Introduction: Customer satisfaction is heart for any business, as it helps in retaining existing customer’s base, getting new customers, and key for building credibility in the market. A satisfied customer will continue with company, refer other customers and builds business to the company. Measuring it is equally important, because it points out where the company is lacking in providing services. It is the factor that identifies how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectations. Customer satisfaction is defined as "the number of customers or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals. There are number of processes and tools available to measure customer satisfaction. Like Six Sigma, help organizations improve customer satisfaction, loyalty and profitability by concentrating on improving internal processes or operations through rigorous data gathering and analysis of those areas important to the customer. Some organizations use business tools such as the balanced scorecard and the service profit chain. These ensure that the organization's strategic plan is understood and implemented by all employees. The plans are built on the premise that if the organization focuses on delivering the type of quality service desired by loyal customers and providing real management and systems.
Identification of best practices: Below are the some of the things that need to be followed for meeting customer expectations. Every customer looks for some of the basic thing that they look for from every company as listed below.
1. Reliability: The ability to provide what was promised, dependably and accurately. Examples include customer service representatives responding in the promised time, following customer instructions, providing error-free invoices and statements, and making repairs correctly the first time.
2. Assurance: The knowledge and courtesy of employees, and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Examples include the ability to answer questions, having the capabilities to do the necessary work, monitoring credit card transactions to avoid possible fraud, and being polite and pleasant during customer transactions.
3. Tangibles: The physical facilities and equipment, and the appearance of personnel. Tangibles include attractive facilities, appropriately dressed employees, and well-designed forms that are easy to read and interpret.
4. Empathy: The degree of caring and individual attention provided to customers. Some examples might be the willingness to schedule deliveries at the customer’s convenience, explaining technical jargon in a layperson’s language, and recognizing regular customers and calling them by name.
5. Responsiveness: The willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Examples include acting quickly to resolve problems, promptly crediting returned merchandise, and rapidly replacing defective products.
Above things are take care by the companies proactively, there are other best practices that are followed by companies to ensure they are following them. Like Gathering and analyzing the voice of the customers.
Companies reach their customers in any of the following ways.
a) Asking customers to fill out online surveys.
b) Allowing customers to submit feedback/complaints through written forms or email.
c) Provides access to post review on websites/testimonials on company’s websites.
Noriaki Kano, a Japanese professor suggested segmenting customer requirements into three groups:
1. Dissatisfiers: Requirements that are expected in a product or service. If these features are not present, the customer is dissatisfied.
2. Satisfiers: Requirements those customers say