Why aiming for customer satisfaction is dangerous

If you’re willing to settle for something “good,” you’re losing the opportunity to overcome your own limits and become even greater.

If you think about it, good customer service just entails meeting customers’ minimum requirements. That would include providing 24/7 customer support, answering queries correctly, and making sure that the consumer journey is pain-free.

Sure, all these are commendable feats. After all, in the era of the modern customer, it’s getting harder and harder to meet people’s basic expectations. Some even recommend simplifying the customer experience, instead of always aiming to delight them.

We’ve got to admit that there’s a sound rationale behind this idea. Often, what customers want are efficiency and convenience especially in terms of transacting and conversing with brands. In this sense, good services are enough to initiate a relationship with a buyer, and they can also help you attain customer satisfaction. But if we’re talking about nurturing loyalty and keeping your customers coming back, will “good” suffice?

The danger of being okay with good customer service is that it prevents you from going beyond satisfactory. Here are four reasons why aiming for a merely satisfying, rather than a delighting, customer experience is counterproductive.

 

1.     It leads to complacency.

Good business practices serve as the foundation of outstanding performance. Of course, businesses must first do what they’re supposed to do before even thinking about adding something extra to their services. But you should also know when you should start pushing your boundaries a little further. Otherwise, you may become too comfortable and complacent with your performance, which leads us to the next item in this list.

 

2.     It can get in the way of exceptional customer service.

Perhaps we can all agree that the most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who always ask, “How can we improve the way we do things?” For some, adopting this kind of mindset can be exhausting. But those who refuse to pat themselves on the back until they’re perfectly happy with themselves are the same people who tend to excel and succeed.

 

3.     Competitors will outperform you.

Business competition is another thing you must consider. Everybody out there is thinking of ways to surprise their customers—be it through great customer service or unique marketing strategies. If you don’t want your competitors to outshine you, you should strive to deliver a memorable and impressive customer experience.

 

4.     Customer satisfaction doesn’t always lead to loyalty.

It’s one thing to keep your customers satisfied with your products and services, but keeping them coming back to your brand for more purchases is another thing. You want your customers to single you out and keep choosing your brand. To foster this level of loyalty, you need to prove to customers that you’re capable of delighting them consistently. This means you need to actively seek creative ways of solving their issues, instead of just sticking to conventional customer service solutions.