The question might seem glib, but really: who cares about customer satisfaction? As this entry from "Mystery Shopping Matters" blogger David Rich suggests, the concept of determining "satisfaction" is fundamentally flawed - it's hard to conduct; it doesn't endear you to customers; and, it leaves you with ambiguous results, let alone actionable steps to improve things.
Rich's blog cites customer loyalty guru Fred Reicheld and his "Ultimate Question," from the book of the same name. Reicheld believes (like we do) that determining satisfaction has very little to do with a number that really matters - customer retention. He suggests that - in place of long surveys - you ask your customers one simple question: "would you recommend us to your friends?" Reicheld attempts to make a strong correlation between that question and financial growth, with mixed success. His logic, however, is sound: loyalty rather than satisfaction is a stronger indicator of a company's success and growth.
In his blog, David Rich recommends more mystery shopping to determine customer perceptions and experience. We feel that "walking in the customer's shoes" is but one key to truly understanding customer experience. The others are included in our Customerspective Audit. But one thing is certain: customer satisfaction surveys are not "the Ultimate Answer."
I completely agree, mystery shopping can prove to be a useful strategy. By doing this you can literally see things from a customer's perspective, which is very important if you want to survive this credit crunch. Keeping an eye on customer service is always important as it makes a big difference to whether someone will purchase your products or service.
Posted by: mystery shopping | December 07, 2011 at 06:45 AM