• They come to your kid’s piano recital or baseball game
• They love you for taking time to explain the “hard-to-understand” details
• They call you to ask questions because they trust and respect your opinion
• They love the additional resources you offer to aid their situation
• They really do nice things for you
• They ignite dynamic growth in your business
• In essence, they are happy, they are satisfied, and they show it!

What happens to the business owner when the customer is satisfied?

• They smile broadly when the customer calls
• They are ecstatic about their new relationship
• They tell everyone within shouting distance about their sales growth
• Their confidence in their own abilities grows stronger
• They get really excited about helping more people  
• They talk about the joy of working with customers
• They skip, rock, and roll happily all the way to the bank!

I don’t know about you but whether I am the customer or the company, I want to feel this way about every transaction.

Great customer service starts and ends with solving the issue that prompted the customer to call you in the beginning. Great customer service is a double edge sword that cuts both ways in uplifting the customer and the business owner. When the customer is happy and satisfied, the positive energy generated from the transaction results in a boatload of goodwill along with referrals to other promising prospects. Look at the diagram below that illustrates this powerful point clearly and succinctly.

To fully grasp the magnitude of providing excellent service and satisfying the customer, complete the calculation below. For every happy customer shown here, add the price paid for the product or service to your bank account. For every dissatisfied customer, subtract $150 from your bank account. Over the 5-week period shown here, note the amount of money collected and the balance in your account.

Now, do the exercise again, but this time imagine that all the customers are happy and satisfied, and you get two referrals from each one of them all the way through to week twelve. This time add the price paid for the product or service to your bank account for all the customers (even the ones not shown here). Over a 12-week period note the amount of money collected and the balance in your account.

Price: $150.00

If you run the numbers all the way out for 12 weeks on this illustration, assuming each transaction results in two referrals, you will have served 4,095 customers at a price point of $150.00 USD. That equates to $614,250 within 6 months of being in business. This positive momentum establishes a direct path to business success that can be repeated.

However, on the flip side, note the impact the two dissatisfied customers you serviced in weeks 3 and 4 had on sales. These two missed opportunities cost you an estimated 1,532 customers over the same 12-week period. Multiply that number by $150.00 a person to see the impact to sales.

I have never seen anything work as effectively and efficiently as a direct personal referral to a client prospect. Remember, when someone comes to you as a referral, a happy and satisfied customer has already paved the way. With their referral, they have provided the credibility, capability, and a sense of trust about you, your product, your service, and your company. The prospect is already teed up to be sold. Referrals are the ultimate compliment for any business.                                                                                                            

View your prospects and customers as the most important part of your business and have a sincere appreciation for the fact that they CHOOSE to do business with you. They can take their business somewhere else to spend their money, but why let them go? When you make the delivery of your service priority one and provide it with excellence, you make every customer a happy satisfied [unpaid] salesperson. What happens when you have a salesforce of 4,095 happy customers singing your praises? Cha-Ching!!