Keeping Customers Satisfied
How do you keep customers satisfied? First you need to understand what motivates your customer. Dr. Nuriaki Kano developed a model to help identify some basic premises of what customers want and need. The "Kano Model" is a simple two axis matrix with "satisfaction" on the vertical axis and "achievement" on the horizontal axis:
Kano identified three levels of attributes on this matrix to help explain what keeps a customer satisfied (or dissatisfied). The three levels are:
- Basic or expected attributes - These are things that are expected and must be present. Their presence doesn't necessarily satisfy you, but their absence will make you very unhappy.
- Performance attributes - These are defined wants, more of them will increase your satisfaction.
- "Wow" or exciting attributes - These are things you might not have articulated as needs or wants, but their presence excites and delights you.
To understand how this works, imagine you just checked into a hotel. You expect your room to be clean and to have clean towels and bedding. You also expect the room to have toilet paper, tissue, shampoo soap and a hair dryer. These are the "must haves" and if they are not there, you will be unhappy, but even if all items are there in abundance, your satisfaction will not necessarily increase. Now, think about the complimentary breakfast (once a delighter, now a need), the more choices you have for breakfast the better. There might be several things that delight you about your hotel stay - chocolate on the pillow, manager receptions with complimentary wine and beer, courtesy newspapers, free internet access, etc. I recently stayed in a hotel that had several delighters - chocolate, the manager's reception, free wifi and a newspaper. Wow!
Over time, as with the complimentary breakfasts, delighters become either must haves or performance attributes. So, the answer to keeping your customers satisfied is making sure that you meet all their wants and needs and then include some attributes that will "wow" them. Since, those delighters become needs or must haves over time, review them periodically and keep looking for the next new "wow" attribute to keep delighting your customers so they will come back.
You can use the Kano Model in several different applications. If you are working on a Six Sigma project, you may want to segregate the voice of the customer (VOC) so that you know the difference between the three levels of attributes. For your ISO 9001 program, this model may help you zero in on what needs to be done to improve customer satisfaction. For new product development, look at the functions and features you are creating to ensure you include all the "must haves" and performance needs and then include some "wow" features if your budget allows.
What are you doing to delight your customers and keep them coming back?
Tags: customer satisfaction, motivation
Comments:
Michelle Griffin
As one who is an owner of a mom-and-pop garage door repairs service in Chino Hills, I can say that customer satisfaction really spells the difference between a successful business and a mediocre one. Especially if you don’t have enough money to do massive marketing, the word-of-mouth promotion that you can get for doing great service to your customers will really matter. As for me, I always make it a point to do something extra for my customers. If they are only looking for me to repair their home, I might do some little extra service and advise them on things such as aesthetics as well.
Ben Benjabutr
I think Kano Model is a very good “Voice of Customer” tool. Anyway, the model requires good questionnaire and result should be interpreted properly.
Mr. Wiccan Spells
Being in the affiliate marketing business, not only is customer satisfaction necessary but it is a necessity you must learn, and learn well. Whether you are only a middle man, or on the front lines of customer care it is important to understand what it is the customer is looking for, and then deliver it. Great article.