4 Ways to Measure Customer Satisfaction More Accurately

Customer satisfaction is one of the most important aspects of running a business. Poor customer satisfaction can lead to lost customers, low revenues and declining profits, not to mention a poor reputation which is difficult to recover from. High customer satisfaction, on the other hand, leads to greater retention, increased revenue and a much better bottom line.

In this blog post, we’ll go over 4 ways that you can measure customer satisfaction more accurately so that you know what your customers really think about your products or services, and to help you identify areas for improvement.

Why You Need to Measure Customer Satisfaction

It most definitely pays to keep a close eye on customer satisfaction.  Numerous studies show that there is a strong correlation between customer satisfaction and company success. In fact, one study by Bain & Co found that just a 5% increase in customer retention led to a 25% increase in profits.

On top of this, Forbes reported that 59% of companies whose CEO is involved in customer experience enjoy higher revenue growth than those without. In the same article, it was reported that 70% of American consumers have intentionally spent more money in order to do business with a company that offers superior customer service to a cheaper competitor.

It's important to measure your customer satisfaction so that you can create a better customer experience, garner a stronger reputation, improve your marketing strategy and even predict future trends that will influence your target audience's behaviour.

There are a number of ways to measure customer satisfaction, but not all of them are created equal. Some methods are more accurate than others and can provide you with deeper insights into what your customers really think about your products or services. Let's take a closer look.

#1 - Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

The most common way to measure customer satisfaction is through a Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT). This is simply a numeric score that measures how satisfied or dissatisfied customers are with a product or service. It's usually measured on a scale from 0-100, where 100 represents complete satisfaction and 0 represents total dissatisfaction.

While the  Customer Satisfaction Score is easy to measure, it falls short in the sense that it doesn't provide any additional information about why customers are satisfied or dissatisfied. Therefore, it's best used in conjunction with other metrics to provide a more accurate picture of what exactly you're doing well, and where you have room to improve.

#2 - Customer Satisfaction Survey

A better way to measure customer satisfaction is through a Customer Satisfaction Survey. This survey asks customers about specific aspects of your product or service that they are satisfied or dissatisfied with. This provides you with much more detailed information about why customers are happy or unhappy with your product or service, and allows you to identify areas for improvement.

#3 - Net Promoter Score (NPS)

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend your product or service to others. It's calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors (customers who are dissatisfied with your product or service and would not recommend it to others) from the percentage of promoters (customers who  are satisfied with your product or service and would recommend it to others).

While the NPS is a good indicator of customer loyalty, it doesn't provide any information about why customers are promoters or detractors. Therefore, it's best used in conjunction with other metrics to get a more accurate picture of how your products and services are performing.

#4 - Customer Effect Score  (CES)

The Customer Effect Score (CES) is the amount of effort your customers have put in to interact with your brand, whether that means making a purchase or simply an enquiry.  It's usually measured on a scale of 1-7,   where a score of one represents "strongly disagree" and seven means "strongly agree." The CES survey asks questions like "Did you find the website easy to use?" and  "Did you find the information provided helpful?"

The purpose of the CES survey is to identify pain points and hurdles that your customers have to overcome when interacting with your business. This helps you to create a better, more seamless experience and ultimately make it easier for your customers to buy from you.

Final Thoughts

It's important to use multiple metrics to measure your customer satisfaction so that you can get an accurate and well-rounded picture of your business. Your customers are the lifeblood  of your business, so it's essential to make sure you're doing everything you can to keep them happy.