As a consumer and a business owner, I constantly purchase products and services.  Like many people, I determine whether or not to develop a relationship with a company based on my experience at the start of a transaction and thereafter, I reassess along the way.

For me, a company’s commitment to customer satisfaction can be witnessed within the processes it uses during a customer interaction.  I tell my clients to employ customer first processes that heighten customer resolution, customer engagement and empowerment.  These processes provide opportunities for company representatives to deliver a positive experience during each customer and prospective customer moment of truth, for it is during these moments that decisions are made to allow an interaction or to avoid one.

Companies that provide ongoing employee training and communication to establish expectations for superior customer service and those that focus to learn from feedback understand the value of employing processes that place customer satisfaction first.  

You’ve heard it said, as I have recently, that no matter the amount of training and communication, “people are human,” and therefore likely to make mistakes.  Unfortunately, too many mistakes or mistakes of significant impact risks new customers, retention, referrals and can often distort a brand.