Who Needs Customer Satisfaction?

A recent conversation around the office reminded me of a book I read last year: Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless by Jeffrey Gitomer. The book was a waste of my time, and the typography was atrocious, but the premise was interesting.

Everybody strives for customer satisfaction, which is a good thing. What businesses should seek is to gain loyal, not just satisfied customers.

A satisfied customer buys your product or service and walks away. No emotions; merely a transaction.

A loyal customer comes back again and again. In fact, loyal customers are your fan base! Word of mouth starts with them.

A sure way to gain loyal customers is to under-promise and over-deliver. “Extra” features, effort or attention go a long way.

To the contrary, to over-promise and under-deliver is a sure way to gain pissed-off customers.

I agree. There is another book I would highly recommend called "Raving Fans". Like the premise of the book you read, it also discusses not just creating satisfied customers, but raving fans instead -- people who will rave about your company/service to others.

It's a quick read, and does contain its share of "hokeyness", but will definitely get you thinking about how you could improve your business and your delivery.