Know satisfaction – measuring customer satisfaction is a process not an event

I am often challenged by decision makers who believe that periodic customer satisfaction studies and their results are not actionable, or that organizations themselves are not capable of repeatedly acting on the results.

In a sense these decision makers are putting the cart before the horse. These decision makers see customer satisfaction as a performance measure that should be gauged every once in a while. They see customer satisfaction as an event, as a checkup.

However, leveraging customer satisfaction results necessitates understanding that customer satisfaction is a process not an event. By continuously listening to customers and measuring their satisfaction based on a consistent framework and language, the ability to take action emerges. Organizations have the chance to get to know satisfaction. Continuous listening moves customer satisfaction from measurement to decision support. It helps you see trends, understand meaningful changes, and be confident when things are constant.

The danger of using customer satisfaction measurement as a checkup is demonstrated well in TV sitcoms. In my time, the classic Jack Tripper misinterpretation always leads to the wrong and comic decision because he acts based on a snippet of information.

Knowing what drives customer satisfaction, past, present, and looking forward is the most powerful decision support possible, but it becomes a reality only as a process not an event. So keep listening to know satisfaction.