In the last three posts we’ve looked at what customers really want. Now let’s ask the question: what does customer satisfaction look like? Not only do we want our customers to find a solution, we want their experience to be A++!

Did you know that the average American spends 13 hours per year and 43 days per lifetime on hold for customer service? This is why New York Times writer describes it as a “timeless form of torture.” You may have helped them find a solution, but their experience was terrible. There’s a bad taste in their mouth for your brand. Remember that solutions aren’t everything; it may be the experience your customers remember more than anything!

John Bocuzzi, a marketing expert, says that exceptional customer experience can beat all other marketing techniques. At the end of the day, it’s experience that matters and makes customers come back for years and years. In his TED talk several years ago, he quoted Maya Angelou: “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

Complete customer satisfaction happens when both the solution and the experience getting to a solution were positive.